Chelsea Transfers

[OhForAGreavsie 6,127]

4 hours ago, Pizy said:

Very, very exciting player. Just wonder where we’d play him along the front 3. Impossible to know until we’ve seen how this season plays out. 

I have to confess that I'm having a Kai Havertz moment here in that I really liked what I saw of Kai but, as soon as I realised that we might actually get him, I felt certain that I must have been overrating him. (On the basis that if he was as good as I thought one of the usual suspects who take him.) To an extent I feel similarly about Nkunku who I rate a lot, though not as highly as I briefly rated Kai.

Edited October 3, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[DDA 10,241]

14 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

No doubt we'd have to agree a 'better than clause' fee to get him in January but perhaps Leipzig would rather just keep him an extra five months. Above and beyond that however I still feel that the only way to make sense of the medical having been done already is that the deal has also already been done.

I think they would rather keep him until the summer too considering how he is their main source of goals and assists. They haven't had the best of starts to the season, so it would probably make sense for them to hold onto him until then end of the season.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,127]

8 minutes ago, DDA said:

I think they would rather keep him until the summer too considering how he is their main source of goals and assists. They haven't had the best of starts to the season, so it would probably make sense for them to hold onto him until then end of the season.

For once I've been reading this thread forward, rather than backward from the most recent post, so I came across your comment about how highly you rate Nkunku after I had already posted the comment you replied to here. It's encouraging to read an assessment from someone who watches more than just highlight vids.

Edited October 3, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[DDA 10,241]

43 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

For once I've been reading this thread forward, rather than backward from the most recent post, so I came across your comment about how highly you rate Nkunku after I had already posted the comment you replied to here. It's encouraging to read an assessment from someone who watches more than just highlight vids.

People are comparing him with Werner.... two completely different players.

Werners technical ability is very limited and heavily relied on acceleration into space... his finishing is that of just hit the ball and hope it hits the back of the net.

Nkunku has technical ability in abundance, he has an eye for a pass... can accelerate past players from a standing position. He can trick his way out of a congested scenario. His finishing is precise and decisive.. when he scores, you know he meant to put the ball where it ends up... none of this hit and hope shite we keep witnessing at our club. 

If you put this guy in City's team, my word, he would absolutely flourish behind Haaland.

This being said, I do believe we need to either bring Broja on or look to sign Leao so Nkunku can play off the more physical presence as I don't feel Nkunku can lead the line week in and week out. He is more of a drop deep into the pockets and arrive on the scene kind of player.

Edited October 3, 2022 by DDA

[MoroccanBlue 5,399]

A front three of Sterling, Leao, and Nkunku is just scary. 

All moot if we don't sort out the midfield. 

[Artandur 939]

Very smart to bag our transfers for next summer early, doubt we would have had a shot at Nkunku, should we lose cl

[ZAPHOD2319 4,954]

 

[Superblue 6,372]

1 hour ago, DDA said:

People are comparing him with Werner.... two completely different players.

Werners technical ability is very limited and heavily relied on acceleration into space... his finishing is that of just hit the ball and hope it hits the back of the net.

Nkunku has technical ability in abundance, he has an eye for a pass... can accelerate past players from a standing position. He can trick his way out of a congested scenario. His finishing is precise and decisive.. when he scores, you know he meant to put the ball where it ends up... none of this hit and hope shite we keep witnessing at our club. 

If you put this guy in City's team, my word, he would absolutely flourish behind Haaland.

This being said, I do believe we need to either bring Broja on or look to sign Leao so Nkunku can play off the more physical presence as I don't feel Nkunku can lead the line week in and week out. He is more of a drop deep into the pockets and arrive on the scene kind of player.

So in our current set up where do you think Nkunku fits?

[YorkshireBlue 3,345]

Where are people reading Nkunku is done? Am not getting even slightly excited till I read it is.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,954]

12 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Where are people reading Nkunku is done? Am not getting even slightly excited till I read it is.

There are quite a few reports saying he has signed a pre-contract agreement. I am not sure how binding that is?

[MoroccanBlue 5,399]

1 hour ago, Superblue_1986 said:

So in our current set up where do you think Nkunku fits?

You'd want him in a set up that will have him see the ball a lot. He can play either side to the ST but you'd want him playing beneath the ST for him to be the most effective. 

28 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Where are people reading Nkunku is done? Am not getting even slightly excited till I read it is.

Quote

Chelsea are holding a second round of meetings for sporting director this week.

Nkunku is pretty much done and dusted, there was some competition from the premier league upper reaches. (@David_Ornstein)

 

[DDA 10,241]

1 hour ago, Superblue_1986 said:

So in our current set up where do you think Nkunku fits?

Behind, in and around the striker... or in a number 8 role but with less responsibility on defensive duties. I really feel he should be the link between attack and midfield .

That being said, I'm not saying he is the solution to all our problems.

We still need at least 2 serious midfielders and I long for a proper right winger... a player who can take the FBs on and produce goals and assists.

[MoroccanBlue 5,399]

10 minutes ago, DDA said:

Behind, in and around the striker... or in a number 8 role but with less responsibility on defensive duties. I really feel he should be the link between attack and midfield .

That being said, I'm not saying he is the solution to all our problems.

We still need at least 2 serious midfielders and I long for a proper right winger... a player who can take the FBs on and produce goals and assists.

Was about to say. Could get prime Messi and Ronaldo and it wouldn't matter with our current CMs. 

Midfield needs surgery, starting January. 

[LAM09 7,091]

39 minutes ago, DDA said:

Behind, in and around the striker... or in a number 8 role but with less responsibility on defensive duties. I really feel he should be the link between attack and midfield .

Isn't that meant to be Mount's role?

It's getting to the stage where the club are going to have to decide what to do, as he's stagnated or maybe even regressed, depending on who you're speaking to.  

3 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

A front three of Sterling, Leao, and Nkunku is just scary. 

All moot if we don't sort out the midfield. 

There's no vocal point or real presence there. If Leao bulks up a bit, which I've mentioned previously, my thoughts would change slightly in regards to that potential frontline.

Edited October 3, 2022 by LAM09

[robsblubot 3,595]

Would someone please remind me why we couldn't land Nkunku in the previous window? I mean we landed everyone else!

I'm not a fan of the Abu deal.... It's just that we already know him and he's got second tier written all over.

Now, Nkunku, that's a bet that makes sense just as Werner too made sense. Werner "did not work" poor us with our CL trophy.

That's how you compete against folks with more investment capacity: by being creative and making educated bets.

[YorkshireBlue 3,345]

15 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

That's how you compete against folks with more investment capacity: by being creative and making educated bets.

Just because a bet is "educated" doesn't mean it will work, Werner was about as much use as a bag of dicks is to @Vesper

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

5 hours ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Just because a bet is "educated" doesn't mean it will work, Werner was about as much use as a bag of dicks is to @Vesper

Yeah that's why it's called a bet. You know who wasn't a bet and also was a world beater? Haaland and he wasn't attainable.

Regarding Werner, I think I'd side with facts over fiction on that one; that "other player" the who'd "have done so much better" did not actually play did he?

[OneMoSalah 9,104]

13 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

A front three of Sterling, Leao, and Nkunku is just scary. 

All moot if we don't sort out the midfield. 

Again none of them are natural strikers so its not really scary as most of them bar Sterling have only had success playing off of/with a recognised forward in their teams.

I mean we can talk about false 9s and interchangeable front 3s but again, we’ve just spent the best part of 2 and a half years of playing this same idea with other players where people also thought it would be effective. Without a natural striker, with these sort of floaty/second strikers/number 10s/wide forwards.

I mean theoretically it looks good on paper but again Sterling and Leao are much better from wide areas and Nkunku plays with Andre Silva at Leipzig so unless we play 4231, then it will be unlikely all 3 play at once considering Aubamayang is here.

Edited October 4, 2022 by OneMoSalah

[OhForAGreavsie 6,127]

9 hours ago, robsblubot said:

Would someone please remind me why we couldn't land Nkunku in the previous window? I mean we landed everyone else!

I'm not a fan of the Abu deal.... It's just that we already know him and he's got second tier written all over.

Now, Nkunku, that's a bet that makes sense just as Werner too made sense. Werner "did not work" poor us with our CL trophy.

That's how you compete against folks with more investment capacity: by being creative and making educated bets.

I'm with you most of the way on this but I'd say that we don't lack investment capital. What we lack is football capital. Established top players, with dreams of the mega clubs, and realistic hopes of achieving those dreams, don't fancy playing for Chelsea. I think that Timo is an example of this. If I remember correctly there was an authoritative report that we paid £47m for him. At that price, or even substantially above it, Liverpool could have afforded him if they wanted to. I believed from the start that their claim to be unable to afford Timo was just a more acceptable thing to say than that they didn't rate him at anything like this amount. At a lower cost they might have been willing to place a 'bet', but at £47m they were out, so we were able to get him.

Our lack of football capital can be fixed but it will take time and a lot of astute recruitment of the kind you are talking about.

Edited October 4, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie