Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 28,795]

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing

Jonathan Johnson's Mercato Magazine - Mohamed Salah to PSG? Plus what can Chelsea expect from Malo Gusto and can Nuno Tavares take Marseille form back with him to Arsenal?

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/p/jonathan-johnsons-mercato-magazine-13f

Could Mohamed Salah really be a target for PSG?

Despite rumours to the contrary, I don’t think Mohamed Salah going to PSG this summer is doable. The issue PSG have is that would have to sacrifice a big name to fund the deal, and I think we can rule Kylian Mbappe out of that equation - he is PSG’s undoubted star man. As revealed previously, I think PSG would consider letting Neymar move on if the right offer came in, but at this moment in time, given the mix of disappointing form post-World Cup and behavioural concerns, I’m not sure that’s likely. There’s obviously the issue of Lionel Messi’s contract, and they’ve got Milan Skriniar coming in in the summer, so to add another high earner like Salah, plus the potential transfer fee which would have to be paid to Liverpool, would probably be impossible for PSG.

Of course, the speculation has arisen following Salah being spotted having a meeting with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but there could be a number of reasons for that meeting. Let’s not forget that PSG’s Qatari owners were looking at potential minority stakes in Premier League clubs not that long ago. We know there’s a situation relating to Qatar and Manchester United being on the market at the moment, as well as the fact that there was some interest in a minority stake in Tottenham Hotspur not so long ago, which the club deny. At the end of the day, Al-Khelaifi is a businessman, so as well as his role with PSG he’s working on a number of different projects, so I wouldn’t necessarily say that this meeting points towards PSG interest in signing Salah.

The other thing to say about PSG as well, when it comes to potential transfer dealings, is that they’re being overseen by Luis Campos. And he was really brought in to help PSG identify talents who are yet to fully explode on the world football scene, so I think it’s more likely he’ll be looking at someone who is currently at a slightly lower level than Salah, but with the potential to get to where Salah is now.

What can Chelsea fans expect from Malo Gusto?

Malo Gusto is a good signing for Chelsea, but whether he can establish himself as their automatic first choice will I think depend on Reece James’ fitness and form over the next few years. Both players have had injury problems, and actually Gusto is back with Chelsea at the moment due to an injury he picked up after being loaned back to Lyon.

I definitely think Gusto has the potential to compete with James for that starting position, and it’s also important to note that it was a good time for Lyon to sell. He’s a talented young player, and it enables them to bring in a good amount of money. Gusto was reaching that point where he had to move on, particularly if Lyon, as looks highly likely, don’t qualify for Europe.

In terms of other interest in him, once it was clear Chelsea had him firmly on their radar, a few other clubs woke up, as it were, but my understanding is that they were not necessarily clubs we’re seeing in the top four at the moment, but those looking to break in and be part of those established big Premier League sides. There were a few others elsewhere in Europe who were interested as well, but who just couldn’t reach the kind of figures Chelsea ended up paying.

Alexandre Lacazette is back among the goals - could he have stayed at Arsenal?

Alexandre Lacazette is doing pretty well in the Ligue 1 scoring charts since leaving Arsenal to return to Lyon in the summer, but I’m not that convinced we’re seeing a serious resurgence from the player, even if it’s tempting for some Gunners fans to wonder if there’d have been value in keeping him around for a bit longer this season, particularly with the injury to Gabriel Jesus and the slightly inconsistent form of Eddie Nketiah.

There didn’t look to be much prospect of Lacazette signing a new contract at Arsenal, I think they’d gone as far as they could together. In terms of returning to Lyon, he’s in an environment he knows very well and is seen as a returning hero really, but he’s not the same player he was when he left. He’s older and certain sides of his game have changed, even if he still has that talisman role to play in their team. Equally, he does take penalties so his goal tally is a little deceiving in that sense, and personally I haven’t really been blown away by his second spell at Lyon.

But to be honest, it’s a difficult time for the club right now. I wouldn’t say they’re in dire straits, but they do need a major overhaul, and I think bringing back someone like Lacazette was a popular move which papered over some cracks. At the end of the day, Lyon develop some fantastic young players and then sell them on, but those top quality talents are now struggling to fulfil their true potential at Lyon because of the struggles of the team.

It’s also fairly telling that Lacazette chose a return to Lyon when he could have gone elsewhere in Europe or stayed in the Premier League, where he’d potentially have more of a challenge and have to fight for his place a little more. Maybe his stock had fallen to a place where he felt he had to go back somewhere where he knew he’d be a key part of the team because of his profile, rather than having to prove himself somewhere else at a time when his ability and physical attributes are starting to decline.

Could this Arsenal loanee benefit from a positional change?

There’ll certainly be Arsenal fans intrigued by how Nuno Tavares has been getting on during his loan with Marseille this season, as, like Folarin Balogun, he seems like a fine young player who’s really developing in Ligue 1.

He may have missed a penalty in an embarrassing Coupe de France defeat for Marseille on Wednesday night, but generally speaking he’s had a pretty good season. He’s an interesting player in that many people consider him a left-back, but he’s very attack-minded, has six goals this season and some of them very nice finishes as well. He reminds me a little of Layvin Kurzawa when he was coming through at Monaco, and I wonder if a conversion to a more attacking role might suit him better and help get the best out of his abilities, instead of trying to turn him into a full-back or wing-back. Freeing him from those defensive responsibilities could turn him into a really interesting player, I think.

In terms of his development, Marseille, at this moment in time, look good for European qualification and are playing good football, so there might be a case for extending that loan for another year, though we know that Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, like to get a close look at a player after they’ve been out on loan. So it could be that he’ll start pre-season with Arsenal, but then maybe go somewhere else. There’s obviously a talented player there, but I’m not sure making him someone who has to have defensive responsibilities is the best way to get the best out of him when he’s got so much to offer going forwards.

Igor Tudor’s tactics with Marseille have been very direct, almost too direct at times, so it’s quite different from how Arsenal play. There’s a lot of emphasis on attacking and getting the ball out to the wings, and less on controlling games in the middle of the park. Naturally, that means Tavares has got a lot of attention, seen a lot of the ball, and got into a lot of good positions. Perhaps if he were to spend time in a different tactical set-up we could see a different side of his game and he could show that he’s got a bit more to offer defensively, but like I said, I think Tudor always likes his teams to be on the front foot, so those defensive responsibilities are put on the backburner a little.

Moussa Dembele and years of Premier League links - the truth

We’ve so often seen Moussa Dembele linked with Premier League clubs and it’s never quite happened, but what does the future hold for him this summer as he nears becoming a free agent?

For all the speculation we’ve had down the years, I think the closest he really came to moving to England was when he ended up moving on loan to Spain with Atletico Madrid last season. There’s traditionally been a lot of interest in him from English clubs because of his time in the UK with Fulham and Celtic, so that loan to Atletico was around a time when he also had an opportunity to potentially go back to the UK, but the options on the table for him at that time meant Atleti were the more attractive option.

He’s now going to be a free agent and I’d expect significant interest in him, he’s still only 26 so there’d be time for a club to get a good return on their investment if they got him, and I do think that a move to an English club could be the best thing for him now in terms of rediscovering his best form. It looks to me like his best moments with Lyon have come and gone, I don’t think we’re going to see a return to the kind of form we’ve seen from him in the past, so it’s probably for the best for all parties now if he moves on, though it’s also a shame for Lyon that they weren’t able to cash in on him in January. But from his point of view, I think he knows there’s been historic interest in him so he’ll be confident of finding a destination this summer when his contract expires.

He was at Celtic at the same time as Brendan Rodgers, and though I can’t claim to know much about how well they worked together during that spell, he certainly showed some fine form in Scotland. There’d be some logic to them reuniting, especially as Leicester also have to be a bit careful with how much they spend at the moment, so to have a free agent of his calibre could be smart business for them if they do decide to look for a player of his profile.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,795]

LIVE Transfer Talk: Chelsea keen to open talks over RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog-transfer-talk/story/4891084/transfer-talk-rb-leipzigs-josko-gvardiol-still-on-chelseas-shortlist

 

[Vesper 28,795]

Chelsea ‘no longer want’ player at club – Has ‘nothing to do with the project’ Boehly wants

https://sportwitness.co.uk/Chelsea-no-longer-want-player-club-nothing-project-boehly-wants/

 

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of articles surrounding the future of Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Inter from Chelsea.

The Belgian returned to Stamford Bridge during the summer of 2021 in a big and very expensive transfer, but the relationship with Thomas Tuchel never blossomed and his come back ended up in a failure.

He quickly made it clear he wanted to head back to Italy, where Inter, who never wanted him to go in the first place, were happy to welcome him back.

They did so on loan, with Chelsea agreeing to a one-year deal with a view to extending that for a second season if possible.

The latter part has been put in doubt of late due to the player’s injury issues, but with hope that those are behind him now, there is talk of it happening.

The reason for that, according to Corriere dello Sport, is simply because Chelsea ‘no longer want Lukaku’ at the club.

At Stamford Bridge, ‘they consider his second adventure with the Blues short over’, and even the struggles under Graham Potter without a recognised striker have ‘not changed the mind of the leaders of the London club’.

Because Todd Boehly wants a young squad, Lukaku, and his ’30 years to be completed on May 13th, has nothing to do with the project anymore’.

Whether he stays at Inter is also not fully guaranteed, as previous articles, and this one, make it clear he needs to convince them that spending a large sum of money on his wages will be worth it going forward.

The player does want to stay, and he could cost less, with the Serie A side having to pay just €5m up front rather than the €8m they gave Chelsea last summer.

On top of that, him wanting to remain at San Siro ‘at all costs’ could also see him accept to lower his wages from the €8.5m/year net he is currently on, making it all in all a far more favourable deal for the Italians.

[Vesper 28,795]

Roy Keane seriously unimpressed by £100m player Chelsea reportedly want to sign

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/pundit-view/roy-keane-seriously-unimpressed-by-100m-player-Chelsea-reportedly-want-to-sign/

Roy Keane has explained he wants to see much more from West Ham and England star Declan Rice, who’s been linked as a Chelsea transfer target.

West Ham captain Rice, 24, is the outstanding individual at the London Stadium.

The all-action midfielder has proven over several years for club and country his quality, which is why his name is a popular topic in the transfer rumour mill.

Journalist Simon Phillips told GiveMeSport last month that Chelsea have been putting in the groundwork ahead of a potential move to sign Rice this summer.

However, West Ham manager David Moyes has said it’ll take over £100million for any club to sign the 24-year-old.

Declan Rice criticism

ITV pundit Roy Keane delivered a fairly eye-opening assessment of Rice yesterday.

Despite being a fan of the midfielder, he thinks the West Ham star is definitely capable of improving and providing a far better attacking output.

“I don’t think he’s been great this season, I really don’t. I think he’s not really kicked on. For all the talk about him, a lot of good PR coming out of West Ham about how much he’s worth, I think he needs to do a lot more. Doesn’t score enough goals, doesn’t get enough assists,” Keane told ITV Sport.

“If there’s talk of him leaving for big money and going to one of the bigger clubs who will be competing for trophies, playing in the Champions League, he needs to do a lot more, it’s as simple as that.”

Rice certainly isn’t pinned down as a defensive midfielder any longer, like earlier in his career.

He’s a great ball carrier with his athleticism, plus strong on and off the ball. Perhaps he could do more in the final third, though.

Rice has two goals and three assists in 31 West Ham appearances so far this season, so it’s a good area of his game to keep working on.

[lucio 5,418]

He's shite. 

[Vegetable 830]

15 hours ago, milka said:

Chelsea are currently planning to prioritise a backup goalkeeper in the summer as Kepa Arrizabalaga is deemed to have performed sufficiently as the number 1. 

@AdrianJKajumba

 

I'd dare call bs on this. We still have Mendy, who can well compete with Kepa for the spot and Slonina coming, so how many unsellable goalkeepers on similar level do we need?

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

7 hours ago, Vesper said:

LIVE Transfer Talk: Chelsea keen to open talks over RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog-transfer-talk/story/4891084/transfer-talk-rb-leipzigs-josko-gvardiol-still-on-chelseas-shortlist

 

So another young left sided defender? What about Colwill or is he one of the homegrown youngsters Boehly is willing to sacrifice for FFP?

Seems pointless to sign more left footed central defenders no matter how good he could be as Badiashile and Colwill certainly will be more than good enough and young enough to be 2 left sided centre back options for next 10+ years. Feels like spending anything close to what Gvardiol will go for would be taking away funds from areas of the team that are more lacking ie. CM and CF.

Even a more experienced right sided central defender would be more a astute buy for replacing/when Silva retires too if we were to look for any central defenders (no idea what will happen with Koulibaly wouldn't be surprised if a move to Italy was mooted this summer although he’s improving slightly).

But Boehly & co are gonna do what Boehly & co do I suppose and just try sign as many of the best youngsters without figuring how their all gonna play or develop long term - leaving the manager with a lot of problems. I would of thought somebody in the age bracket 23-27 who is a right sided central defender would be more a priority with KK and Thiago’s age and Chalobah still only good enough for a squad role? 

Edited March 3, 2023 by OneMoSalah

[TheHulk 1,855]

Guess that's the end of this guy, hope we get Lavia.

[Pizy 18,368]

47 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

Guess that's the end of this guy, hope we get Lavia.

He’d be a good signing but don’t City have a first refusal clause? With uncertainty surrounding Gündogan they may need to refresh their midfield. If they miss out on Bellingham I think they’ll bring Lavia back.

[TheHulk 1,855]

38 minutes ago, Pizy said:

He’d be a good signing but don’t City have a first refusal clause? With uncertainty surrounding Gündogan they may need to refresh their midfield. If they miss out on Bellingham I think they’ll bring Lavia back.

They probably going after Kovacic. I don't think they are in for Lavia.

[milka 3,346]

 

[NikkiCFC 7,943]

What we gonna do with all these attacking midfielders? I like him tho, very creative player. Would make sense if we don't sign Felix and Mount leave. I prefer him to both because unlike them he has that final pass which we desperately need. 

Anything in Hungarian press about this? @nyikolajevics

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by NikkiCFC

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

34 minutes ago, milka said:

 

Another attacking midfielder? What the actual fuck is the clubs transfer strategy honestly 😂 Are they forgetting Nkunku’s already coming? I mean really the only way I could see it coming is if Mount is 100% gone and Felix isn’t going to happen either.

Edited March 3, 2023 by OneMoSalah

[Vegetable 830]

15 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Another attacking midfielder? What the actual fuck is the clubs transfer strategy honestly 😂 Are they forgetting Nkunku’s already coming? I mean really the only way I could see it coming is if Mount is 100% gone and Felix isn’t going to happen either.

From some time I feel like a lot of our transfer business is done with the second club Boehly wanted to buy in mind… 

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

8 minutes ago, Vegetable said:

From some time I feel like a lot of our transfer business is done with the second club Boehly wanted to buy in mind… 

I disagree because the players we are being linked with despite having what would appear as being good solutions there already/more pressing concerns in the team are players who would play for us/bigger teams - like Szoboszlai, Gvardiol, Nkunku. Easily.

In my eyes, it just seems like he’s wanting to recruit as many top young players as he can buy without actually thinking: 

1) a lot of them are of a similar age and will need to play fairly regularly to continue developing at the speed they have at these other clubs. 

2) its going to be a personnel nightmare for any manager as most tend to consistently use say 14/15 players on a regular basis throughout a season. I mean are guys like Colwill & Badiashile going to be happy if we signed Gvardiol? A player who is of the same age group, same profile, same position? Theres also been rumblings about academy players doubting their first team chances because of the signings we’ve made already. As if it wasn’t an issue before also. 

3) and a lot of them play in areas where we have already signed/got good young players coming through in so seems like there isn’t an actual plan on how these players will progress in the long term. Or that we have just wasted time signing other players before getting our plan in place to start with.

[TheHulk 1,855]

 

[nyikolajevics 2,576]

8 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

Anything in Hungarian press about this? @nyikolajevics

 

They are only referring to the TMW articles.

Some journalists asked his manager but refused to comment.

[LAM09 6,744]

15 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Another attacking midfielder? What the actual fuck is the clubs transfer strategy honestly 😂 Are they forgetting Nkunku’s already coming? I mean really the only way I could see it coming is if Mount is 100% gone and Felix isn’t going to happen either.

A creative one. If Ziyech goes, we won't have one in our squad, so this move would make sense.