Chelsea Transfers

[YorkshireBlue 3,118]

17 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Yes. Buying a club and spending 600m on players yet immediately removing backroom staff, trainers, all the backroom faces that made us great is fundamental in our demise. I am afraid even getting the Foo Fighters physio in as a replacement can't save the day. Hopefully lessons have been learned and the Ted Lasso days are over.

Let's not start pretending this club wasnt a mess before Todd (not saying your saying that), the issues at this club have been here a long time, and the player power at this club has been shambolic of the highest order, doesn't surprise me one bit that the new owners would just Rip the entire setup up, and start again.

[Vegetable 830]

41 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Let's not start pretending this club wasnt a mess before Todd (not saying your saying that), the issues at this club have been here a long time, and the player power at this club has been shambolic of the highest order, doesn't surprise me one bit that the new owners would just Rip the entire setup up, and start again.

It was a mess, due to accumulated consequences of stopgap solutions, scattered decision making body and Marina's mistakes. However the "player power" that had become somewhat a buzzword this season is something that doesn't sit well with me personally. I'd say it's collective apathy, yes, lack of leadership, yes, but player power? During Roman's reign the only power I can imagine is Roman power. I'm sure he'd never allow a lot of things that happened after the takeover, starting with Lukaku circus. After the famous interview he'd send his ass off to trim the Cobham pitch or to assist with his satellite U-17 8th division team in deep Siberia, if he wasn't exiled from his position (and country). And now Lukaku says he "closed his Chelsea chapter" wtf. I can't really remember any particular player holding the team hostage in contract negotiations publicly. We were way away from the player power that exists in PSG, Real or Barca. Had the team banded together to sack Lampard or Potter, they only done it for the greater good, but it shows they have Roman's winning mentality in sight more than their comfort. What I was particularly amused with, we seemed to recruit players with reasonable character/mentality/intelligence until some point. 

I see a lot of issues to be erased from this team way before "player power" honestly. Yeah, we were terrible eyesore this season and gave pathetic performance, but I doubt it was any malicious agenda from the players. Leicester went down this year and I doubt it was because players not giving a toss anymore…

Edited June 8, 2023 by Vegetable

[Fulham Broadway 16,710]

34 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Let's not start pretending this club wasnt a mess before Todd (not saying your saying that), the issues at this club have been here a long time, and the player power at this club has been shambolic of the highest order, doesn't surprise me one bit that the new owners would just Rip the entire setup up, and start again.

Ripping up and starting again is fine, but with little plan apart from buying players is highly questionable. Abramovich spent 200 million pounds in the transfer window before the 2020-21 campaign and then Lampard was sacked in January when we were team languishing in ninth. After Tuchel took over, we edged out a top four finish and won our second Champions League title in May two years ago. Tuchel's first full season included UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup success. So many obvious mistakes such as re employing Frank. Ok throwing some slack, lets see what next term brings...

[Fulham Broadway 16,710]

Nothing wrong with player power passe - think Terry, Lampard Ballack, Drogba -it just has to be the right type of player power -something we are actually severely lacking

[YorkshireBlue 3,118]

49 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Nothing wrong with player power passe - think Terry, Lampard Ballack, Drogba -it just has to be the right type of player power -something we are actually severely lacking

Our player power always seems to be negative, does more harm than good.

[Mário César 970]

emilano departure I think that was a mistake 

[Mário César 970]

 

 

[LAM09 6,694]

1 hour ago, Vegetable said:

It was a mess, due to accumulated consequences of stopgap solutions, scattered decision making body and Marina's mistakes. However the "player power" that had become somewhat a buzzword this season is something that doesn't sit well with me personally. I'd say it's collective apathy, yes, lack of leadership, yes, but player power? During Roman's reign the only power I can imagine is Roman power. I'm sure he'd never allow a lot of things that happened after the takeover, starting with Lukaku circus. After the famous interview he'd send his ass off to trim the Cobham pitch or to assist with his satellite U-17 8th division team in deep Siberia, if he wasn't exiled from his position (and country). And now Lukaku says he "closed his Chelsea chapter" wtf. I can't really remember any particular player holding the team hostage in contract negotiations publicly. We were way away from the player power that exists in PSG, Real or Barca. Had the team banded together to sack Lampard or Potter, they only done it for the greater good, but it shows they have Roman's winning mentality in sight more than their comfort. What I was particularly amused with, we seemed to recruit players with reasonable character/mentality/intelligence until some point. 

I see a lot of issues to be erased from this team way before "player power" honestly. Yeah, we were terrible eyesore this season and gave pathetic performance, but I doubt it was any malicious agenda from the players. Leicester went down this year and I doubt it was because players not giving a toss anymore…

I agree with you for the most part, but a number of managers at the latter end of Roman's ownership seemingly lost their jobs because players just downed tools or couldn't be bothered anymore. It's been a constant theme, with noise finding its way outside the club every time there's a shaky patch.

Most of the rumoured culprits have left (Alonso, Jorgi, etc.), so Todd and Co have to be very wise about who they're bringing in going forward while getting rid of players that feel their time is done at the club.

On a side note, I noticed Monaco have decided against signing Sarr permanently due to his injury woes. Another one we might have to loan out again.

Edited June 8, 2023 by LAM09

[Pizy 18,343]

Imagine telling us Chelsea supporters just a year ago or 2 years ago after the UCL Final that ALL of Kante, Kova, Jorginho, and Mount would be moved on at essentially the same time. It’s crazy to think that all these massive players for the club will be gone. Add in Havertz & Mendy and that’s just about every player that was extremely instrumental to our win in Porto.

But honestly, you would struggle to make a super convincing case that any should be kept. They’re all either aging or have stagnated badly. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,325]

14 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Imagine telling us Chelsea supporters just a year ago or 2 years ago after the UCL Final that ALL of Kante, Kova, Jorginho, and Mount would be moved on at essentially the same time. It’s crazy to think that all these massive players for the club will be gone. Add in Havertz & Mendy and that’s just about every player that was extremely instrumental to our win in Porto.

But honestly, you would struggle to make a super convincing case that any should be kept. They’re all either aging or have stagnated badly. 

@Pizy  I feel like the bigger losses from that UCL winning run was actually Rudiger & Christensen on free transfers.   Both were elite defenders on their day and it was a shame to see them both leave for nothing and we end up spending 55+ million on Sideshow Bob at LB and 300k a week on the ageing KK. 

The only player of the list you mentioned that should be kept is Mount (as he's the academy boy) and he'd be very useful for Poch's tactics as a squad player but as he rejected Chelsea's offers, there is not much we can do now other than hold out for a good fee from Man United. 

[milka 3,336]

 

[Reddish-Blue 2,325]

1 hour ago, LAM09 said:

I agree with you for the most part, but a number of managers at the latter end of Roman's ownership seemingly lost their jobs because players just downed tools or couldn't be bothered anymore. It's been a constant theme, with noise finding its way outside the club every time there's a shaky patch.

Most of the rumoured culprits have left (Alonso, Jorgi, etc.), so Todd and Co have to be very wise about who they're bringing in going forward while getting rid of players that feel their time is done at the club.

On a side note, I noticed Monaco have decided against signing Sarr permanently due to his injury woes. Another one we might have to loan out again.

Why did we even bother signing this guy?   Just let him go on a free like Barkley...he's got zero chances of playing here again and I'm not sure why he is being loaned out, he's not a 'potential' first team player that we are hoping will develop. 

 

[LAM09 6,694]

8 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

Why did we even bother signing this guy?   Just let him go on a free like Barkley...he's got zero chances of playing here again and I'm not sure why he is being loaned out, he's not a 'potential' first team player that we are hoping will develop. 

 

He was rated somewhat highly when he broke through at Nice. I still think there's a decent footballer there (not miles off Zouma), just not at a side that plays possession based football or challenges for honours in a major league.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,416]

Lol at the pic they chose from thousands available.

 

[TheHulk 1,825]

Get him in.

[Vesper 28,394]

Kante's Saudi move hits medical snag: club source

Riyadh (AFP) – World Cup-winning France midfielder N'Golo Kante's planned move to Saudi side Al-Ittihad is being stalled by medical issues, a club source told AFP on Thursday.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230608-kante-s-saudi-move-hits-medical-snag-club-source

Kante, 32, has a history of injuries and missed six months of Chelsea's Premier League season with a hamstring problem.

The Al-Ittihad source said Kante had signed a binding agreement but the club were examining the results of medical tests before agreeing a final deal.

On Tuesday, the Jeddah-based club officially unveiled 35-year-old French Ballon d'Or-winner Karim Benzema as the biggest signing in their history.

"Kante signed a binding agreement, not a final contract," the source said.

"We still review the medical checkup result. He has a long injury history and we want to be careful before signing a huge contract."

Benzema's signing came after Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr in January in a deal said to be worth more than 400 million euros ($431 million).

Benzema and Kante are on a list of around 10 targets who have been contacted by Saudi officials, a source close to the negotiations told AFP last week.

Argentina's Lionel Messi announced on Wednesday he had turned down a blockbuster deal in Saudi Arabia in favour of joining MLS side Inter Miami.

© 2023 AFP

 

[Pizy 18,343]

Appears Havertz to Madrid isn’t the sure thing it was assumed the other day. If he doesn’t go to Madrid or some other non-PL club we should not even entertain selling him to a rival. 

I’m perfectly fine keeping hold of him. 

[turgi 71]

I can't see how this puzzle becomes a decent team for next season.

Too much dead wood that won't generate enough money.

And the targets we do go for, we don't seem to get.