Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 30,091]

4 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

This is what people way more important than him are doing. 

Russian players couldn't play Wimbledon last year for example. 

The staggering hypocrisy of Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/06/28/bmay-j28.html

Play began at the 135th edition of the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London on Monday without the participation of Russian or Belarusian athletes. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) announced in April that it was going along with British government’s demands, part of the chauvinist hysteria aimed at justifying the US-NATO proxy war with Russia.

The ban on Russian and Belarusian players means that five of the top 100 male players, four Russians (Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Aslan Karatsev) and one Belarusian (Ilya Ivashka) will not be in attendance. Medvedev, reigning US Open champion, is currently ranked number one in the world and Rublev number eight.

Eleven of the top 100 female players, eight Russians (Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Ludmilla Samsonova, Varvara Gracheva, Anna Kalinskaya, Anastasia Potapova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) and three Belarusians (Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, Aliaksandra Sasnovich) have also been blocked from competing. Sabalenka, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, is ranked number six in the world, Kasatkina number thirteen, Kudermetova number nineteen and Azarenka number twenty.

The prohibition on the tennis players has been widely criticized even within the elite tennis world. In order that the Russian and Belarusian players will not be penalized, the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), the worldwide tour for men, and the Women’s Tennis Association, the equivalent for women, along with the International Tennis Federation, have stripped Wimbledon of ranking points this year, effectively reducing it, in the words of one commentator, to an “exhibition” tournament. However, the 40 million pounds (US$50 million) in prize money has continued to draw most of the top players.

Current and former tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and Sloane Stephens, have opposed the ban.

Describing himself as “a child of war,” in reference to the bloody conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, Djokovic, a Serb, has said that he does not see how the Russian and Belarusian players “have contributed to anything that is really happening. … I don’t feel it’s fair.” Stephens, a member of the WTA Player Council, former world number three and 2017 US Open champion, defended the decision to strip Wimbledon of its ranking points on the grounds that “discrimination will never be tolerated.”

The hypocrisy of the All England Club decision is almost supernatural. Chairman of the board Ian Hewitt told ESPN that the ban of Russian and Belarusian players was a decision that was “beyond the interests of tennis alone” and was “influenced by the directive guidance which the government gave us in relation to the matter.”

Hewitt went on to tell ESPN that given the profile the tournament had, “it was very important to us that Wimbledon … should not be used in any way, by the propaganda machine which we know the Russian government employs in relation to its own people and how their position in the world is presented and … we just would not countenance Wimbledon success or participation in Wimbledon being misused in that way.”

The crimes of the Putin regime are considerable, including its reactionary invasion of Ukraine, which has provided the US and its gangster allies in Europe the occasion to intervene in the conflict, massively increase defense spending and bring the world to the verge of nuclear war.

However, what is the record of the Wimbledon tournament in relation to “tragic situations” (Hewitt) like the one in Ukraine? First of all, one needs to point out that black players were not allowed to play at the All England Club until 1951, and Jews were not accepted until 1952. Angela Buxton, the British Jewish former Wimbledon doubles champion in 1956 (as the partner of African-American Althea Gibson), told a reporter that 50 years after her triumph she had not been invited by the Club to join. She observed that she had been on the “waiting list” since she applied in the 1950s.

Since the first Wimbledon tournament in the 1870s, the British ruling class and its military have carried out invasions, occupations, massacres and assorted atrocities in so many parts of the globe (India, Ireland, Kenya, etc.) that it would take a dozen articles of this length merely to identify them. As the great Marxist Leon Trotsky once noted of British imperialism, “bribery, eloquence and deception, and colonial methods of sanguinary oppression and hypocrisy, along with every other form of vileness, have entered equally into the rich arsenal of the ruling clique of the world’s greatest empire.”

In more recent years, reduced to the status of a subordinate power, the British powers-that-be have acted as willing allies of the US in further massive crimes, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and elsewhere. Has the All England Club ever spoken out against or acted in regard to a single one of these horrors? The question is purely rhetorical.

The Club, whose board of directors includes the expected assortment of multi-millionaire businessmen, wealthy lawyers and lords and ladies, spiritually presided over by the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), has turned itself, eagerly, without a whimper, into an arm of the despised Boris Johnson government and its filthy foreign policy. There is not much more to say.

[TheHulk 2,404]

12 minutes ago, Vesper said:

'I really do': Ornstein says there's another signing he expects Chelsea to make soon, in talks with £10m star

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/transfer-news/i-really-do-ornstein-says-theres-another-signing-he-expects-Chelsea-to-make-soon-in-talks-with-10m-star/

David Ornstein has told The Athletic’s Football Podcast that he expects Chelsea to sign a striker this January.

The Blues have enjoyed a busy and fruitful Janaury so far, as Todd Boehly continues his spending spree as the new club owner.

They have invested for the future with the signings of David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos, with Benoit Badiashile also impressing in his first start for the club at the weekend.

 Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk represent two big name additions this winter, as they look to rescue somewhat of a respectful finish to the campaign.

However, plenty of reports suggest that they are still looking to add to their ranks in the next two weeks.

Chelsea could sign Thuram

They have been linked to a right-back to compete with Reece James, as well as a midfielder in the face of a potential exodus in that role.

There have also been links to further strengthening the attack.

The Blues are reportedly interested in Marcus Thuram as the desired option, with Ornsetin claiming they have already been in talks over potentially signing him.

He said: “I think they will take a striker. I really do. They have been in talks with Marcus Thuram, let’s see how that develops. They see Kai Havertz as a number 10, not someone leading the line. There’s been interest in the likes of Osimhen and Vlahovic. They consider so many players.”

The Chelsea staff will certainly be making any signings safe in the knowledge that they will be bringing in Christopher Nkunku in the summer,

With Mudryk and potentially Felix also at the club next year, it will take a lot of thinking and a few departures in order to get the club in a position where they’re back competing.

Worrying Ornstein talks about crap Thuram and no Caicedo.

Assuring to know we plan on making Joao permanent at least.

[NikkiCFC 8,285]

3 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

If he needs competent attacking team mates to resemble a half decent footballer then ultimately he cannot be a half decent footballer. He has been abysmal this season. Atrocious.

I agree he hasn't been anywhere close to what he can or should be but of last 9 Chelsea goals he scored 4 and assisted one. If he is atrocious and abysmal what can we say about other attacking players? 

Of all Chelsea attacking players he is the last one I would sell. 

[Vesper 30,091]

Chelsea are ‘in talks’ with PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke’s agent regarding a potential move to the Premier League, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

https://thisisfutbol.com/2023/01/blogs/premier-league/Chelsea/Chelsea-noni-madueke-latest-transfer-news-rumours-updates/

Graham Potter’s side have recently signed Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix on loan until the end of the season, but Todd Boehly isn’t showing any signs of slowing down when it comes to wanting to make even more attacking reinforcements.

The Times have claimed that the Blues are contemplating a move for the 20-year-old Madueke, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the club hierarchy are huge admirers and are keen to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips revealed that Chelsea are currently holding discussions with Madueke’s representatives, but admitted that the club are worried about his consistent previous injury problems.

“I was told that Chelsea are in talks with his agent as well to try and sign him.

“But he has a bad injury history, and obviously, this is something that Chelsea are concerned about. So, I don’t really know what stage those talks are at right now.”

TIF thoughts on Madueke to Chelsea…

Chelsea already have a significant number of players sidelined and they won’t want to add any more casualties to that list, but recruiting Madueke is a no-brainer of a decision should the opportunity arise.

The London-born talent has posted 34 goal contributions in 80 Eredivisie appearances and currently ranks in the 99^th percentile for most shots and dribbles completed by wingers.

Madueke also has two trophies to his name so would be able to add a much-needed taste of success to the squad this month with the aim of helping the Blues secure a top-four finish.

[Pizy 18,852]

Signing ANTOHER winger after already signing Mudryk would be nonsensical unless he is sent back on loan to PSV until the summer when BOTH Pulisic and Ziyech are moved on. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,375]

Maybe summer when both Pulisic and Ziyech are gone. CHO too hopefully. 

[TheHulk 2,404]

Back to car crash news.

[TheHulk 2,404]

What a fucking joke, fucked both Enzo and Arsen.

[Pizy 18,852]

Loaning out any underperforming players would be stupid. We need to get rid of them for good. If Ziyech goes someone on loan and continues to look average then he’ll be even harder to sell down the road. Which could in turn hinder us in pursuits for other players.

We can’t have more Bakayoko/Drinkwater/Kenedy situations where shit players go out on loan, stink up the place, and then they’re stuck on our wage bill for years providing zero value.

Sell Pulisic, sell RLC, sell Ziyech, let Jorginho walk on a free in the summer. That would be a hefty chunk of change off our books.

[TheHulk 2,404]

We will end up offering a new contract to plumber Mount who has no creativity and vision and pretend he is the answer to the midfield.

[TheHulk 2,404]

 

[TheHulk 2,404]

 

[TheHulk 2,404]

 

[TheHulk 2,404]

At least he is happy.

Edited January 17, 2023 by TheHulk

[ulvhedin 525]

European clubs are heavily criticised if they even want to play friendly game vs Russian clubs, and some people here believe we will sign player from Russian club. Wake up.