Chelsea Transfers

[bigbluewillie 1,859]

4 hours ago, milka said:

With this pleiad of young inexperienced  players from Brazil, France or elsewhere  towards which we have oriented , we won't win anything soon. At most, we will  become a nice  team that doesn't win anything like Spursy 2015-19.We sent almost all the experienced players from the team like Kante  Kovacic ,Azpi and only Thiago Silva remained, who may even be a reserve in view of his age.If we take an experienced name, it will not be that bad .Lack of leadership at the moment .

 

Can't you find something negative to say🥵

[Reddish-Blue 2,355]

3 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

That overpriced Declan Rice transfer has screwed up our move for Caicedo a bit.

Liverpool get MacAllister for peanuts but Brighton are charging an arm and a leg for Caicedo

Macallister was a release clause though, bit different to Caicedo 

Caicedo is arguably their most valuable asset and they already rejected around the 65-70 million mark in January from Arsenal, he also signed a new deal with them (on the condition that he'd be allowed to leave this summer).  Think it'll be closer to 90 million including add-ons and they know our alternative option ran to PSG. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,355]

1 hour ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Sweetener for the Lavia offer? After all, this report says we are offering the value of our buyback clause, if I'm remembering the figure correctly, but there were links last week about Tino moving for less than half that.

Yea Newcastle were keen at 15 million but then Southampton would have to pay us around 20% or more of that fee as a sell-on.

They'd be better off negotiating straight with us, get a slightly higher fee in the process.

[lucio 5,418]

12 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

Macallister was a release clause though, bit different to Caicedo 

Caicedo is arguably their most valuable asset and they already rejected around the 65-70 million mark in January from Arsenal, he also signed a new deal with them (on the condition that he'd be allowed to leave this summer).  Think it'll be closer to 90 million including add-ons and they know our alternative option ran to PSG. 

Initially it was reported we wanted caicedo and ugarte , I think lavia is our ugarte alternative as a pure DM 

[lluubbeenn 153]

I guess our owners are about to exploit another loophole with all these youngsters. Probably something to do with the multi-club project. Let’s wait and see.

About the point that we can’t win anything with a young squad I believe is rubbish. The thing missing is consistency, but some of these lads have ok experience and are about to build on it. As Poch said we need to be a team, a family first. If everyone is pulling in the same direction results will come faster than you think. KTBFFH!

[shrenshah 186]

If we manage to get Caicedo, Vlahovic, Diogo Costa and Cherki.

Also sell all deadwood in the process.

I guess we should easily get into the top 4 provided we get a good pre season.

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

51 minutes ago, shrenshah said:

If we manage to get Caicedo, Vlahovic, Diogo Costa and Cherki.

Also sell all deadwood in the process.

I guess we should easily get into the top 4 provided we get a good pre season.

Don’t think so. Costa is probably solid enough but Vlahovic and Cherk have huge potential to bomb. Vlahovic I am still on the fence but Cherki I have a really bad feeling about. 
Expectations are too high. We have gotten rid of a host of established top 4 level players and replaced them with promising talents who are right now effectively a downgrade. It’s like investing in unprofitable growth companies. Some might 10x but it can take years so don’t expect a dividend next year already 

[lucio 5,418]

4 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Don’t think so. Costa is probably solid enough but Vlahovic and Cherk have huge potential to bomb. Vlahovic I am still on the fence but Cherki I have a really bad feeling about. 
Expectations are too high. We have gotten rid of a host of established top 4 level players and replaced them with promising talents who are right now effectively a downgrade. It’s like investing in unprofitable growth companies. Some might 10x but it can take years so don’t expect a dividend next year already 

Cherki looks super slow and lethargic 

[Special Juan 27,439]

The door to the PL is closing for Gabi Veiga, PSG leads

[lucio 5,418]

dude has a buyout. Could have signed him 2 weeks ago

[Vesper 29,022]

On 30/06/2023 at 13:01, milka said:

Some truths about Boehly and co . 

that Minerals bloke is a right proper cunt

what a snowflake whingey lil bish

 

[Vesper 29,022]

On 01/07/2023 at 09:05, Strike said:

How good is Szoboszlai ? Seemed like an option for us now that Havertz and Mount both departed 

I’ve read our board rates Rayan Cherki higher 

Szobo is MUCH better

[Vesper 29,022]

ffs

first Ugarte and now Viega

 

[Special Juan 27,439]

Lavia is edging closer to Liverpool, any day now

[gdlk 272]

Thats how you sign players, not like our clowns, we will speak this week, next week, till the end of month... Thats not fairytales... 

[lucio 5,418]

22 minutes ago, Vesper said:

ffs

first Ugarte and now Viega

 

Would have been a great Spanish speaking midfield with Enzo under poch. We will probably overpay for some donkey in eredivisie at this rate 

[Vesper 29,022]

On 02/07/2023 at 21:45, ltblue said:

I don't know why we don't try for Enzo Le Fèe. Im impressed with him. Very good vision, smart and not a selfish player. This guy will have a bright future. No doubt I want him at Chelsea.

Enzo Le Fee: Lorient’s midfield magician who can do it all – and very well

https://theathletic.com/4599439/2023/06/16/enzo-le-fee-lorient-analysis/

Enzo Le Fee.

Or, to translate that into English, Enzo The Fairy.

His Anglicised surname does, partly, describe his play style. Le Fee is diminutive, at 5ft 7in (170cm), and seems to glide around the pitch producing magic. In 2022-23, only six players in Ligue 1 — French football’s top flight — could better his 67 key passes and he was the division’s top under-23 in that metric.

But Lorient’s 23-year-old locally-born midfielder is an all-action all-rounder — the only Ligue 1 player to record more than 100 each of tackles, shot-creating actions and dribbles last season.

Le Fee rose through the Lorient youth ranks and was part of their 2019-20 Ligue 2 title-winning team, in what was his breakout season under then-head coach Christophe Pelissier. This past year was his third in Ligue 1 and was when Le Fee truly became a key player, starting 35 of the 38 league games and recording 11 goal involvements (five goals, six assists) — one more than he managed in his first two seasons at that level combined.

His trademark is the piercing through ball, often with one touch from zone 14 (the central space directly outside the penalty area), against a set defence.

The France Under-21 international can play these passes from deep, too, and they were pivotal to Lorient’s early season attacking moves, where they had success through overlaps/underlaps and third-man runs out wide — Le Fee assisted Dango Ouattara three times, one of which is shown below, before his colleague’s January move to the Premier League.

Under Pelissier’s successor, Regis Le Bris, Le Fee has fulfilled numerous midfield roles as Lorient have tweaked their system. “We work a lot on numerical superiorities in midfield,” said Le Bris.

In a 4-3-3, Le Fee operated as a ‘free eight’ on the left of the midfield triangle. He often plays fluidly, dropping deep to collect the ball from a defender and dictating play, then looking to progress play through combinations with his full-backs and wingers.

His skill set and small build mean he is more suited to playing further upfield, but Le Fee has operated deeper, in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. Regardless of position/role, his style remains the same — always wanting to be on the ball, prepared to take touches and risks, and looking to be incisive.

At times, you will find him between the opposition’s midfield and defensive lines, looking to receive and play on the half-turn. On others, he is the deepest midfielder, trying to break lines himself.

Below, against Clermont, he receives from centre-back Julien Laporte.

Clermont press Le Fee, who is facing his own goal, and he shows his press resistance and utilises a low centre of gravity to wriggle and juke his way into space…

… before picking a pass over the defence to Ouattara.

Within two passes, Lorient are in the box and from there they win a corner.

Lorient were fifth when the World Cup break began in November (just three points off Rennes in third) but then sold No 9 Terem Moffi and right-winger Ouattara to fellow Ligue 1 side Nice and Bournemouth respectively. Those two had been involved (scoring or assisting) in 24 of Lorient’s 35 goals this season when they departed.

Le Bris switched to a 3-2-4-1 in response, deploying Le Fee as a No 10 at the top-left of a midfield box.

He played this role in the 3-1 away win over title-bound Paris Saint-Germain on April 30, in which he scored the opening goal.

Below is a prime example of how Le Fee can ignite attacks, even against an organised defence. He sprints away from PSG midfielder Marco Verratti to receive a pass to feet from Lorient’s left centre-back, then, even with his back to goal, opts against setting it back and turns away using the outside of his right boot.

That first touch takes Verratti out of the game and Le Fee now drives forward before playing a one-two with No 9 Ibrahima Kone. The move ends with Le Fee overhitting a through ball.

A perfect encapsulation of Le Fee’s style can be found in his goal in a 3-1 away victory at Auxerre last September.

He initially shows for a pass to feet when Vincent Le Goff has possession, but as soon as the defender plays the ball wide, he makes a dart through midfield.

Winger Julien Ponceau then finds him in space on the edge of the area and Le Fee dribbles into the box before releasing Moffi. (Le Fee was Lorient’s top player and 12th in Ligue 1 last season for chance-creating carries with 37 — 26 of which ended in a key pass and 11 that resulted in a shot.)

When Moffi’s shot is parried by the goalkeeper, Le Fee is first to react and tucks away the rebound.

Le Fee’s creative ability is impressive given his age and Lorient’s team style, particularly compared to Europe’s elite sides.

Lorient averaged just 46.6 per cent possession (13th out of 20) in Ligue 1 last season on their way to finishing 10th and while they often built from the back, they were vertical and incisive in the opposition half, not often a team to retain the ball high upfield. In fact, only five Ligue 1 teams had fewer touches in the final third than Lorient.

The 23-year-old’s ability to create chances from advanced positions — often threading passes through compact, organised defences — would be even more effective if he was in a high-possession side.

All of the above is without touching on his dead-ball threat.

Le Fee is a quality ball-striker, as shown in his direct-free-kick goals over the past 12 months at home to Lens (Coupe de France) and Lyon (Ligue 1) at club level, and for France Under-21 against their Armenia counterparts.

His free-kick technique is fairly unique, rarely striking the ball with curl but instead using a lot of topspin from a short run-up.

He takes corners in a similar way, trying to get the ball up and down quickly and over zonal markers.

Realistically, Le Fee could slot into an attacking midfield role for a lot of top clubs and not look out of place, but his next step may not take him far from Lorient at all.

“It’s time for me to leave,” Le Fee told French media in March (his contract expires next summer and he has expressed his disappointment at no extension being offered). “I am someone who likes challenges — risks, too. I want to show that I am capable of playing at the highest level.”

Borussia Dortmund were linked with the No 10, but Lorient’s neighbours and rivals in north west France, Rennes, are rumoured to be closing in on a deal. They will play in the Europa League group stage next season after finishing fourth.

Le Fee is in the France Under-21s squad for that age group’s European Championship finals starting next week — he’s still eligible as he was 21 at the start of the qualifying competition two years ago.

If he shows what he can do on that stage for France, he surely won’t be playing in France for much longer.

[Vesper 29,022]

On 02/07/2023 at 23:20, NikkiCFC said:

wild cards for 2 teams with highest UEFA coefficient last 5 years that did not qualified.

last season crushed our club coefficient

🤬

Edited July 4, 2023 by Vesper