Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 30,229]

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 30,229]

ffs

first Ugarte and now Viega

 

[Special Juan 28,146]

Lavia is edging closer to Liverpool, any day now

[gdlk 286]

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 30,229]

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 30,229]

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

[lucio 5,418]

So like Morgan le Fay from the King Arthur stories ?  Looks small , need more power in midfield 

[Vegetable 830]

1 hour ago, lucio said:

Cherki looks super slow and lethargic 

Every time we are supposedly after some talent that was easily acquirable by just looking at any FM wonderkids list three years ago for 1/5 price I wonder whether we actually do have a scouting department in place. This kind of players very rarely actually work out for top teams, hope it's just twitter noise.

[Vesper 30,229]

23 hours ago, Costa19 said:

PATRÓN arrives 

[Pizy 18,956]

Liverpool are notoriously slow and indecisive in the market much to their supporters’ anger and rage. But they’re in the verge of buying 3 midfielders in the time it’s taking us to negotiate with Brighton. 

[Vesper 30,229]

21 hours ago, Pizy said:

Looks as though Pulisic will refuse the move to Lyon and only wants Milan.

fuck that fuck

seriously, he can fuck right off

[Vesper 30,229]

20 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

€30m (£25.75m)

and I would actually do this

[Mhsc 1,098]

1 minute ago, Vesper said:

€30m (£25.75m)

and I would actually do this

Same. No brainer at that point. At 40 I probably would as well tbh.

[Vesper 30,229]

18 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Replacement for Caicedo?

not at all

Kudus is an AMF/SS who can play winger too

[Vesper 30,229]

18 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

SMS could indeed by a nice option. But of experience and different kind of player to our other midfielders. Could play together with Enzo or serve as his backup . Surely a better option for us overall than veiga. 

not really, not at SMS's age (he turns 30 in the middle of next season after this one)

I would go Viega between the 2 (I do rate SMS to a point though)

PSG are going to assfuck us again though (this time with Viega) it looks like

they have scuppered many out our attempts

Ugarte

Viega

Nuno Mendes  

Achraf Hakimi 

Leandro Paredes  (we dodged a bit of a bullet there, I would say)

Hugo Ekitiké  

[Vesper 30,229]

20 hours ago, bluesman2610 said:

Apparently Gladbach only want €30m for Manu Kone. With reports Klopp wants him to finish his midfield rebuild. Where are these Scot’s that unearth these gems?

We should be in the mix for those fees.

If we miss out on Viega (looks likely atm) then Manu is deffo an option

[Vesper 30,229]

18 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Tbh he is too big for them.

no he isn't

the only reason anyone talks about him is because he is a yank

I never wanted him, I warned he was just a marketing ploy back when it happened

he is so overrated

 

[Vesper 30,229]

15 hours ago, Pizy said:

 

Wirtz could be Poch’s new Eriksen.

Wirtz is damaged goods atm

caveat emptor

[Pizy 18,956]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Wirtz is damaged goods atm

caveat emptor

I’m not really sure a big injury is that much of a worry for someone in his position at only 19 years old. If he was an explosive winger or wingback that’s one thing, but as a playmaking #10 type I’m not sure it’s that big of a deal. He was never a player who relied on pace or explosiveness from what I’ve watched. 

As long as he’s got two midfielders with legs behind him like Caicedo + Enzo I think we’d be good.