Chelsea Transfers

[Pizy 19,282]

33 minutes ago, DDA said:

What baffles me the most is this stupid wage cap nonsense.. it doesn’t even make sense!!

You can get Osimhen in on his wage demands and it surely won’t be more than Garnacho, Gittens, Delap, Pedro & Jackson combined??

 Osimhen would be far more beneficial than having all the said players in the books like we currently have. 

Much as I hate it, from their POV I can understand it. At least for players over a certain age. They want to avoid another Sterling situation at all costs where we’re stuck with deadweight for years because no other club can afford his mammoth wages.

Limiting ourselves wage wise on players 25 and under is silly, though. 

[DDA 10,244]

40 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Much as I hate it, from their POV I can understand it. At least for players over a certain age. They want to avoid another Sterling situation at all costs where we’re stuck with deadweight for years because no other club can afford his mammoth wages.

Limiting ourselves wage wise on players 25 and under is silly, though. 

You have to pay the high wages to get the best players. Everyone uses the Sterling situation but it was obvious he wasn’t worth those wages and was already underperforming at City. The recruitment needed to be better and getting Osimhen in his prime was no brainer. They need to lift this wage and age cap if we are to ever compete again.

[Pizy 19,282]

2 hours ago, DDA said:

You have to pay the high wages to get the best players. Everyone uses the Sterling situation but it was obvious he wasn’t worth those wages and was already underperforming at City. The recruitment needed to be better and getting Osimhen in his prime was no brainer. They need to lift this wage and age cap if we are to ever compete again.

I agree, but now that we’ve put this structure in place it’s going to be super hard to bin it. You sign a player and put them on £200k+ (or much more in Osimhen’s case) and then you’d surely have all these players who we signed recently on “cheap” wages questioning why they aren’t on similar. Like if a top new signing is put on £200k per week players like Caicedo, Palmer, Cucu etc will quite rightly tell the club that they deserve that too. Then our wage bill explodes again.

Now, you can say “who gives a shit, it’s not my money” and in the past we would all agree. But with PSR and whatever else combined with our tiny stadium and match day revenue I don’t think we really could do away with this wage structure and comply.

Under the current circumstances we’re kind of locked in to either buying kids and praying they turn out like Palmer or Estevão or we buy good but not great senior players like your João Pedro’s, Pedro Neto’s, Garnacho’s etc who won’t demand top wages but are also not the very top level we need.

[DDA 10,244]

19 minutes ago, Pizy said:

I agree, but now that we’ve put this structure in place it’s going to be super hard to bin it. You sign a player and put them on £200k+ (or much more in Osimhen’s case) and then you’d surely have all these players who we signed recently on “cheap” wages questioning why they aren’t on similar. Like if a top new signing is put on £200k per week players like Caicedo, Palmer, Cucu etc will quite rightly tell the club that they deserve that too. Then our wage bill explodes again.

Now, you can say “who gives a shit, it’s not my money” and in the past we would all agree. But with PSR and whatever else combined with our tiny stadium and match day revenue I don’t think we really could do away with this wage structure and comply.

Under the current circumstances we’re kind of locked in to either buying kids and praying they turn out like Palmer or Estevão or we buy good but not great senior players like your João Pedro’s, Pedro Neto’s, Garnacho’s etc who won’t demand top wages but are also not the very top level we need.

Whilst I agree with what you are saying is true, it is only true if you were talking about a club that hasn’t purchased a Gazillion players. If you combined all the wages from the endless amounts of players on the books (no exaggeration), you could most probably acquire a squad of far better quality by buying less in quantity and more in quality. The bloated roster could easily be trimmed and streamlined by cutting away the fat and brining in serious ballers whilst complying with PSR. The stadium excuse is being used a lot in recent times, which may be true but they could do more to help themselves by maybe getting a FOS sponsor and spending their money in more productive ways.

[NikkiCFC 8,516]

Difference. 

[DDA 10,244]

This seasons goal, ‘top 4 finish’

After spending £2billion 

 

[mkh 760]

🗯Racing Strasbourg and not Chelsea are keen on signing James McAtee on a potential loan deal.

(@JacobsBen)

 

[Fernando 6,725]

On 28/12/2025 at 09:12, mkh said:

Chelsea are among the clubs to have checked on James McAtee's situation at Nottingham Forest. Enzo Maresca is an admirer of McAtee having worked with the England U-21 international at Manchester City. Leeds United, Bournemouth, Fulham and Sunderland are also interested. (@kierangill DM)

😵🤡

As I been saying I think Joe Shields is only good buying ex city players and that is worrying trend for me. 

He might not be good to look at elsewhere if this continues. 

Just because of Cole Palmer Joe Shields got tremedous power and ever since it's been all ex City players. 

Worrying. 

[Blue Armour 4,726]

1 hour ago, NikkiCFC said:

Difference. 

Top of the table club wants to get reinforcements to become even better, while the club barely in top 5 with a weakened squad and no shirt sponsor thinks everything is fine.

Every time I see Eghbali on the screen I keep thinking of his ridiculous statement of how the old Chelsea were not competitive in either a sporting sense or financial sense. Yet he and his cronies have assembled a team that is struggling to keep the club within UEFA FFP rules, has failed to secure a permanent shirt sponsor, and is struggling to make progress on the results from last season.

The major achievement is the low wage bill and low average of the squad. Great resale value., which is no doubt their number 1 priority.

 

[Reddish-Blue 2,677]

46 minutes ago, Fernando said:

As I been saying I think Joe Shields is only good buying ex city players and that is worrying trend for me. 

He might not be good to look at elsewhere if this continues. 

Just because of Cole Palmer Joe Shields got tremedous power and ever since it's been all ex City players. 

Worrying. 

The big question is: which of the other "ex city" players have been decent at Chelsea? 

Tosin is horrific at CB, Gittens looks a very raw player, Lavia can't stay fit for 3 games in a row, Delap looks like he forgot how to be a striker since leaving Ipswich. 

The last thing we need is more ex city youngsters.  It works when your at clubs like Southampton and you can potentially find the next U-21 gem, give them game time and hope that they kick on without too much pressure. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,677]

11 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

The major achievement is the low wage bill and low average of the squad. Great resale value., which is no doubt their number 1 priority.

Don't think having a low wage bill and low average age is going to help if we miss out on UCL football next season.   Wonder if some players will have to leave in the next transfer window to 'balance the books' 🤔

[DDA 10,244]

28 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

Top of the table club wants to get reinforcements to become even better, while the club barely in top 5 with a weakened squad and no shirt sponsor thinks everything is fine.

Every time I see Eghbali on the screen I keep thinking of his ridiculous statement of how the old Chelsea were not competitive in either a sporting sense or financial sense. Yet he and his cronies have assembled a team that is struggling to keep the club within UEFA FFP rules, has failed to secure a permanent shirt sponsor, and is struggling to make progress on the results from last season.

The major achievement is the low wage bill and low average of the squad. Great resale value., which is no doubt their number 1 priority.

 

Embarrassing for BlueCo tbh. They are everything they claimed Roman to be. 

[Special Juan 28,772]

Palace agree fee with Spurs for Brennan Johnson

[Vesper 31,112]

Analysis of Chelsea’s signings since Winstanley is worryingly damning

I'm not sure many will disagree too much with this, unfortunately

https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/analysis-of-chelseas-signings-since

This is not an analysis written by me, but it’s an analysis that I actually find it hard to disagree with, mostly at least.

I think every single person in this community has had a gripe around Chelsea’s recruitment under this owners. Of course, we’ve had gripes about recruitment under the previous ownership as well. But right now, that’s irrelevant. We are here and now.

The amount of money spent on this squad that still has gaping holes that 99% of us can all see, is quite literally absurd. How are we about to go into yet another couple of transfer windows and still need to make more big signings? It’s beyond belief really and we can all see it.

I’ve tried to be consistent with my opinion on current Chelsea, even after we won the Club World Cup. I’ve never been satisfied with what I’m seeing from the squad build, and with analysis like this below, it’s easy to see why.

Chelsea fan and former Chelsea TV staff, Jake Heasman, posted this on his X account:

‘Analysis of Chelsea’s signings since Winstanley.

‘42 signings, 3 genuine hits.

‘93% of signings have been misses or had minimal impact. Some in the balance.

‘£1.2bn spent. 89% on players under 25.

‘6 of these signings sold for profit, 4 made a loss.

‘It’s time for change.’

We can debate the hits and misses but I don’t think this is far wrong, in my view.

Enzo Fernandez might be the only genuine debate here. I do rate him, I just think that really the Premier League is just too much for him, he doesn’t quite have the athleticism and physicality to compete with the big, fast, and energetic midfielders that we have in this league, and he is often ghosted out by them. It’s that simple for me.

But even still, this analysis is truly damning and honestly, I’m running out of words to say on it all. I’m just genuinely in disbelief. Jake is right, it needs to change, and change NOW!

 

[mkh 760]

⚫️🟡Borussia Dortmund and Man City are in talks over Oscar Bobb deal, as exclusively revealed last week.

Bobb can leave Manchester City if/when Semenyo joins with more clubs also keen, not only BVB.

(@Fabrizio Romano)

🔵⚪️Racing Strasbourg are showing interest in James McAtee as potential option for midfield in January. Initial talks took place to present the project.

(@FabrizioRomano)

Edited December 30, 2025 by mkh

[mkh 760]

🚫Chelsea drop out of the race for Joel Ordoñez (21) and now Liverpool is LEADING for his signature. Inter is also a close contender and will battle @LFC in a bid to get his services.

A January exit is VERY likely.

(@Bola)

Edited December 30, 2025 by mkh

[DDA 10,244]

4 minutes ago, mkh said:

🚫Chelsea drop out of the race for Joel Ordoñez (21) and now Liverpool is LEADING for his signature. Inter is also a close contender and will battle @LFC in a bid to get his services.

A January exit is VERY likely.

(@Bola)

He’s too old.

[Fernando 6,725]

4 minutes ago, DDA said:

He’s too old.

We have Tosin don't worry about it. 

[mkh 760]

🗯I think Joel Ordóñez's departure means that Chelsea will do everything they can to get Jérémy Jacquet.

Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea are working hard to sign him and want to secure him on a pre-contract for summer 2026, as all the top clubs want him too.

[nyikolajevics 2,836]

1 hour ago, mkh said:

🗯I think Joel Ordóñez's departure means that Chelsea will do everything they can to get Jérémy Jacquet.

Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea are working hard to sign him and want to secure him on a pre-contract for summer 2026, as all the top clubs want him too.

I thought Mamadou Sarr was the 20 years old CB "all the top clubs want"