Transfer Talk Topic

[martin1905]

17 hours ago, johnnybozo said:

Nkunku is a total beast. Really looking forward to seeing what he will do for us. Reckon a front four of Pigeon Boy,Nkunku, Jackson/Broja and Mudryk/Noni could be very exciting.

I'm not getting too excited by Nkunku, which is difficult as I've seen so much of him, because we have been burnt so badly by Havertz, Pulisic and Werner. If he was the first big purchase we had made from the Bundesliga I'd be telling everyone just how good he is and how we had signed an absolute phenomenon, 58 goals and 43 assists in 108 games for Leipzig, when he's played as a number 10/centre forward is outrageous.

That being said I will settle for the fact that he can't be any worse than the three I mentioned and scores free kicks. Seems like it's been an age since we had someone that's a genuine threat from set pieces.

Sterling, I think got a real hard time last season as people just don't like him, IS proven in this league and will be a different animal under Pochettino in a more attacking, well drilled outfit. That is beyond doubt.

Mudryk I think is going to go one of two ways. Become a superstar or a complete flop, no in-between. I think, and hope like we all do I'm sure, that he could be something special. He definitely showed glimpses and I put his poor performances down to him being Pottered. Badly. Poor kid probably had no idea what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to join and he looked a complete mess, completely void of confidence. 

Madueke is just pure raw talent that needs to be nurtured. There's a few things with him that give me hope and fear at the same time. His finishing was poor, not sure how much that can be worked on and he needs to be slightly less one dimensional by cutting inside all the time. It was too obvious and easy to defend against. On the other hand, when he didn't just do that his ability to carry the ball forward and go round players was extraordinary. He's big and strong and at times was impossible to get the ball from him but he has to improve his end product, which is what I fear. We've seen far too many players over the years that just don't have the end product.

All that beings said a combination of Sterling-Nkunku-Mudryk/Madueke is extremely exciting. If Pochettino gets them all going it will be a real handful but we have to get the right player infront of them and I could see us going huge on Osimhen. 

Kepa

James Fofana Silva Chilwell

Enzo Caicedo

Sterling Nkunku Mudryk

Osimhen

With no European football and City being weaker by losing Gündoğan and potentially Bernardo Silva if we start the season with the above line up I genuinely think we could push them close.

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by martin1905

[Bert19]

I love your optimism @martin1905 but it would be an absolutely gargantuan leap to challenge City.
A top four finish with a League Cup thrown in would represent a really solid year for us. And that will be difficult.

Poch is a good manager, but he’s got a job on his hands getting the standards set for the squad here before we even think about how far we can go in terms of results.

[thevelourfog]

1 hour ago, martin1905 said:

With no European football and City being weaker by losing Gündoğan and potentially Bernardo Silva if we start the season with the above line up I genuinely think we could push them close.

Also rumours Mahrez is off to Saudi Arabia, Walker is going to Bayern and that Laporte has asked to leave. Could be a big summer of transition for them. They've got the money, coach and (let's face it) impunity to manage it, but it will be a challenge.

I think we'd have to be perfect to get anywhere even close to them that quickly. Can't see it.

[RDCW]

1 minute ago, thevelourfog said:

Also rumours Mahrez is off to Saudi Arabia, Walker is going to Bayern and that Laporte has asked to leave. Could be a big summer of transition for them. They've got the money, coach and (let's face it) impunity to manage it, but it will be a challenge.

I think we'd have to be perfect to get anywhere even close to them that quickly. Can't see it.

Surely no-one can reasonably expect us to go from where we were last season to a position where we are challenging City. If we finish in the top 6 that will be acceptable in what is going to be a transitional season full of new players with a new coach. Anything more than that would be miraculous!

[thevelourfog]

Just now, RDCW said:

Surely no-one can reasonably expect us to go from where we were last season to a position where we are challenging City. If we finish in the top 6 that will be acceptable in what is going to be a transitional season full of new players with a new coach. Anything more than that would be miraculous!

Tbf I don't think Martin is saying he expects it. He just seems to be more hopeful than me! Anyone with those expectations isn't on this planet.

I think the struggle is that we really need 4th or 5th, coefficient depending. Two years without CL football will be a killer. And I think we'll have to have a complete flier even for that. 

[Ham]

12 minutes ago, RDCW said:

Surely no-one can reasonably expect us to go from where we were last season to a position where we are challenging City. If we finish in the top 6 that will be acceptable in what is going to be a transitional season full of new players with a new coach. Anything more than that would be miraculous!

We've got form for doing just that under a new coach. 

[Bert19]

31 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

Also rumours Mahrez is off to Saudi Arabia, Walker is going to Bayern and that Laporte has asked to leave. Could be a big summer of transition for them. They've got the money, coach and (let's face it) impunity to manage it, but it will be a challenge.

I think we'd have to be perfect to get anywhere even close to them that quickly. Can't see it.

One thing in their favour here is that this may be their moment for big changes. It would be hard to keep that team going after winning the treble and it buys them a lot of goodwill in the heads of any reasonable people (not the British media), so if they want to build a new team then now is that moment. 
 

I’d also personally suggest now is the exact moment they should do it. The history of the PL is top teams winning the League and/or CL and sitting on it instead of signing players that improve the First XI. Wenger’s Invincibles being the most obvious. We’ve done it, Liverpool did it - City should make their changes now ifthey really want to keep going again and again.

[martin1905]

I don't expect it I just think that if everything falls into place and we start well, which will be THE most important thing, with a fully motivated squad the right attitude with a point to prove, same goes for Pochettino and no European football next season could be the best chance for a while to really push City.

Gündoğan, for me was player of the season last year, and Silva are key players for them, De Bruyne is 32, rumors of other players maybe moving on and most importantly now they've finally won the champions league, and not just that but emulated United in winning the treble, maybe the motivation is not quite the same. Maybe standards slip a little.

It would have to be but could be, at least not completely impossible, the perfect storm for it to happen and maybe it's just that I am forever the optimist but  next season will be wide open and if we get the key signings right and most importantly in as soon as possible I don't think anything can be ruled out.

[Liquidator]

20 minutes ago, martin1905 said:

 and if we get the key signings right and most importantly in as soon as possible I don't think anything can be ruled out.

Just get me a decent keeper please.....:(

[boratsbrother]

Poch's first task is stop the serious decline we saw last season. A decline that was so dramatic that we were looking and playing more like a team in relegation trouble than one who could challenge the top teams. As things stand, we have no idea yet if these players  will be good enough to stop us being in a relegation fight, let alone one that can challenge City.

A squad with potential to grow into a quality team in a few years time, but that's all it is at this moment in time!

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by boratsbrother

[xceleryx]

32 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

Poch's first task is stop the serious decline we saw last season. A decline that was so dramatic that we were looking and playing more like a team in relegation trouble than one who could challenge the top teams. As things stand, we have no idea yet if these players  will be good enough to stop us being in a relegation fight, let alone one that can challenge City.

A squad with potential to grow into a quality team in a few years time, but that's all it is at this moment in time!

The first port of call is getting us fit. I'm talking to where we can run 90+ minutes out at a good tempo, and where those that come off the bench are capable of injecting the energy against tied legs immediately. Having a high fitness standard will set the tone for things to follow.

[Bison]

13 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

The first port of call is getting us fit. I'm talking to where we can run 90+ minutes out at a good tempo, and where those that come off the bench are capable of injecting the energy against tied legs immediately. Having a high fitness standard will set the tone for things to follow.

Genuinely think that's half the battle for us next season. The team was so unfit and could only last 25 or so minutes before packing it in. I get the feeling Potter was simply too nice and the players took liberties with their fitness. 

[xceleryx]

1 minute ago, Bison said:

Genuinely think that's half the battle for us next season. The team was so unfit and could only last 25 or so minutes before packing it in. I get the feeling Potter was simply too nice and the players took liberties with their fitness. 

I think our fitness was shambles from the beginning, even under Tuchel because of the way pre-season was structured. Then Potter didn't really improve upon that during the couple of breaks he had to do a bit of work with the squad. 

But yeah, a fit squad will allow us to run games out properly and for Poch to build on those foundations tactically. 

[Mark Kelly]

In fairness our struggles last season were barely the fault of the players signed late on like Noni, Mudryk etc 

The damage was done mainly by Potter but assisted by those players who currently find themselves gone already or in the out tray for the next phase. 

[Ham]

3 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

In fairness our struggles last season were barely the fault of the players signed late on like Noni, Mudryk etc 

The damage was done mainly by Potter but assisted by those players who currently find themselves gone already or in the out tray for the next phase. 

I'm not sure it was all on Potter. Coach after coach has alluded to attitude issues within the squad. 

 

[ROTG]

5 hours ago, xceleryx said:

This is exactly what so many on here have been calling for; re uncovering low cost "gems". This is part of that process. 

It is ok to go and try to uncover gems if you have a successful 1st team, unfortunately that piece of the puzzle went out of the window last season.

 

 

[ROTG]

5 hours ago, martin1905 said:

Osimhen

No chance in hell him coming, because of the wages "he already earnes £120k pw" and no European football 

[ROTG]

3 hours ago, RDCW said:

Surely no-one can reasonably expect us to go from where we were last season to a position where we are challenging City. If we finish in the top 6 that will be acceptable in what is going to be a transitional season full of new players with a new coach. Anything more than that would be miraculous!

Absolutely 

Also you have the Poch 2 year factor "wasn't one of the reasons for Pochettino exit from the spuds was due to Daniel not being prepared to spend money on the players he wanted during the previous couple of transfer windows?"

[ROTG]

3 hours ago, Ham said:

We've got form for doing just that under a new coach. 

When the new coaches had top class players and serial winners in the squad.

Be interesting to see Poch's first line up and how many of the players he selects have won European or Domestic silverware 

[Thiago97]

11 minutes ago, ROTG said:

No chance in hell him coming, because of the wages "he already earnes £120k pw" and no European football 

That’s working on the assumption of their being just one structure. Surely you don’t believe the club is working on just one wage structure?

So for example, it becomes clear that Mbappe is available in the next few months. Do you really believe we are going to be interested in him and offer him 100k per week!? Of course we are not. Osimhen is the hottest No9 in football currently, he’s going to cost any club upwards of £100 million. Clearly , if interested in him, they will not be approaching him with similar contract terms to that of players we have signed during the January window.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Thiago97

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, boratsbrother said:

Poch's first task is stop the serious decline we saw last season. A decline that was so dramatic that we were looking and playing more like a team in relegation trouble than one who could challenge the top teams. As things stand, we have no idea yet if these players  will be good enough to stop us being in a relegation fight, let alone one that can challenge City.

A squad with potential to grow into a quality team in a few years time, but that's all it is at this moment in time!

 

100%

Absolutely no leadership in the current squad.

[xceleryx]

19 minutes ago, ROTG said:

It is ok to go and try to uncover gems if you have a successful 1st team, unfortunately that piece of the puzzle went out of the window last season.

Why am I not surprised you'd have such a backwards opinion on this. 

Football is always moving, you don't just stop and neglect trying to uncover young players at any point. Irrespective of the current state of the team, or whether or not they go on to be Chelsea first team players or not in the future. 

11 minutes ago, ROTG said:

No chance in hell him coming, because of the wages "he already earnes £120k pw" and no European football 

Or it's more like ADL being ADL and wanting £100m+ for his star players, just as he always does and has done for years now. 

[ROTG]

1 minute ago, Thiago97 said:

That’s working on the assumption of their being just one structure. Surely you don’t believe the club is working on just one wage structure?

So for example, it becomes clear that Mbappe is available in the next few months. Do you really believe we are going to caress interest in him and offer him 100k per week!? Of course we are not. Osimhen is the hottest No9 in football currently, he’s going to cost any club upwards of £100 million. Clearly , if interested in him, they will not be approaching him with similar contract terms to that of players we have signed during the January window.

If they try to bring in a superstar on +£250k pw then it would upset the whole philosophy of the club sustainability model. IMO you won't see any £250k pw contract this summer.

There are players currently on +£205k pw money however, if they have a toilet season, one can see them being on the exit conveyor belt.

[Thiago97]

1 minute ago, ROTG said:

If they try to bring in a superstar on +£250k pw then it would upset the whole philosophy of the club sustainability model. IMO you won't see any £250k pw contract this summer.

There are players currently on +£205k pw money however, if they have a toilet season, one can see them being on the exit conveyor belt.

Not sure I agree. If anything , American sports models are familiar with paying huge sums for superstars. You only have to look at what top QB’s earn compared with top WR’s by comparison. I appreciate NFL is not their sport as such, but the marquee players earn the top dollar across all sports. I doubt we are exclusively looking at tier 2/3 level players only.

I’m confident that if they identify a top level player who they believe we can sign, they will pay the top dollar to get them. 

[ROTG]

2 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Football is always moving, you don't just stop and neglect trying to uncover young players at any point. Irrespective of the current state of the team, or whether or not they go on to be Chelsea first team players or not in the future. 

The club has always been at the forefront of recruiting the best young talent which was initialed by Micheal Emanelo , KDB, Big Nose are examples of being recruited and sent out on loan to gain experience because they had no chance of making the 1st team when signed.

Now it is the case of any of the players signed in the current and previous transfer window could be a first team starter, because there is no competition or top quality players