Transfer Talk Topic

[Mark Kelly]

5 minutes ago, bertles86 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/10/football-transfer-rumours-lukaku-to-psg-vlahovic-to-chelsea

 

I'm a tad unsure about another player from Serie A...our record from buying players in that league isn't great. Lukaku, KK, Zakaria, Zappacosta, Higuaín. In fact the last really successful buy was Rudiger 6 years ago. But then again, we need a striker because we haven't had a real striker since Costa.

It's an easy calculation to make: Anyone>Lukaku 

[ROTG]

34 minutes ago, bertles86 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/10/football-transfer-rumours-lukaku-to-psg-vlahovic-to-chelsea

 

I'm a tad unsure about another player from Serie A...our record from buying players in that league isn't great. Lukaku, KK, Zakaria, Zappacosta, Higuaín. In fact the last really successful buy was Rudiger 6 years ago. But then again, we need a striker because we haven't had a real striker since Costa.

If the club can get somewhere near £40m for Lukaku, adding another £20m to get Vlahovic is a no brainer IMO. You also need to take into account how Poch likes a big man who can come deep and bring others into play. "Kane Like" 

[ROTG]

16 hours ago, paulw66 said:

I have no idea, as he barely played. That is why I am curious to see how he gets on, because to me, he looked talented, if not a bit raw.

 

Is he any better than Mason Burstow who knock in 10/26 in PL2 last season.

[Holymoly]

42 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

It's an easy calculation to make: Anyone>Lukaku 

Full disclosure though, striker was never my best position.

[thevelourfog]

Suppose it was always a pipe dream, but looking less and less likely Pochettino will have most of his squad for most of pre-season.

[Thiago97]

Links to Hjoberg leaving spurs today and also links to spurs being interested in Gallagher.

Surely this has the makings of a decent swap deal for both parties. Hjoberg would be an astute piece of business.

[xceleryx]

4 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

Links to Hjoberg leaving spurs today and also links to spurs being interested in Gallagher.

Surely this has the makings of a decent swap deal for both parties. Hjoberg would be an astute piece of business.

Wouldn't give Gallagher to Spurs for even £100m. 

Firstly, screw them.

And secondly, he's ideal for the all action football Postecoglou likes to play. We're also in short supply ourselves of midfield depth, run, energy and pressers - even if we add Caicedo in the coming weeks. Plus, the lad actually wants to be at Chelsea and cares about the club. I'm hanging onto that desire even if he's not necessarily good enough to be a consistent starter. 

[Thiago97]

4 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Wouldn't give Gallagher to Spurs for even £100m. 

Firstly, screw them.

And secondly, he's ideal for the all action football Postecoglou likes to play. We're also in short supply ourselves of midfield depth, run, energy and pressers - even if we add Caicedo in the coming weeks. Plus, the lad actually wants to be at Chelsea and cares about the club. I'm hanging onto that desire even if he's not necessarily good enough to be a consistent starter. 

Yeah I get all that and don't have a problem with Gallagher staying. He would add options to Spurs for sure, but I think Hjoberg makes Chelsea a stronger team. I'm more interested in that, than any benefit spurs might get from the deal.

Whilst Gallagher's energy , commitment and running is a positive. Their is a reason he makes so many tackles in my view, and its down to average technique and touch.  We will see it again throughout the season, his second touch can often be a tackle.

[Morgs]

Some semi-coherent thoughts this morning while I drink my coffee and work my way through the morning admin. Its a double espresso and 'The War On Drugs' in the headphones sort of morning. 

Like many of you, I'm starting to get really irritated with the Brighton thing.

Honestly, we should sign Paulinha from Fulham and leave Brighton to suck it. Then laugh as Caicedo goes to Spurs or Newcastle for 65m. Greedy f***ers. The "Chelsea Tax" is alive and well on the South Coast, that is for sure.  They know we want him asap so can take the p***. 

Re Lukaku I would just accept 35m at this point just to get it over with. Its doing nobody any favours and nobody is coming out of this looking good. Cut your losses and run. 35m is what we paid for Jackson and I am quietly confident this will prove to be one of the better deals we have done in the last few years. 

Aubameyang is clearly after the club letting him go on a free so he can earn a big signing bonus going to Saudi or wherever. At the risk of abusing the hyperbole, I maintain he is the most toxic and unpleasant character ever to pull on the shirt. Absolute scumbag. I have no idea what possessed the club to bring him in, especially as they knew TT was on his way. If it was a case of "well TT rates him so he must be half decent and we cant realistically bring anyone else in" sort of thing then whoever was responsible needs flogging. I don't mean selling, I mean publicly in the centre circle before the Liverpool game.  I attribute an inordinate amount of the poor atmosphere, disunity, disharmony and fallout last season in the squad to him floating around like radioactive fallout; poisoning everything he touches and everyone he gets close to. For the sake of the club he needs showing the door. Normally I wouldn't condone caving to these sorts of demands as it sets a dangerous and corrosive precedent but in his case the benefit to him not being anywhere near the club or the training ground outweighs the negatives of giving him what he wants. Pay him off and get him gone, and make sure the media know or are viscerally reminded of, what a nasty, cynical, caustic, disruptive little waste of space he is. He must never darken our door again. 

Datro Fofana. Obvious to me there is a player in there. Someone up thread said something like "he was managing through sheer force of will alone" and I like that. The lack of pace I can admit but honestly when everyone sticks ten men behind the ball and wont venture out of their own half against us and there is no space to run into then pace isn't the must-have we sometimes think it is. Giroud being the obvious example. He was a big, strong lump who played on the shoulder of the last man and did his best work holding the ball up with his back to goal and in the air at set pieces. Acknowledging the yawning gulf in technical class and polish between him and DDF, the actual role, the actual position is similar. Giroud didn't need pace and neither does DDF. I mentioned the other week about how we need a big, aggressive lump up top who can hold the ball up and pull defenders around in the box and I see DDF as that type of player for sure. I really hope he continues to develop and refine as there aren't many of this quite specific kind of "old school" number nines around and he has all the natural gifts to be quite good. If he blossoms on loan and bangs in a load of goals in the Bundesliga then we might have a serious player on our hands. 

Cucurella. Newcastle apparently interested at half the price we bought him for and honestly I'd take the money and run. I think he's a good player who moves the ball well and at a nice pace, is decent in the tackle when he isn't lunging in in a panic, but not at our level in terms of decision-making and obviously affected by confidence. When his head is not right you can see how it affects his game - teams were targeting him at times last season and that is never nice to see. Fundamentally he isn't a good enough defender to provide a meaningful competition to Chillwell and he's nowhere near as good going forward either. I also think the bond with the fans isn't there and they will get on his back after every mistake. He could rescue things and improve but it isn't likely. The decision-making and ability to read things defensively isn't going to improve overnight and giving him the time to develop this side of his game will have to come at the expense of Maatsen who already looks a better player than Cucurella. The young lad enjoyed a "James at Wigan" sort of breakout loan season and we would be nuts to lose him for a small fee now when he is already at such a high level and is developing so fast. I think we'll end up loaning Maatsen to Burnley again for the coming season and keeping Cucurella around and then make the swap next summer but honestly I'd do it now if we could get a semi decent offer. 

Lets see. 

[Chelsea_Matt]

12 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Wouldn't give Gallagher to Spurs for even £100m. 

Firstly, screw them.

And secondly, he's ideal for the all action football Postecoglou likes to play. We're also in short supply ourselves of midfield depth, run, energy and pressers - even if we add Caicedo in the coming weeks. Plus, the lad actually wants to be at Chelsea and cares about the club. I'm hanging onto that desire even if he's not necessarily good enough to be a consistent starter. 

I’m a huge fan of Gallagher and with the discipline of a proper DM, some leadership team and of course Poch I think Gallagher will do well. And unlike another recent departure he does seem to be “proper Chels” 🫶🏻

[xceleryx]

2 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

Yeah I get all that and don't have a problem with Gallagher staying. He would add options to Spurs for sure, but I think Hjoberg makes Chelsea a stronger team. I'm more interested in that, than any benefit spurs might get from the deal.

Whilst Gallagher's energy , commitment and running is a positive. Their is a reason he makes so many tackles in my view, and its down to average technique and touch.  We will see it again throughout the season, his second touch can often be a tackle.

Not against making us stronger either, and I think Hjoberg is a good player, but given the way the Premier League landscape is now and the number of teams we're going to be fighting with for a place in the top 4, or even top 5 now, the margins are going to be even finer. Us aiding a side that'll compete for the same sort of places as us, plus being the rival they are, it's a straight up no-go for me. Also, knowing how Postecoglou improves players I'd be dirty seeing Gallagher thrive in a Spuds kit knowing he's an actual Chelsea lad (unlikely some *cough* Mount *cough*).

Gallagher is flawed but he also gives us things we don't have a lot of either. I think under Poch he could go on to be a really solid option for us to have, one that's capable of offering goals from midfield/attacking midfield. Like quite a few of our newer players I'd prefer to see how Gallagher goes under a proper manager in a structured side. Nothing prevents us from exploring our options next summer after reassessing. 

 

[Morgs]

1 minute ago, xceleryx said:

Not against making us stronger either, and I think Hjoberg is a good player, but given the way the Premier League landscape is now and the number of teams we're going to be fighting with for a place in the top 4, or even top 5 now, the margins are going to be even finer. Us aiding a side that'll compete for the same sort of places as us, plus being the rival they are, it's a straight up no-go for me. Also, knowing how Postecoglou improves players I'd be dirty seeing Gallagher thrive in a Spuds kit knowing he's an actual Chelsea lad (unlikely some *cough* Mount *cough*).

Gallagher is flawed but he also gives us things we don't have a lot of either. I think under Poch he could go on to be a really solid option for us to have, one that's capable of offering goals from midfield/attacking midfield. Like quite a few of our newer players I'd prefer to see how Gallagher goes under a proper manager in a structured side. Nothing prevents us from exploring our options next summer after reassessing. 

 

I like Gallagher. As you say, he is a little bit of refinement away from being a really effective box-to-box player. Doesn't score enough but we have always loved players who give their all and aren't afraid to stick their foot in and he certainly does that.  I actually think he's a bit underrated technically - has a lovely pass on him. 

We cant sell him. Although as an alternative to Caicedo I think Hojbjerg would be a great option. I'd have Kulusevski as well if we are going shopping on the Seven Sisters. 

[paulw66]

12 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

Suppose it was always a pipe dream, but looking less and less likely Pochettino will have most of his squad for most of pre-season.

Of course he will.

Even if we sign 4 new players before the end of the window, and let's say he works with a squad of 24, that means 20 out of 24 (83%) are already here, and would have done the whole pre season.

What is less likely is most of the new signings (however many there will be) wont do the entire pre season. But that's completely normal. When does any club complete ALL of its incomings before training starts. Never.

[paulw66]

15 minutes ago, Morgs said:

Some semi-coherent thoughts this morning while I drink my coffee and work my way through the morning admin. Its a double espresso and 'The War On Drugs' in the headphones sort of morning. 

Like many of you, I'm starting to get really irritated with the Brighton thing.

Honestly, we should sign Paulinha from Fulham and leave Brighton to suck it. Then laugh as Caicedo goes to Spurs or Newcastle for 65m. Greedy f***ers. The "Chelsea Tax" is alive and well on the South Coast, that is for sure.  They know we want him asap so can take the p***. 

Re Lukaku I would just accept 35m at this point just to get it over with. Its doing nobody any favours and nobody is coming out of this looking good. Cut your losses and run. 35m is what we paid for Jackson and I am quietly confident this will prove to be one of the better deals we have done in the last few years. 

Aubameyang is clearly after the club letting him go on a free so he can earn a big signing bonus going to Saudi or wherever. At the risk of abusing the hyperbole, I maintain he is the most toxic and unpleasant character ever to pull on the shirt. Absolute scumbag. I have no idea what possessed the club to bring him in, especially as they knew TT was on his way. If it was a case of "well TT rates him so he must be half decent and we cant realistically bring anyone else in" sort of thing then whoever was responsible needs flogging. I don't mean selling, I mean publicly in the centre circle before the Liverpool game.  I attribute an inordinate amount of the poor atmosphere, disunity, disharmony and fallout last season in the squad to him floating around like radioactive fallout; poisoning everything he touches and everyone he gets close to. For the sake of the club he needs showing the door. Normally I wouldn't condone caving to these sorts of demands as it sets a dangerous and corrosive precedent but in his case the benefit to him not being anywhere near the club or the training ground outweighs the negatives of giving him what he wants. Pay him off and get him gone, and make sure the media know or are viscerally reminded of, what a nasty, cynical, caustic, disruptive little waste of space he is. He must never darken our door again. 

Datro Fofana. Obvious to me there is a player in there. Someone up thread said something like "he was managing through sheer force of will alone" and I like that. The lack of pace I can admit but honestly when everyone sticks ten men behind the ball and wont venture out of their own half against us and there is no space to run into then pace isn't the must-have we sometimes think it is. Giroud being the obvious example. He was a big, strong lump who played on the shoulder of the last man and did his best work holding the ball up with his back to goal and in the air at set pieces. Acknowledging the yawning gulf in technical class and polish between him and DDF, the actual role, the actual position is similar. Giroud didn't need pace and neither does DDF. I mentioned the other week about how we need a big, aggressive lump up top who can hold the ball up and pull defenders around in the box and I see DDF as that type of player for sure. I really hope he continues to develop and refine as there aren't many of this quite specific kind of "old school" number nines around and he has all the natural gifts to be quite good. If he blossoms on loan and bangs in a load of goals in the Bundesliga then we might have a serious player on our hands. 

Cucurella. Newcastle apparently interested at half the price we bought him for and honestly I'd take the money and run. I think he's a good player who moves the ball well and at a nice pace, is decent in the tackle when he isn't lunging in in a panic, but not at our level in terms of decision-making and obviously affected by confidence. When his head is not right you can see how it affects his game - teams were targeting him at times last season and that is never nice to see. Fundamentally he isn't a good enough defender to provide a meaningful competition to Chillwell and he's nowhere near as good going forward either. I also think the bond with the fans isn't there and they will get on his back after every mistake. He could rescue things and improve but it isn't likely. The decision-making and ability to read things defensively isn't going to improve overnight and giving him the time to develop this side of his game will have to come at the expense of Maatsen who already looks a better player than Cucurella. The young lad enjoyed a "James at Wigan" sort of breakout loan season and we would be nuts to lose him for a small fee now when he is already at such a high level and is developing so fast. I think we'll end up loaning Maatsen to Burnley again for the coming season and keeping Cucurella around and then make the swap next summer but honestly I'd do it now if we could get a semi decent offer. 

Lets see. 

agree with virtually all of this. I am not convinced Caicedo is in the same category as Enzo. Brighton have already pulled our pants down once. 

[Ham]

2 hours ago, ROTG said:

Not required at the moment, the club has enough kids to go on with, time for some leadership recruitment to get back into a CL spot.

He is not going anywhere and is contracted to 2025, should he have another  good season and Chelsea make CL, then I am sure if the Coach wants him the TBSD will pay whatever it costs to get him

Wait another year and there will be almost certainly be a mad auction for her his services and we won't win that. £35m now it's good business. Start coaching him ASAP. 

1 hour ago, ROTG said:

If the club can get somewhere near £40m for Lukaku, adding another £20m to get Vlahovic is a no brainer IMO. You also need to take into account how Poch likes a big man who can come deep and bring others into play. "Kane Like" 

Hasn't Vlahovic had injury issues for the last couple of years? A risk too far?

1 hour ago, ROTG said:

Is he any better than Mason Burstow who knock in 10/26 in PL2 last season.

From what I've seen, yes. Easily.  Very different players. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Ham

[paulw66]

1 hour ago, ROTG said:

Is he any better than Mason Burstow who knock in 10/26 in PL2 last season.

I have no idea, as he barely played. That is why I am curious to see how he gets on, because to me, he looked talented, if not a bit raw.

 

[Morgs]

Indulging in a little gratuious list-making here - 

To get an idea of how successful a summer it has been so far for us and where we might see the moves start to happen as the summer draws on and the end of the window starts to draw closer, maybe its helpful to view things as a series of moves/replacements. 

Thus:

Kepa - Kepa

Mendy - Slonina

Bettinelli - Bettinelli

James - James

Chilwell - Chilwell 

Azpilicueta - Gusto

Silva - Silva 

Koulibaly - Colwill 

Badiashile - Badiashile 

W Fofana - W Fofana 

Hall - Hall 

Cucurella - Maatsen?

Jorginho - Enzo

Kante - Caicedo?

Kovacic - Santos 

Gallagher - Gallagher 

Mount - Chukwuemeka 

Sterling - Sterling 

Pulisic - ? 

Ziyech - Madueke 

Mudryk - Mudryk 

Broja - Broja 

Havertz - Nkunku

Aubameyang - Jackson 

Lukaku - ? 

 

The four questions aside, the replacements vs the ones they replaced all look a significant upgrade in lots of ways don't they? 

It really does show what a job the club have been doing to clear the decks and address the problems. 

[Morgs]

One thing that leaps out at me when i look through the changes in the above list is how so many of them add pace and physicality and directness. 

I wonder if this gives us a hint of how the club and Poch want to play football moving forward. 

[Backbiter]

Along with all the upgrades in pace and physicality from the new signings, we've got to hope 2023-4 Mudryk, Sterling, Gallagher, Cucurella ,Fofana and James are a big improvement on the 2022-3 versions.

[Morgs]

14 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

Along with all the upgrades in pace and physicality from the new signings, we've got to hope 2023-4 Mudryk, Sterling, Gallagher, Cucurella ,Fofana and James are a big improvement on the 2022-3 versions.

Cucarella I am not sure about but I am very optimistic on Mudryk, Sterling and Fofana. All three are far better players than they showed last season. James if he stays fit will be better almost by default. 

 

[Sleeping Dave]

1 hour ago, Morgs said:

The decision-making and ability to read things defensively isn't going to improve overnight and giving him the time to develop this side of his game will have to come at the expense of Maatsen who already looks a better player than Cucurella. The young lad enjoyed a "James at Wigan" sort of breakout loan season and we would be nuts to lose him for a small fee now when he is already at such a high level and is developing so fast. I think we'll end up loaning Maatsen to Burnley again for the coming season and keeping Cucurella around and then make the swap next summer but honestly I'd do it now if we could get a semi decent offer. 

Lets see. 

100%. I don’t think people appreciate what a season Maatsen has had at Burnley. Quite a lot more impressive than let’s say Colwill at Brighton. If we don’t reward players coming back from a loan like that there’s no point is it? 

He needs to start the season as LB2. 

[Miguelito07]

1 hour ago, Morgs said:

 Its a double espresso and 'The War On Drugs' in the headphones sort of morning. 

Great band! 🙂

[Miguelito07]

9 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

100%. I don’t think people appreciate what a season Maatsen has had at Burnley. Quite a lot more impressive than let’s say Colwill at Brighton. If we don’t reward players coming back from a loan like that there’s no point is it? 

He needs to start the season as LB2. 

Would  he even want to be a LB2?  I am sure at Burnley he would be a LB1

I cant see both Cucurella and Maatsen staying and I think it will be latter that leaves.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Miguelito07

[Morgs]

2 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

Would  he even want to be a LB2?  I am sure at Burnley he would be a LB1

Guaranteed to get more than 25 games for us - at least. Chilwell is unfortunately very fragile. 

[paulw66]

25 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

100%. I don’t think people appreciate what a season Maatsen has had at Burnley. Quite a lot more impressive than let’s say Colwill at Brighton. If we don’t reward players coming back from a loan like that there’s no point is it? 

He needs to start the season as LB2. 

Which compounds the absurd money spent on the Hair. 

The club knew we had him in the ranks and still thought it was a good idea.

Edited July 12, 2023 by paulw66