Transfer Talk Topic

[ChelseaJambo]

2 hours ago, Holymoly said:

Mate there will be a lot more going too. Pochettino is keen on his 4-2-3-1 so there really isn't any need for the dozen or so midfielders we currently have. As has been mentioned before the current squad is rotten like an old tree. We are going to have to strip it back to the bare minimum and build it back up with untainted individuals who also hopefully have more than a little moral fortitude. 

 

That's the concern for me though, we've seen (up until the last 12 months or so) plenty of moral fortitude from those who have gone and seem to be going. It's almost as though it's precisely those who've been turned off by the new regime and managers.

[Original 21]

I did not know this about Gallagher. Is it true?

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly wanted to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher when he was in charge of PSG last January.

According to The Sun, the new manager was a big fan of the midfielder during his loan spell at Crystal Palace.

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/mauricio-pochettino-reportedly-wanted-to-sign-23-year-old-chelsea-player-for-psg-he-could-now-be-key/

[Bob Singleton]

27 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

I did not know this about Gallagher. Is it true?

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly wanted to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher when he was in charge of PSG last January.

According to The Sun, the new manager was a big fan of the midfielder during his loan spell at Crystal Palace.

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/mauricio-pochettino-reportedly-wanted-to-sign-23-year-old-chelsea-player-for-psg-he-could-now-be-key/

I'm not claiming infallibility because I'm sure there are quite a few rumours I miss when compiling my monthly list, but looking back at the January transfer one I can see no mention of Gallagher being wanted by PSG. Palace, Newcastle and Everton, yes; PSG, no.


EDIT: Just seen that the Sun article is from Jan 2022 not Jan 2023 (another brain-fart moment from me... meds I'm on are seriously affecting my clarity of thought, especially toward the end of the day when I'm exhausted from doing absolutely nothing bar breathing)

Edited June 1, 2023 by Bob Singleton

[Bison]

14 hours ago, Max Fowler said:

I mean no offence Bise but I trust Guardiola‘s judgement of players more than yours. Kovacic was ridiculously good under Tuchel - Mount was largely great too, as was Jorghi btw. Lost Tuchel, lost Jorghi, losing Mount and Kova.

Where are the characters left in our squad? Unless we bring some in next season could be another absolute disaster.

Guardiola has signed bad players before. 

Was Kova a character? He never seemed like one. And in a season when the team really needed people to step up Kova downed tools. 

[Chelsea_Matt]

15 minutes ago, Bison said:

Guardiola has signed bad players before. 

Was Kova a character? He never seemed like one. And in a season when the team really needed people to step up Kova downed tools. 

That’s exactly what he seemed to do. 

[Bob Singleton]

5 hours ago, Miguelito07 said:

Not sure about this. We would be left with 3 CDs, and two of those a frequently injured (KK and WF), and Silva isnt going to play every game. Having said that, we are not Europe 😞

Oh, forgot about Colwill

The Athletic are running a piece saying Chalobah wants to stay at Chelsea and fight for his place. He'll only consider a move if he's told by the new manager that he's not wanted.


https://theathletic.com/4571857/2023/06/01/trevoh-chalobah-chelsea-inter-milan/

Chelsea are highly motivated to sell a significant number of players in this transfer window, both to offset the vast recruitment drive led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in the first year of their ownership and to trim a first-team squad bloated to unmanageable proportions under Pochettino’s predecessor Graham Potter.

The lengthy list of summer departures from Stamford Bridge is likely to include several Cobham academy graduates, and Inter’s long-standing interest in Chalobah presented the possibility that he could be one of those sold.

Chalobah himself, however, wants to meet Pochettino and get a sense of where he fits into the new Chelsea head coach’s plans next season. His preference has always been to play and succeed at the club he first joined as an eight-year-old, and he will only consider leaving if it is made clear that he is surplus to requirements.

There are also doubts about whether Inter are financially capable of putting together an offer that would tempt Chelsea to sell, despite enjoying a timely windfall as a result of their surprise run to the Champions League final.

Chelsea are well stocked at the centre-back position, and fully intend to bring Levi Colwill into the first-team fold despite serious interest from Brighton in signing him permanently following a productive loan spell last season. Pochettino’s preference for playing a back four rather than a back three, coupled with the club’s lack of European football, will further increase competition for minutes.

Chalobah’s opportunities have fluctuated wildly since making his senior breakthrough at the start of the 2021-22 season under Thomas Tuchel, but he has established himself as a solid, positionally versatile defensive option and signed a new contract committing him to Chelsea until 2028 in November.

[Original 21]

I was wondering about Havertz…

[xceleryx]

Havertz is an enigma, as such I'm torn on whether we sell or not. He's obviously got a degree of talent and class about him, but he's also the type of player that needs a niche role in a side to truly excel. Quite clearly he's not a striker which is where he's predominately had to play out of necessity, so I would like to see how he'd fair under Poch just in behind. The problem is that we've got Nkunku arriving for that sort of role, not only that but he's a more dynamic and creative type of player in comparison to Havertz. 

I could certainly see Havertz excelling at Madrid, so it really would have to come down to whether we get an offer too good to refuse. 

[RDCW]

1 hour ago, xceleryx said:

Havertz is an enigma, as such I'm torn on whether we sell or not. He's obviously got a degree of talent and class about him, but he's also the type of player that needs a niche role in a side to truly excel. Quite clearly he's not a striker which is where he's predominately had to play out of necessity, so I would like to see how he'd fair under Poch just in behind. The problem is that we've got Nkunku arriving for that sort of role, not only that but he's a more dynamic and creative type of player in comparison to Havertz. 

I could certainly see Havertz excelling at Madrid, so it really would have to come down to whether we get an offer too good to refuse. 

For me it's a clear that he should be sold. Whatever talents he may or may not have he does not contribute enough to the team, either in goals, or assists, or in making space for others to excel. As such he is taking the place of someone else (whomever that may be) more effective in these 3 areas. 

[Michael Tucker]

29 minutes ago, RDCW said:

For me it's a clear that he should be sold. Whatever talents he may or may not have he does not contribute enough to the team, either in goals, or assists, or in making space for others to excel. As such he is taking the place of someone else (whomever that may be) more effective in these 3 areas. 

If (for once) the media reports are accurate, then that would mean no Mount, no Kovacic, and no Havertz. At least for the moment.

[Sleeping Dave]

1 hour ago, Michael Tucker said:

If (for once) the media reports are accurate, then that would mean no Mount, no Kovacic, and no Havertz. At least for the moment.

Considering they are supposed to be our main creators, perhaps the club has identified them as a major issue for our struggles this season?  Whatever the reasons are, we should make United pay £90m+ for Mount and if Real wants Havertz it would have to be something similar. 
 

[Michael Tucker]

10 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

Considering they are supposed to be our main creators, perhaps the club has identified them as a major issue for our struggles this season?  Whatever the reasons are, we should make United pay £90m+ for Mount and if Real wants Havertz it would have to be something similar. 
 

I agree. 

[xceleryx]

3 hours ago, RDCW said:

For me it's a clear that he should be sold. Whatever talents he may or may not have he does not contribute enough to the team, either in goals, or assists, or in making space for others to excel. As such he is taking the place of someone else (whomever that may be) more effective in these 3 areas. 

As a striker, I agree. Could he offer more in a deeper role? That's the million dollar question I suppose. 

[ROTG]

4 hours ago, xceleryx said:

The problem is that we've got Nkunku arriving

Umm, another German Import from RB, who allegedly is having second thoughts

 

1 hour ago, Sleeping Dave said:

Considering they are supposed to be our main creators, perhaps the club has identified them as a major issue for our struggles this season?  Whatever the reasons are, we should make United pay £90m+ for Mount and if Real wants Havertz it would have to be something similar. 
 

Be luck to get 100m for the pair - Interested clubs know the FFP situation so its take it or leave it offers.

Edited June 2, 2023 by ROTG

[Chelsea_Matt]

2 hours ago, Michael Tucker said:

If (for once) the media reports are accurate, then that would mean no Mount, no Kovacic, and no Havertz. At least for the moment.

Works for me, Mr Tucker. None of them - in my opinion - would be a catastrophic loss. At all. 

[xceleryx]

5 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Umm, another German Import from RB, who allegedly is having second thoughts

Nkunku is French.

And the second thoughts thing was merely the media, RB's manager has already confirmed Nkunku is leaving to join us and it's done.

 

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, Michael Tucker said:

If (for once) the media reports are accurate, then that would mean no Mount, no Kovacic, and no Havertz. At least for the moment.

Yep - potentially core of the a successful team gone - to be replace by more mediocre players costing an arm and leg. 

[Michael Tucker]

3 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

Works for me, Mr Tucker. None of them - in my opinion - would be a catastrophic loss. At all. 

Wow.  All I can say, tbh.

The big question surely, is who you replace them with?

[ROTG]

Just now, xceleryx said:

Nkunku is French.

not the point, imports from RB have not been very successful in the PL, with ourselves and the dippers being fleeced the most

[xceleryx]

3 minutes ago, ROTG said:

not the point, imports from RB have not been very successful in the PL, with ourselves and the dippers being fleeced the most

And I'd say a lot of that falls on the back of not recognising the profile of player they've signed, and trying to use them in a completely uncomplimentary manner - at least in our case. 

Nkunku has also played and done well in Ligue 1 prior to joining RB. 

But like any and all transfers, there's risk involved either way. 

[Chelsea_Matt]

35 minutes ago, Michael Tucker said:

Wow.  All I can say, tbh.

The big question surely, is who you replace them with?

Havertz for me has been a disappointing signing in the main. Talented sure and some great matches but no presence. As many have said, Mase has gone backwards. Again, for me, I just don’t think he’s that good and if he wasn’t homegrown I doubt there’d be the upset that there is of his possible departure. Kova in my view has downed tools and while technically excellent contributes little in terms actually doing meaningful things to affect matches.

Replacements? We have a big squad even when the players deemed surplus to requirements (shall we say) leave. A GK and Rice would be my top priority, as well as of course a striker. Who - now that’s up to Poch. 

[exiledblue]

United could offload maguire as part of Mount deal...really would we be that stupid?

[Mark Kelly]

7 minutes ago, exiledblue said:

United could offload maguire as part of Mount deal...really would we be that stupid?

Apparently they've offered us £85M for Mount or £185M plus Maguire.

[xceleryx]

9 hours ago, Bob Singleton said:

The Athletic are running a piece saying Chalobah wants to stay at Chelsea and fight for his place. He'll only consider a move if he's told by the new manager that he's not wanted.


https://theathletic.com/4571857/2023/06/01/trevoh-chalobah-chelsea-inter-milan/

Chelsea are highly motivated to sell a significant number of players in this transfer window, both to offset the vast recruitment drive led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in the first year of their ownership and to trim a first-team squad bloated to unmanageable proportions under Pochettino’s predecessor Graham Potter.

The lengthy list of summer departures from Stamford Bridge is likely to include several Cobham academy graduates, and Inter’s long-standing interest in Chalobah presented the possibility that he could be one of those sold.

Chalobah himself, however, wants to meet Pochettino and get a sense of where he fits into the new Chelsea head coach’s plans next season. His preference has always been to play and succeed at the club he first joined as an eight-year-old, and he will only consider leaving if it is made clear that he is surplus to requirements.

There are also doubts about whether Inter are financially capable of putting together an offer that would tempt Chelsea to sell, despite enjoying a timely windfall as a result of their surprise run to the Champions League final.

Chelsea are well stocked at the centre-back position, and fully intend to bring Levi Colwill into the first-team fold despite serious interest from Brighton in signing him permanently following a productive loan spell last season. Pochettino’s preference for playing a back four rather than a back three, coupled with the club’s lack of European football, will further increase competition for minutes.

Chalobah’s opportunities have fluctuated wildly since making his senior breakthrough at the start of the 2021-22 season under Thomas Tuchel, but he has established himself as a solid, positionally versatile defensive option and signed a new contract committing him to Chelsea until 2028 in November.

Actually hoping we hang onto Chalobah if he's content with the sort of squad/fringe role he's largely held this season. I say this for the fact that even with less games to play next season we've got several defenders that have question marks over their potential fitness. Despite adding some needed depth it may not be a bad idea to have a little extra insurance - Chalobah is a good pick for this because he can play either RB or CB. 

Not confident that RJ will stay fit throughout a whole season and Gusto himself has had an injury this year, while will also require time to settle into English football. Having that extra option may be a wise move.

Edited June 2, 2023 by xceleryx

[Max Fowler]

10 hours ago, Bison said:

Guardiola has signed bad players before. 

Was Kova a character? He never seemed like one. And in a season when the team really needed people to step up Kova downed tools. 

So you're leading me to believe Guardiola has got Kovacic wrong too?

Here's the reality - Kovacic was broken when Tuchel was fired. Kova was incredibly loyal to him and indeed Tuchel was the making of him stepping on another level (like so many of our players). Tuchel was brutally fired - Boehly came in with new ideas and dressing room talks and Kova was done. Why show any loyalty to the club when they had been so disloyal to Tuchel?

Call it downing tools - the amount of spite our fans showed to Potter and Boehly in the aftermath of Tuchel's sacking came from the exact same place. We lost our identity and were being told by an American who clearly knew nothing about football that the right man for the job was a man who never swears and inspired the loyalty in nobody that Tuchel did.

So now - we are where we are. We have to let Kovacic go. Likely Mount too. All I ask is that we replace them with characters. 

Fans on here seem to be looking back on last season as a test of whether players were really up to job and really the characters they made out to be. They had an impossible task made by the owners' woefully timed decision to sack Tuchel - that they now regret.

Edited June 2, 2023 by Max Fowler