Hazard Warning Signs - The Chelsea Transfer Thread

I feel like that’s been said before...

 

SPEND! SPEND! SPEND!

Chelsea can sign players in January after having their Fifa transfer ban reduced following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Let the rumours commence!

I assume, Pedro, Giroud and Alonso are the most likely candidates to leave in January, so I suppose we will be looking at players to fill those places. I can’t see Leicester selling Chilwell in this window but I would be happy to be wrong. I assume the club has been making plans for this outcome.

 

So the transfer ban has been lifted! Let’s not do anything dumb like buy Zaha....

 

So Frank and Chelsea have been doing far better than most outsiders expected this season should we risk disrupting the squad dynamic by signing players next month? The point is, it is good to have the option to bring in new players. But January deals have never been the best deals.

Rumours suggest Sancho but not until the summer. In the meantime the agent of Ousmane Dembele [22] has met with executives from Chelsea recently. The papers still put Zaha forward as an option [let us hope not].

I think our most pressing need is another striker. Tammy cannot carry the whole burden. Giroud and Michy are not of the quality that we need. Both very nice blokes, but we need to reach a greater level.

 

AANNNNND MARKETS OPEN FOR US IN JANUARY BOYS, APPEAL UPHELD, BAN CUT IN HALF!!!!

 

In retrospect Chelsea were very smart to take the ban last summer and blood youth, whether the latter was their initial idea or not. And the need now is very different and less than what I thought in the Summer. Been a long time since I've had an anti-wtf-they-doing Board or Marina thought, well done this last Post-Sarri year. yeah but don't blow it by spending a dime on Zaha.

For me Stiker and lb the priority, but only if the right ones available in January, only a very select few world class or young on rise nearing world class apply. Or loan Cavani til Summer). No more 30--45 million filler dross. Right wing/am next but can wait til Summer.

 

Before the season is even over? No, no we shouldn't

 

It doesn’t make a difference is my point.

 

Adding another voice to the chorus of those hoping we don't shell out for Zaha

 

Here's the difference: We stood gain nothing from that game.

All games carry the risk of injury, even freak ones. For normal friendlies, however, that risk acceptable because what we gain from playing the game outweighs it: Players build fitness and new players learn about and adapt to the team.

None of those benefits were present in the friendly in which RLC got hurt, because of when it was played. The only things you could possibly put forward as 'benefits' to playing that game are of a non-footballing nature (international exposure, a bit of cash).

So there was essentially nothing to gain, with the same level of risk as any other game.

So it was dumb.

 

Anyway, this is the transfer thread and our ban just got lifted. Let's go crazy!

Some talk of Ake being a January target. CB has been shaky for us this year so far ::cough Zouma cough:: but once Rudi and Fik are playing together, will Ake get any time? We have Christensen too who has been thoroughly meh

 

Have not heard this one amongst the usual gosip. If this is possible I'd be all for that as a quick fix, then sign someone like Haaland or Werner in the summer

 

Cavani or suitable player on loan is a decent idea. However, there is always the danger that it would just take them too long to 'adjust' to our league or our team. It is a crap shoot, some players adjust straight away - Zola - and some just don't - Higuain.

 

Ake would be a 40mm sub. Drinkwater all over again.

 

Loved the club's statement. Putting FIFA in its place.

 

Shame. I have not seen much of him so I'll take your word for it. Like the idea of getting a former academy guy back in the fold, but not if he'll ride the bench

 

Yep, we cannot get them all back. Declan Rice?

Lovely interaction and insights here:

Former Chelsea player Declan Rice chatting with Mason Mount

https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/50649845

These players all grew up together. It is a truly great story waiting to happen.

 

Hopeful we make a move for Sancho. He’s a bit unsettled at the moment, having a similar season to Pulisic last year. He’s far superior to Zaha and the extra 30mm he’ll cost is worth it-amortized over a decade at the club its loose change. Pedro might leave in January and it appears Willian is running his contract down despite his words of wanting to stay. CHO, Pulisic, and Sancho for 3 spots works. Plus, he’s tight with CHO.

Do not want the Barca Dembele, would take the Lyon Dembele as the Michy/Giroud replacement.

 

Bizarre how we went from barely fielding any English players for a minute there to potentially fielding half the national team. We'll be a media lovechild in no time.

 

My ideal additions are Chilwell, Sancho, Mousa Dembele (OL).

Mousa has been linked with us for years, since he was a prized academy prospect at Fulham after he left PSG. He's a good addition who is familiar with England.

Sancho was a Chelsea fan growing up, from London, and is friends with CHO and Abraham. Getting him and losing Pedro is best possible solution. Sancho has 5 goals and 6 assists this year and is playing unlike Pulisic last season. He's being used as a scapegoat though because of his interest in leaving. The interest is real.

Chilwell, while not great defensively, is really good going forward and the prospect of him and James sending in crosses is pretty damn enticing.

 

I started writing about Sancho helping the homegrown quota but then remembered it doesn’t matter for us too much at the moment. Times have definitely changed.

Similar in that everyone expects him to leave, there have been some injury and playing time issues, and it’s affecting him.

As for Chilwell and Reece sending in crosses, as long as we’re starting Zouma at the back, and Jorginho at the base of midfield instead of Kante, that leaves me extremely worried defensively. Really need RLC to get back and up to speed so we can see if Mount-Kante-RLC can work.

 

I don't mean they're the same quality player, I mean more that they'd have the same role in the squad. Backup CBs rarely play, so no reason to spend 40mm on one.

 

Sancho is significantly better, the 30mm is well worth it. Buying average players for inflated prices is a suckers' game. I hope we've learned that with our Zapapcosta/Drinkwater nonsense. (I didn't mind the Bakayoko buy as much - we missed, but it was at least more of a correct idea.) Also, Zaha doesn't really fit the way we play. He's a "stop the ball" kind of player who's much better on the counter. I think his failure at United is instructive in that regard.

I don't think Frank sees Zouma or Jorginho as his preferred players ultimately. That Kante/Kovacic pivot* with a player ahead of them appears to be more of his speed. That way Mount makes sense as a pressing #10 (I don't think he makes as much sense deeper, because he doesn't pass or make long dribbles as well). RLC fits better in a 4-3-3, but he's also not a passer. I think it's him and Mount for the same spot, honestly, though they're different players. Lampard's system clearly depends on a lot of pressing, and RLC is just not that kind of player.

*This is also why I think we should get another similar CM. Kante/Kovacic can't play every game.

 

This is what Lampard said 3 days ago about RLC: "He has had a few setbacks over the last two months. He hasn't had a new one but it is not flying along as much as we would want. At the moment we are no closer to him being fit."

He is nowhere near a return yet and it is not healing as expected. We might not get him back this season by the sound of it. Even if it heals, it is going to take a while to get fit again and then find his sharpness. Such a long time out is going to take a while to get back to his quality. This could end up being a very sad story.