Increased Costa Living - The Transfer Thread

Guillem Balague‏Verified account @GuillemBalague 5h5 hours ago


Monaco's Bakayoko has agreed personal terms with Chelsea. Next step is for Chelsea to pay Monaco more than anybody else for the midfielder

Not sure how a Spanish football "expert" has any insight into Monaco is baffling and we would have to pay quite a lot of money for another Defensive midfielder when we desperately need a box to box midfielder?

 

It is just a rumor so far. As far as I am concerned, he is in Dortmund and will be realistic. We probably can afford to go toe to toe with Madrid for Auba if the Lukaku fee is actually going to be 80M. If he really wants to go to Madrid, then fine but Lukaku may also not want to come back to Chelsea (with United in the wings).

 

I have a hard time thinking Lukaku chooses Mourinho over Chelsea, unless it's about money. Chelsea the organization didn't sell him as much as Jose did by stating he didn't need him.

 

Raiola would be a big reason, not that I want Lukaku.

 

But the situation has changed now. He isn't a young whippersnapper but an established PL leading scorer. Plus he will get assurances that he will be the top striker with Zlatan already ancient. United can afford to put him in the 300k bracket while we certainly won't.

I think he also said last year that he holds no grudge against Mourinho and understands he needed to develop at that time.

 

Right, money. Raiola likes money.

I doubt he sees things that way privately

At any rate, I've kinda come around to the Lukaku idea so long as we have nothing to do with Barkley. Jesus that is a signing I can't want less of.

 

I will choose 300k over 200k myself

I think Everton will play hardball like they did with Stones anyways. We really haven't blown the transfer market ever since Torres so I would be pleasantly surprised if we do go down that route. We will need it to take us to the next level with CL.

 

http://www.espnfc.com/story/3087465...ut-china-and-tried-for-atletico-madrid-return

Asked if the Chinese Super League could still be an option in the summer, Costa told El Larguero: "Anything can happen. Why not? You never know. Now I'm happy at Chelsea but if tomorrow the Chinese come and Chelsea tell me I have to go, I will no longer want to stay with them."

Costa has not fully warmed to life in England since joining Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for £32 million in the summer of 2014, and admits he pushed hard for a move back to the Spanish capital when Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer.

"I did all that I could to return but it didn't happen," he added. "When Atletico had to wait for me, they didn't wait. There was still a month to go [end of transfer window] and they didn't have the patience [instead signing Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla].

"On Conte's first day, I told him that I wanted to join Atletico and he was upset with me and didn't even look at me. Luckily, I started to score goals."

 

Meh. If he wants out then sell. I'm not terribly bothered by the comments however.

 

Watching the Monaco games against City, I was least impressed with Bakayoko. He seemed to be a player we'd need the least.

 

Baker sounds like he still needs a year or two to develop and Chalobah has yet to really prove he is anything other than a bit part player (or be given the chance to). Isn't Bakayoko a defensive mid anyways? We need box to box?

Would love to see us get one of Radja Nanghjdfjksjhf or Arturo Vidal. That would put us in a position to really compete in Europe imo.

Sounds like Radja isn't too opposed though getting him away from Roma would be a pain in the ass.

The striker situation still interests me.. big fee paid for Michy but his role has been relegated to being designated time killer in the dying embers of games. Conte has got to show faith in him or a new import. Regardless of the Diego situation, a backup striker has got to be a priority no? Or some kind of versatile forward (*cough*sanchez*cough*).

 

Both are probably too old at this point.

 

Ballack was 30 when he came onboard with us. (1) League Cup (3) FA Cups (1) League title, and CL runners-up.

If a player can do a job for 2 years in this day and age, that's a plus, and I don't care about age anymore.

 

Bakayoko certainly appears to be a very limited player.

 

To be fair, given the style Monaco play and his youth, it's hard to know, but from the two games I've seen, I agree he hardly looked like the second coming of Der Kaiser.

 

More rumors about Verrati...a signing that would be great.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...r-news-fresh-neymar-rumours-latest-blues-talk

Conte allegedly has his jimmies in a tiff over not getting proper funds in January. Not an unfamiliar story, wouldn't be shocked if there was merit to it. The new part is Roman apparently promises Conte a Neymar in the summer and Conte says NO. WhoAOoOooaoaoaoaoOOO

 

Biggest frustration with Roman is he gets complacent when we win. It's frustrating.

 

If true, a 100+ mil bid for Neymar doesn't come across as complacent. Neither does our past mega bid for Pogba or our huge bids for Radja & that Napoli center back.

That's why I struggle to believe these rumors because we've clearly tried to throw a lot of money around. It just hasn't necessarily worked.

 

Makes sense though, if true, to not spend all our money on one player alone.
Conte would rather strengthen the whole of the squad in multiple positions than getting a Neymar.