Hazard Warning Signs - The Chelsea Transfer Thread

We shouldn't expect anything from RLC this season

 

Sometimes bad injuries put an end to careers, sometimes the players is never quite the same again, I think Osgood is a good example of that. I genuinely am starting to fear for him.

 

The hottest of takes around players linked to Chelsea.

Chillwell: Yes, he's a left back and we seriously need left-footed help as we currently have a right-footed defender playing there. Alonso is just as good as gone and everyone's odd love affair with Emerson (fans seem to love the unknown, as it holds some kind of hope) is over. Chillwell is young and English, but why would he leave? (Money.) But will he help Chelsea to the next level. How about we find out who Leicester are planning on replacing him with and buy him instead? I'm fine with it, but right now he may be marginally better than what we have.

Jadon Sancho: He won't go anywhere in January. Maybe a buy in January and loan a la Pulisic? Would be interesting to buy the winger who displaced Pulisic...though I don't know if you can argue against Pulisic being our most important and dynamic player right now. With Pedro and Willian's wages coming off the books in 7 months - no news over a Willian extension - we have the money to pay a Sancho but I still think that leaves us short in the winger department. Plus, would he want to come here - he's best friends with Tammy, but so what. Also, is he worth the cash?

Zaha: ******** this trash. Will be 28 and the figures I'm seeing bandied about, this is a hard pass for me. He is a bench player on this Chelsea squad.

Scrumbo Ferman: This Hungarian central back has ridden the bench for Budapest FC most of the season, but he's not even a real person.

 

Selling Pedro to Aston Villa in January apparently.

Inter Milan are interested in signing Marcos Alonso [28].

Erling Braut Haaland [19] has a release clause of 30m euros (£25.3m).

 

The word from Stamford Bridge is that we shall be signing two left footed players in January.

Nathan Ake is left-footed. We are interested in him, but there is another big club who want to sign him in the summer. Is Ake as good as Tomori, Rudiger and Guehi?

Chillwell is left-footed.

Messi is left-footed.

Sancho Panza
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/sep/09/jadon-sancho-england-borussia-dortmund

 

I rate Ake as an auto-starter for us with Rudiger, like how he is usually first to a header and constantly in motion aware of danger all around, I think Tomori may get there soon and is very good now, and still would want him to play a lot, and Guehi has the potential as well. But for the next couple years, move Zouma out, make Christensen 4th on the Chart, don't really rate AC as a likely long term starter any more

 

Dave v Chilwell

"On the other hand, the Chelsea man does have several statistics in his favor. He has completed more tackles, more interceptions and more clearances than the 22-year-old. He has also won six more duels."

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com...esar-azpilicueta-who-is-the-better-left-back/

 

This is a weird way to look at it. We'd be buying the left back Chillwell is now, as well as what we project him to be 5 years down the road. Az is on the decline, clearly.

Will Chill fix our left back spot for years to come? I don't know. What are the other options? Gaya?

 

Also, its not like Az has compiled those stats at LB for the most part. I think we saw this week that he's better on the right, and has played more minutes there this season. The article mentions this but then proceeds to pretend that there isn't any difference.

A strange comparison.

 

According to the Gruniad, Frank wants strikers in January. 1) Good luck with that; and 2) Our defense is the problem.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...pard-targets-strikers-january-transfer-window

Unfortunately Dortmund made it through so they’re less likely to let Sancho leave in Jan. Hopefully we can agree the deal know for the summer and insure his legs at Lloyd’s for 3x the transfer fee.

Zaha’s agent really is calling in the press favors getting him linked with us. It makes zero sense.

Tammy is producing above and beyond expectations so far. Club has a difficult needle to thread on getting a “backup” that can compete with him.

TBF it also mentions Ake for £40mm. I can’t remember if we had a buyback or ROFR on him. We’ll probably sell AC instead of Zouma bc he’s worth more and his agent (his dad) is more prone to be loud, and he’s also better. I wish José would come in for Kurt.

 

While I agree we concede chances too often, I’m not sure it’s our defenders that are the issue rather than the system. We play a hyper aggressive pressing system and defend high up the pitch. I’m not surprised we’re having issues! We also can’t seem to defend set pieces, which hasn’t been a problem previously. I don’t think bringing in Nathan Ake solves this.
What we should be doing is teaching Jorginho how to do proper tactical fouling. Also, with Rudiger back, we looked much better immediately.

 

System is what it is and Frank isn’t changing it for the time being. Some days it’s naive, and some days it (mostly) works. So we have to armchair our buys based upon that. Otherwise, what’s the point of this glorious message board (have you seen the 4th/cup kit? Gorgeous. Maybe next time release it in time for Christmas).

Ake can defend a high press better than Zouma.

Attacking players don’t help our high press stop shipping goals.

 

I agree Ake would be better than Zouma, but why not just go with Tomori and Rudiger as our first choice? Ake isn’t really THAT good. I’d much rather we identify a genuine talent and splurge real money, the way Pool did with VVD.
This is also why I’m unconvinced of Jorginho’s future at Chelsea. Hard to press like this when he’s our Fernandinho.

 

It's going to be interesting to see how the squad changes in the next two years. We have all of these nice young fan favorite players right now, not counting the 2-3 we are likely to add in the next two windows. We simply will not be able to keep them all due to playing time. It's going to be hard when an academy product like CHO or Tammy want to leave, but it's more like to happen than not

Personally, I think CHO is pretty frustrated right now to not be playing. If we sign a Sancho type and Frank determines that Sancho/Pulisic are his top two you can start printing the CHO to Bayern rumors again

Exciting times for the club. If RLC were healthy, there would really be a log jam in the midfield.

I just hope we give Frank enough time to develop the squad that he wants

 

I've said it when he got here, Pulisic is just better than CHO. That's not to say CHO won't get better. He's 18. Pulisic is just more consistent and dangerous and on another level.

I think we will do business this January, but it won't be major. It may be swapping a Giroud for someone who is more dynamic up front. Who? I have no idea. Striker is the hardest spot for me to predict or draw up a list of needs. Tammy has been so good up top, it's scary. Thinking about backup strikers is impossible. They have to still be productive, yet willing to ride the pine....and be able to come off the pine and produce.

My perfect summer window:
Break the bank for Havertz, Sancho, bring back Ake to replace Zouma, sign Chillwell, Grimaldo, Gaya, or Telles or ********ing Tagliafico. Sign some strikers. Then get RLC healthy.

 

Biggest concern with RLC is the injuries. His size and build make it a concern, too.

 

Maybe we can just run him out one game a year, at home, against Spurs or something.

 

Papers talking Zaha purchase in January - Zaha must be behind that rumour.

Emerson Palmieri to Juve next summer rumour.

Ake buy back clause.

Same old rumuors.

Chelsea sent scouts to watch Lyon's Moussa Dembele, 23, and RB Leipzig's Timo Werner, 23, on Tuesday evening. BUT clubs send scouts to watch players all the time.

 

Zaha isn’t happening no one is paying that for him. Palace messed up. They’ll be luck to get 30 for him. Same for Napoli CB (idk the spelling). He’s longer in the tooth now. His performances have dipped. They won’t get VVD money now.

 

Kalidou Koulibaly or K2 [28 and he will be 29 in June]. It is very unlikely Chelsea will sign a 29 year old for 100 million quid.

We might see the Chelsea defence as being in need of improvement, however Frank says: "I will look at all areas of the team, but it was quite clear in the summer that you lose Eden Hazard, who was a huge part of scoring or creating our goals," the manager said. "If we can we get better in forward areas, then we'll always look at that. We're just not converting enough."

Frank wants more competition for places up front. Giroud, Michy and Pedro out.

Lampard has a budget of £150 million and he aims to use that war chest to make his side more potent up front. Players like Jadon Sancho, Timo Werner, Wilfried Zaha, Moussa Dembele and Fyodor Chalov.

 

Koulibaly.

I was going to mention him. He's 28 and declined a good deal this season, but still a very good CB. Napoli never wanted to sell him, but maybe the player wanted to stay, too. I can't see us making a move for him considering Napoli is a ********ing headache. There are cheaper options with negligible differences in quality.