Well with Greizeman out of the picture it seems Dembele and Morata are our options. What I find interesting is we're getting £100m kitty but does that include the Oscar money? If not and the money saved by losing Mikel's and Bane's and JT's wages should allow for some heavy spending. If it does include the Oscar money I'm not sure how much business we can get done with just £100m in the Premier League's market.
I wonder if Greizeman is out of the picture? Does he go to Utd if they dont have CL ball? I do not think they will but I wonder if that is a consideration.
From the sounds of it with both The Telegraph and Canal + running the story that it's done. I fully expect it to be done regardless of where they finish.
I don't understand the link to Dembele. If we wanted him, why not pay the peanuts to get him last year and loan him to Celtic? Now we pay 40m for an unproven kid? Ugh.
Right, but we could have loaned him to where he wanted to go. Also, the links to Van Dijk are...ugh. He's OK but more like a flavor of the month. Would rather go for a steady contributor/veteran in defense.
He has to want to sign. It was clear by turning down Spurs he wanted to start. Van Dijk might be the best defender in the league. Not sure why he's flavor of the month?
i'd have to agree that since Van Dijk has come in he's been one of the best CBs in the league. he's a proven success in the league.
I wanted Van Dijk when he originally came to the league, which I totally forgot was already last season and not this season. I am old so I forgot. My mistake. This will be his second full season here and at only 25, he's a solid target. But can he play in our current system? I'd also argue that Luiz is the best CB in the league this season. He's the best defender on the best defensive team. This system was tailor made for him.
for sure we need someone that can be a backup to Luiz skill set. perhaps Christensen is that player, he's quite a ball player as well. but Luiz passing from the back is SO critical to this system.
All kindsa crazy out there. -Now we're bidding 75m for Aguero. No way. 4 years ago maybe. Not now. -Leverkusen Hakan Calhangolu linked to us. Dont know much about him. 22 yrs old with 7 goals and 7 assists through this season but now banned for rest of the season with some weird contract shenanigans. -Linked with Harry Maguire of Hull City* *I made this up, but have been following this beast the past few months. Big son of a bitch and put Firmino in his pocket this week. Solid defender has really been doing well. English, though, so he'll cost 50m at least.
He impresses me every time I see him - and I've seen him a lot because Hull have played against some big opponents recently. It's not like I'm trying to find the Hull match on TV.
Kinda fun conspiracies. Conte left the latest Juve match just after Dybala was subbed. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...transfer-hint-scouting-mission-sportgalleries
Lots of Lukaku talk recently. And this is an interesting idea - bring Cech back. Will be 35 this summer. But massive wages. http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation....or-chelsea-backup-goalkeeper-begovic-solution
Wouldn't be opposed. I just think he can still be a top keeper, probably not the best, at a club in the PL.
the Lukaku rumors make sense if Costa is really on his way to china after the season. i'm going to rationalize and say that if conte thinks he's the guy i'll go with it. and i would like to think lukaku could learn a lot and round out his skills under conte. we'll see. that being said, i don't really think Batshuayi is that far behind Lukaku skill wise. but he's clearly lacking something. though to be fair, just about anyone would be on the bench the way costa has been playing.
Lukaku has incredible stats for a striker in the league. Along with his age, you've got huge upside. He's a big fan of the club but that could hurt him in terms of trying too hard or getting frsutrated with having the load of the goalscoring on his back. Lukaku: 78 goals in all comps in 152 appearances in England. That's 0.51 goals per appearance. Costa: 52 goals in 103 appearances in England. That's 0.50 goals per appearance. Lukaku, more appearances. Better goal average by a slight margin. On pace to score 20 goals this season for the third straight season. 23 years old. Scores internationally, too, on a top 3 team. Knows the league. Will get better service on a better team.
Lukaku would be an excellent replacement just the same as he would have been great had he stayed. He would grow so so much under Conte as well. Of course, this is only assuming Costa leaves. If he wants to, let him. But I would only hope we don't end up with Morata as a replacement...
People keep making this sound like an either/or situation with Costa and Lukaku. As they arent even remotely the same type of striker maybe all this talk of buying a striker is Conte possibly trying to implement his Juve 3-5-2 system?
Things to consider: -Costa had one foot out the door last summer. Don't care what the media says or doesn't, the guy clearly doesn't feel some great sense of attachment to us. Him leaving remains a distinct possibility -If he were going to try a 3-5-2, why hasn't it been tried yet? Hazard seems to be viewed as a capable striker by Conte, so what limitation has there been to trying it? -There's been nothing to suggest a change in formation based on the signing of one player I mean hey, I'm all for it, but going by what has actually occurred the last year or so, the "either/or" scenario makes a lot more sense than Conte suddenly implementing a 3-5-2.
I dont know enough about systems and all that. I do think Conte knows what he's doing and he's earned a lot of goodwill with the fans, including myself. I don't know much about Morata, for example, but if Conte feels he could fit, I trust him. But I wouldn't be all that excited about it.