Transfer speculation

[Pirate55]

He'll go somewhere to be first choice, not gonna stay at Lyon all that time to come here as back up

The thing is, if we were to sign a Lacazette or even a Bale, who in our front three would they be expected to replace - Kane, Dele or Eriksen? While I would love it, I think the best we can expect is another Son type, who would at best be a reasonable back-up / replacement. Hence why I think Barclay is more at our level of expected purchase. He would provide competition/backup to Eriksen, which is the one position where we don't have adequate cover.

I can also see the merits of a game changer with real pace to replace Sissoko on the bench.

 

[Legohamster]

The thing is, if we were to sign a Lacazette or even a Bale, who in our front three would they be expected to replace - Kane, Dele or Eriksen? While I would love it, I think the best we can expect is another Son type, who would at best be a reasonable back-up / replacement. Hence why I think Barclay is more at our level of expected purchase. He would provide competition/backup to Eriksen, which is the one position where we don't have adequate cover.

I can also see the merits of a game changer with real pace to replace Sissoko on the bench.

If we signed Bale he could replace any of them!!!

Why do we want players that are happy with a bench place? I want a player to come here with the arrogance to believe he can take anyone's place.

Other wise we will end up with another Janssen/Sissoko

 

[Pirate55]

If we signed Bale he could replace any of them!!!

Why do we want players that are happy with a bench place? I want a player to come here with the arrogance to believe he can take anyone's place.

Other wise we will end up with another Janssen/Sissoko

Your expectations are totally unrealistic then.

 

[Legohamster]

Your expectations are totally unrealistic then.

Yours are totally underwhelming then.

Why sign players that don't think they have the ability to push first team players

That's what champions do.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

The thing is, if we were to sign a Lacazette or even a Bale, who in our front three would they be expected to replace - Kane, Dele or Eriksen? While I would love it, I think the best we can expect is another Son type, who would at best be a reasonable back-up / replacement. Hence why I think Barclay is more at our level of expected purchase. He would provide competition/backup to Eriksen, which is the one position where we don't have adequate cover.

I can also see the merits of a game changer with real pace to replace Sissoko on the bench.

Logically you do want to sign better players that could take the place of Eriksen Dele etc. That's how you get better. The reason that makes us nervous now, is by continuation that would possibly mean Dele or Eriksen would want to leave. And let's face it we like these players.

Ultimately that would/will be the right approach but due to our wage/transfer structure we have to tread carefully and do what we can and sensibly keep the gems we've unearthed happy.

 

[Pirate55]

Of course the players we sign will themselves think they can get a first team place. But that doesn't mean they are superstars already. We won't sign an established superstar. We are not shopping in that pool where we can spend either the money or the wages. We need to find the next generation of superstar.

If you expect us to sign one, you will be sorely disappointed my friend.

 

[Legohamster]

Logically you do want to sign better players that could take the place of Eriksen Dele etc. That's how you get better. The reason that makes us nervous now, is by continuation that would possibly mean Dele or Eriksen would want to leave. And let's face it we like these players.

Ultimately that would/will be the right approach but due to our wage/transfer structure we have to tread carefully and do what we can and sensibly keep the gems we've unearthed happy.

You would hope the players whose places are under threat would rise to the challenge again, look at united when they signed Yorke - Cole and Teddy stepped it up again as they knew they had to.

 

[Legohamster]

Of course the players we sign will themselves think they can get a first team place. But that doesn't mean they are superstars already. We won't sign an established superstar. We are not shopping in that pool where we can spend either the money or the wages. We need to find the next generation of superstar.

If you expect us to sign one, you will be sorely disappointed my friend.

We are at the point where we need next level players if we want to win things, if we don't spend we won't win.

I guess that's the difference between our billionaire and Chelsea's

 

[Pirate55]

You would hope the players whose places are under threat would rise to the challenge again, look at united when they signed Yorke - Cole and Teddy stepped it up again as they knew they had to.

Again, we are not shopping in the established superstar category. Yorke was an already established star with Villa and Cole was already a top striker with Saudi Sportswashing Machine when United signed them. Just as Berbs was with us when United signed him. Take it from me, we will not sign an ESTABLISHED superstar. Our entire first team cost less than Pogba.

 

[Legohamster]

Again, we are not shopping in the established superstar category. Cole was already a top striker with Saudi Sportswashing Machine when United signed him. Just as Berbs was with us when United signed him. Take it from me, we will not sign an ESTABLISHED superstar. Our entire first team cost less than Pogba.

We are not a division 2 side, granted we don't have the budget of 3/4 mega clubs - but we are not paupers either - it's not unrealistic to hope to get one match winner/next level player - they don't all cost 89 million - well 40 before agent fees.

No one is suggesting we sign a team of them.

We wasted 57 million on Sissoko/Janssen/Nkodou in the summer.

If you rate Janssen that's still 40 - plus the wages

 

[Pirate55]

We are not a division 2 side, granted we don't have the budget of 3/4 mega clubs - but we are not paupers either - it's not unrealistic to hope to get one match winner/next level player - they don't all cost 89 million - well 40 before agent fees.

No one is suggesting we sign a team of them.

Whilst I would love for you to be right ( and would love to see Bale back for example), I strongly suspect you will be proved wrong and therefore ultimately disappointed in our summer signings. I am suggesting you manage your expectations that is all.

 

[Legohamster]

Whilst I would love for you to be right ( and would love to see Bale back for example), I strongly suspect you will be proved wrong and therefore ultimately disappointed in our summer signings. I am suggesting you manage your expectations that is all.

It was a joke regarding Bale! He's finished anyway - his career has gone backwards since he left.....

There are a couple of levels below that which would improve us.

I would just like us to get players that will have an impact - where would be be if we spent the 40 million on Lacazzette in the summer?

We are at a crossroads this summer - we have had good teams before and Levy/Lewis didn't kick on when needed.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

It was a joke regarding Bale! He's finished anyway - his career has gone backwards since he left.....

There are a couple of levels below that which would improve us.

I would just like us to get players that will have an impact - where would be be if we spent the 40 million on Lacazzette in the summer?

We are at a crossroads this summer - we have had good teams before and Levy/Lewis didn't kick on when needed.

I'd rather we brought in 1 or 2 top quality players rather than 4/5 squad players

Chelsea have played basically 14 players all season (joys of not having Europe) and we have our first 11 plus Son, lamella, Davies, trippier, winks and Jansenn (I know people don't rate him) who are all capable players for the league.

We have players like Njie we need to deal with too as Marseille won't sign him now, plus sissoko, Nkoudou, wimmer etc...

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

It was a joke regarding Bale! He's finished anyway - his career has gone backwards since he left.....

There are a couple of levels below that which would improve us.

I would just like us to get players that will have an impact - where would be be if we spent the 40 million on Lacazzette in the summer?

We are at a crossroads this summer - we have had good teams before and Levy/Lewis didn't kick on when needed.

I agree. BUT the elephant in the room is wages.

Even someone like Mane was off limits because of wages, not the transfer fee.

 

[Legohamster]

I'd rather we brought in 1 or 2 top quality players rather than 4/5 squad players

Chelsea have played basically 14 players all season (joys of not having Europe) and we have our first 11 plus Son, lamella, Davies, trippier, winks and Jansenn (I know people don't rate him) who are all capable players for the league.

We have players like Njie we need to deal with too as Marseille won't sign him now, plus sissoko, Nkoudou, wimmer etc...

There is a place for a squad player or two to replace Onamah/Nkoudou if they leave - that however could be in the shape of Edwards and Winks - which I think most would be happy with.

Thought Njie had been sold now?

Even if he hasn't we are starting the transfer window with 25 million ish after the sales of Bentaleb/Carroll/Fazio

Can see lamela leaving as well

Onamah isn't going to make it in my view and CCV needs a loan

 

[Legohamster]

I agree. BUT the elephant in the room is wages.

Even someone like Mane was off limits because of wages, not the transfer fee.

Concur, that's why the wasting of funds on Sissoko etc is mystifying.

Would anyone be against selling him and using his wages to give pay rises to Alli etc?

 

[Pirate55]

Concur, that's why the wasting of funds on Sissoko etc is mystifying.

Would anyone be against selling him and using his wages to give pay rises to Alli etc?

If you agree, then why are you still calling for us to buy a superstar when you concur that wages are the elephant in the room. It just simply isn't going to happen.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I agree. BUT the elephant in the room is wages.

Even someone like Mane was off limits because of wages, not the transfer fee.

I know

People don't factor that in

But saying that, players from other leagues simply don't get paid premier league wages anyway so we can offer them more generally whilst still being within the framework we have

 

[Legohamster]

If you agree, then why are you still calling for us to buy a superstar when you concur that wages are the elephant in the room. It just simply isn't going to happen.

you keep using the term superstar, which suggest Ronaldos/Messi etc

There are levels below that that are affordable to us and better than we have, and if we want to win things we need to bring in.

Christian was on 25k till this season

Lacazette isn't a superstar, Mahrez isn't a superstar.

We could offer more in wages if we didn't have 4/5 players that we are wasting them on currently.

As someone pointed out Chelsea used 14/15 players in the league - but each one of these players contrabuted this season and that's why they won the league.

Do we know how much Mane is on at Liverpool?

 

[Pirate55]

you keep using the term superstar, which suggest Ronaldos/Messi etc

There are levels below that that are affordable to us and better than we have, and if we want to win things we need to bring in.

Christian was on 25k till this season

Lacazette isn't a superstar, Mahrez isn't a superstar.

We could offer more in wages if we didn't have 4/5 players that we are wasting them on currently.

As someone pointed out Chelsea used 14/15 players in the league - but each one of these players contrabuted this season and that's why they won the league.

Do we know how much Mane is on at Liverpool?

Mane is on more than we could afford to pay. End of. The "non-superstars" you mention would be outside our pay scales too.

Chelsea won the league because they had no Europe and were surprisingly fortunate with injuries. If they had lost, Kante, Hazard or Costa for extended periods, do you really think they would have won it? In the cup semi final they were able to hold us and then bring on Hazard and Costa. We just can't compete at that level at the moment.