Chelsea Banter 2

05 Jun 2026 06:28:51
Very interesting press conference for Perez. Obviously there’s a big presidential vote coming up in a few days. Perez said he will be making a 150m bid if he is successful for a world-class player. When asked, he said it would not be Enzo.

Madrid are not in the strongest financial position, so I would assume if they do make this bid and it’s accepted, they won’t have much left over for someone like Enzo.



I can 100% see Enzo requested a transfer and digging his heels in; however, there’s not a lot of clubs that could afford the fee we would want. Maybe if the player Perez is talking about is Vitinha, then we could see PSG step in. Personally I don’t see him as the type of player PSG would want, as most of their players seem to avoid drama.

05 Jun 2026 09:34:13
Perez won't win the presidential election, but you are correct in saying not many clubs can afford Enzo Fernandez. In my opinion, he may well follow Maresca to Man City. I also think a lot will depend on how he reacts with Alonso and his ideas. All conjecture at the moment.

05 Jun 2026 12:53:09
If Perez doesn't win the RM election, will that leave Jose high and dry?

I think Enzo leaves, and I personally don't care who he goes to.

05 Jun 2026 13:18:44
Tom,

It will come down to somebody paying a huge fee for EF, and not many clubs out there can afford his fee, then wages on top.

05 Jun 2026 11:38:13
What makes you think he won't win the election? He seems almost nailed on to win it with bookmakers and the majority reporting about it.

05 Jun 2026 15:14:22
Olise is the £150m man - apparently. Bayern said they wouldn't sell to £200m earlier in the year, so this'll be interesting to watch.

If they drop £150m on Olise, or anyone else, for that matter, then they won't be signing Fernandez too.

Rodri and a much reduced fee make more sense. Will we do a deal with City and Maresca? I can't see it.

Solid chance the domino effect of this is Fernandez staying.

05 Jun 2026 07:39:17
{Ed's Note - BlueNose1878 has posted a new article entitled, Everton Must Plan Properly If Ndiaye Goes

04 Jun 2026 07:44:01
Rip Bobby Tambling.
One of my favourite all time Chelsea legends.

04 Jun 2026 08:18:45
Absolutely Tom, this was the first goal I saw as I started supporting our club just before the cup final vs. Spurs.

RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 08:42:57
Before my time, as a player, but his exploits obviously came to light as Lampard approached and passed his goal record. A club legend.

RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 09:30:38
Rightly a Chelsea legend of the 1960s, and a modest and gentle man. A wonderful striker.

RIP Bobby, and condolences to the Tambling family.

04 Jun 2026 16:17:12
RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 17:03:46
RIP, Bobby Tambling, a great player from a time when footballers were more connected to supporters, instead nowadays when they strut around like male models with £30 K man bags (a contradiction in terms).

03 Jun 2026 21:43:23
So strong rumours than ever that Enzo F to Madrid and we want Rogers. To my mind, this weakens us as Rogers not as good. But perhaps just a nasty rumour?

04 Jun 2026 05:53:15
Enzo F is neither a true 6 or a true 10, so he would not really fit in an Alonso system, who likes to play either 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1. He just isn't quick enough, or good enough in defence as a 6, and so often left Caicedo exposed. He is better as a 10, but again lacks that pace to beat a man, and whilst his goal and assist contributions were improving, I think we can do better. Importantly though, he wants to leave, and we don't want players who would rather be somewhere else.
Now, to Morgan Rogers, who is also wanted by Arsenal and Liverpool. He is one of the most complete attacking players in the Premier League. He can operate from the left wing, so would be more of a replacement for Garnacho or Gittens and not Enzo F. He can also play as a No.10, drift centrally alongside Cole Palmer, or even play further forward depending on the system Alonso decides to use.



His biggest strength is probably his ability to carry the ball through pressure. He's powerful, direct, quick, and incredibly difficult to stop once he starts driving forward. He combines the physicality of a midfielder with the creativity and goal threat of an attacker.

He is also great friends with Cole Palmer and an English home-grown.

This is about signing a Premier League-proven performer who wants to wear the badge, understands the league, and still has room to develop into one of the best attacking players in England.

He might well end up at one of our rivals, as the interest in him is huge, but if we could get him in to play in that position alongside Palmer, compete with Estevao (in a 3-4-2-1), or on the left of a 4-2-3-1 to replace Garnacho/Gittens, that would be some upgrade.

04 Jun 2026 07:56:31
I rate Rogers, so I would be happy. I do not see Enzo and Rogers being similar.

04 Jun 2026 08:59:57
Agree with what you say Rpd, I'm not convinced Fernandez fits into Alonso's system.

He needs to be in a three-man midfield, and in Alonso's system, I find myself saying he could do a job as one of the two sixes, or he could do a job as one of the tens, it all feels a bit square peg in round holes.

He is a quality player, so statistically, with goals and assists, he will still contribute. But, we need to sign players who fit Alonso's system, both in the pivot and on the left of the attack.

A fit and healthy Lavia would be amazing alongside Caicedo, sitting, getting in the ball and dictating play.

But we've been saying that for years, without a full 90mins completed by him. Wharton would, for me, be a good signing here.

Rogers would be a good signing, but I still think the valuation is crazy and expect him to end up at Arsenal. Yildiz, from Juventus, would be an excellent signing, although another hefty price tag. Another option would be to move Joao Pedro back into the left attacking space and spend the money on a top striker. Igor Thiago or - does anyone want back on the Osimhen train.

04 Jun 2026 15:05:33
Wharton is a player who has an eye for a forward pass, but in today's game he might just fall short for me.

I am a massive fan of Lavia, but he still looked miles away from the player I think he is at the end of this season.

We also have Santos, who would probably be given a good ten-match spell in the team; he only rarely seemed to find a rhythm in his play. If that makes sense?

04 Jun 2026 17:08:27
I think Rogers will go elsewhere but not concerned about that, he is massively overvalued. Frankly, I have given up on Lavia and Santos.

02 Jun 2026 13:33:25
End of season review. GK

A tale of two halves.

Robert Sánchez

49+1 games
13 clean sheets
1 red card

9/10 until New Year
5/10 after

What happened? From August to the end of December, Sánchez cut right down his decision making errors and distribution calamities, and with sensational saves and elite quality handling he was arguably Chelsea's best player and the Premier League's best goalkeeper. But then it all staggered to pieces. Two things happened. There were three games against Arsenal, two in the Carabao Cup semi-final, one away in the League, where he was constantly roughed up at set plays. And there was not only a change of head coach, but a change of goalkeeper coach, with Maresca's Michele de Bernardin leaving and former Brighton goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts returning to the job from head of goalkeeping. Did something specific unsettle him? Or did he just get tired and stale?
He was a big favourite of Maresca's who seemed to be getting the best out of him but really struggled for confidence under LR.

Keep or Leave?

Keep from first half of the season, leave from second half.

02 Jun 2026 15:37:58
Leave and take Ben Robeets with him.

02 Jun 2026 15:42:22
RPD, very interesting observations and question.

I think Sanchez will be at our club next season, and I certainly believe for most of last season he was our most improved player. Based on form.

The manager has a big call to make, and it reminds me of the Jose decision to pick Big Pete as the club's No1 in his first spell as manager.



I think I would start with Sanchez, but that opinion may change if Pinders gets a chance and plays well in the WC.

02 Jun 2026 17:05:09
I don't buy into the big improvement by Sanchez. Perhaps he made a few less blatant cock-ups. He is an awful keeper, poor with his feet, long and short: he has no positional sense and flaps around. If he is no 1, we will start the season with one hand tied behind our back.

02 Jun 2026 17:18:23
He only improved because we had to change our tactics to make him look decent.

02 Jun 2026 17:41:56
I think Sanchez's one quality - suggested by the list Jimbo has of his failings - is that he is a pretty decent shot stopper. Distribution of long ball improved somewhat. Now neither is to be sniffed at, but surely not enough in the modern game for a No 1 keeper at a side that has ambitions to challenge for top honours.

On the other hand, beware of getting even worse, which goes in terms of desire to change any player or manager.

02 Jun 2026 18:28:06
JBS, spot on mate. I well remember how some posters rated Mendy, who I consider to be one of our worst ever keepers, and how some wanted us to sign Onana.
Maresca, in my opinion, got improvement out of Sanchez just by asking him to do simple things well ish.

When that happened, his confidence grew and he looked much improved.
Of course, that improvement didn't make him a top keeper, it just made him a better keeper.

02 Jun 2026 20:32:07
A top shot stopper and pretty solid keeper, but questions will always remain about his distribution. Big Pete has said how highly he rates him, and he knows a bit more about goalkeeping arts than us lot on here. That said, I do think it is time to throw Mike Penders in and bring in an experienced backup.

03 Jun 2026 05:44:40
If you believe what's written, Sanchez wants to be undisputed first choice, which just isn't going to happen here for the long term. I suspect he'll do one more season, or at least till January, with Penders the backup / cup GK. But before long, Penders will get the starting job. At that point, Sanchez will move on.

03 Jun 2026 08:22:13
Greenaway, no one doubts Big Pete's ability as a keeper, but one wonders if he should go to SpecSavers: he was responsible for Mendy coming to Chelsea. I don't recall many posters rating Mendy, although I do remember one poster being shot down for suggesting Mendy was a top keeper. Leaving that aside, we still lack a top keeper, which is essential for our rebuild.

03 Jun 2026 11:30:36
Players, ex-players, scouts, and SDs can and do make recommendations. There is never any guarantee of success.
Sometimes players improve in different environments, and under different managers.
I certainly wasn't convinced about Dave, Iva, or Cucarella when they first joined our club.

02 Jun 2026 10:03:43
A few weeks ago I asked if anyone has seen Mike Gadt playing for Ajax. I am told we have asked about his availability and my son in law (Dutch) says he is a proper talent.

I have now looked at some of his performances and he looks just the player we need. Can go both ways, quick and goes past defenders as if they are standing still.

I suggest if you guys get a chance tou should have a look. I wonder if any of the Ed's have a view on his abilities?

{Ed001's Note - looks an excellent player Tom. Obviously he is playing in a lower level league, so it might take him a bit to adapt, but he looks a special talent.}

02 Jun 2026 10:30:16
I agree Ed. He looks a talent in a very poor Ajax team and league.

I'm sure lots of clubs must be after him but fingers crossed he signs for us.

01 Jun 2026 21:01:14
So pleased that the cub have so far shown no interest in selling Josh. It remains a mystery to me how Gusto was consistently picked over him. I suppose it could be argued that Josh is more of a CH.

02 Jun 2026 08:26:02
Tom, Greenaway,

Let's just hope we start playing him regularly now. Let's get rid of Gusto.

02 Jun 2026 09:15:28
I could never understand why Liam and Ginger did not give him a chance, Bill, but the reports are suggesting that Alonso sees him as a key player.

01 Jun 2026 20:56:26
Apparently Josh is staying next season as Alonso likes his versatility, can play right of a back 3 and right back/wing back and is physically strong/big and quick.

01 Jun 2026 19:59:43
Interesting times for the new kit launch, are Fernandez and / or Cucurella going to be front and centre of the promotional material?

For what it's worth, I think Cucurella moves on (Atletico or Barcelona) and Fernandez stays. I believe Madrid are his only real opportunity, and that's massively dependent on the Presidential Elections.

02 Jun 2026 09:03:32
Absence speaks volumes.

02 Jun 2026 09:37:58
J, I think it's the best kit we have had in ages. I wonder if "Oracle" will be on it.

02 Jun 2026 10:00:12
Yeah, I accepted a long time ago that kit designers don't have people of my age in mind, but this one is nice. Don't mind the minimalist badge either.

No Fernandez or Cucurella in the campaign for it - suppose you wouldn't take any risks, if there's a possibility they could go. Looking like more than a possibility now.

02 Jun 2026 10:01:57
Another kit launch without a sponsor. It'll please some who'll rush to buy the sponsorless kit, but it's a real embarrassment and another stick for the club to be beaten with.

02 Jun 2026 10:06:15
Both sort of said they wanted away, so not surprised. I haven't seen a team photo in the kit, so, out of interest, Palmer in the kit?

02 Jun 2026 19:22:38
Yeah, Palmer, Estavao, James, and Caicedo mainly feature.

02 Jun 2026 20:27:26
Thanks, J.

01 Jun 2026 14:14:59
As predicted, it looks like Cucarella and Enzo will both be leaving in this window.
As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t have played them again after they both indicated, during the season, they wanted to leave.
When they go, it’s thanks for everything and goodbye as far as I’m concerned.

01 Jun 2026 16:52:21
Tom, I don't know who will leave, but if they want to go, then so be it. Plenty of fish in the sea.

01 Jun 2026 17:11:03
Has that been confirmed, Tom?

01 Jun 2026 17:22:17
Greenaway, I am not sure a transfer can be confirmed until contracts have been signed, but given both players indicated before the season had ended that they are open to leaving, it's now hardly surprising that most highly regarded journalists are saying they are leaving.


Along with others on this site, I was pretty sure they both wanted to move on.
As mentioned, thanks and goodbye to both.

01 Jun 2026 17:33:05
Who have they agreed to sign, Tom? I have not seen anything other than rumours, and those rumours also include Palmer to Man Utd, Neto to Liverpool or Barcelona, Joao Pedro to Barcelona. All stories, but nothing stronger at present.

01 Jun 2026 17:35:03
Tom,

They will only go if their valuations are met.

Cucurella has a chance, but it's going to be hard for Ef.

01 Jun 2026 17:44:19
Greenaway, the difference is the other players you mention didn't say during the season they would consider leaving. I said, in my end-of-season review, that I believe they are going, and it now looks more certain.



Bill, the price we get will depend on need and on how many clubs want the player. The more, the merrier, would be good for the club's finances. I think we will get more for both players than some fans believe.

01 Jun 2026 17:58:10
Bill, you are 100% correct. Tom, I take a lot of what is said with a pinch of salt, but Palmer, when asked on live TV if not qualifying for the Champions League would make a difference to him staying, made it perfectly clear it would.

So add him to your list as well. At the end of the day, though, if Alonso wants them to stay and sells his ideas to them, I think you may be surprised by just who stays and who goes.

01 Jun 2026 18:09:42
Greenaway, I will always be surprised by who we sell and who we sign, and generally I'm disappointed.
I missed the Palmer comment, but if he wants to go, then also goodbye.

01 Jun 2026 23:58:52
Some project this is...

02 Jun 2026 08:28:37
How long is a project, and when does it not become a project, and is more of a best practice?

02 Jun 2026 09:17:57
Another great contribution to the dialogue on this page Kaz.

02 Jun 2026 22:11:36
Sorry Greenaway, forgot to add the all hail our glorious saviour Maresca.

03 Jun 2026 09:45:11
Yet another spellbinding comment you add, Kaz.

03 Jun 2026 17:16:43
With the way you responded to the John Terry thread on here not long ago. i know exactly what sort a guy you are greenway.