Chelsea Banter 4

02 Sep 2026 07:07:51
If some fans or posters choose to lay the blame for the Camara deal not happening at the door of our owners, that’s up to them, but from what I’m reading the fault is Monaco’s. The fact that the deal they were relying on to help them out financially and stopped the Camara deal happening also didn’t go through is, I guess, funny but didn’t help us.



Out of all this, I feel more sorry for the player who seems to be an innocent bystander. I would like to think it would have been a good move for the lad’s career. Of course it might have been good for us as well.

02 Sep 2026 07:39:15
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 2 - Quick Round Up

02 Sep 2026 00:29:57
A mate tells me that 21 players have left us in this window. Not all would have been for a fee but still that number seems remarkable.

02 Sep 2026 03:14:29
I am sure our balance sheet will look pretty good at the end of this window, Tom. Perhaps a British record in terms of how much was brought in in a single transfer window, and our owners will be pleased with that. And we did bring in some good players and ship out most we needed to, though more loans of some of the weaker ones than the sales we might have preferred.

But our midfield lacks depth, v concerning.

Why oh why did we take such a last minute risk over the absolutely crucial business of bringing in a replacement for Fernandez... leaving it to last minute in the day to try to do so. Obviously Monaco behaved appallingly - and Camara (a wonderful midfielder) must be gutted, as I feel at this disaster - but we left ourselves open to this mess by leaving no time at all to find an alternative other than cancelling our sale of EF to City.



To do really well now, Lavia and Caicedo have both to be fit for us all season. A big ask given Caicedo breaking down v Brighton and Lavia's injury record. Henderson may see more action than expected or we'd have wanted. Barco played much more and looked pretty good versus Luton at least. Essugo loaned, of course, and Santos sold. Looks like we'll see more of either Gusto or James in midfield? Help!

Still I will still hope Alonso can get us a 4th to 6th finish this season. Higher if L and C fit for most of it perhaps... and if we can, we must surely try to line up a quality midfield reinforcement for January.

City fans and those of other clubs will be laughing at what happened to us tonight.

02 Sep 2026 06:17:49
JBS, It's not through lack of effort that we haven't signed at least one more midfield player. We now have to go with what we have. Barco and others will now get more mins than they probably expected. It's up to them to step up to the plate.



I personally don't worry about other clubs laughing at us. City fans should be happy that we stuck with the agreement to sell them Fernandez when we apparently could have pulled the plug.

02 Sep 2026 09:04:52
Well, City should be glad that we honoured our deal, Tom, but I will admit that the side which now has the two Enzos I possibly wish least well than any other this season now!

02 Sep 2026 09:43:18
Sorry, Tom. Might not have been a lack of effort, but it seems like very poor planning. Even if we had signed Camara, it would have been done whilst scrambling around last second. The club were aware Enzo was going to leave 1 way or another and had plenty of time.

02 Sep 2026 14:49:24
Kaz, the EF saga was a risky game, and, posting from my head rather than my heart, I am not convinced the club actually believed they could get over £120m for Fernandez from City. If we had signed a replacement, I think City would have lowballed any offer, knowing we probably needed to sell.
Clubs/owners, players, and probably managers have all changed their minds at the last minute when it comes to transfers.

I do think Monaco acted unprofessionally. If the deal was subject to another deal not going through, why not make that clear and sign the deal sheet anyway on a "just in case" basis.
I truly feel sorry for Camara. He has been the innocent party in this sorry saga.

02 Sep 2026 18:07:11
Again tho Tom, Id rather have taken 90m for Enzo and had a player in... What happens on the pitch is always my only concern with the club, and we are in a less than ideal position till at least January.

02 Sep 2026 19:15:28
Kaz, I understand that position, and I can empathise with it, but the club has a duty to all its shareholders to maximise its earnings potential. Maybe there is an argument that short term financial loss could be a good thing for long term gain and winning trophies.



In this case, I truly think the club believed it had the bases covered. They got let down, these things happen. I hope lessons have been learned.

02 Sep 2026 21:14:49
Valentin Barco last season:

9 assists - 1st for Strasbourg

69 chances created - 1st for Strasbourg

23 big chances created - 1st for Strasbourg

1, 800 accurate passes - 1st for Strasbourg

177 ball recoveries - 1st for Strasbourg

21 completed through-balls in Ligue 1 - 1st in the league and at least 12 more than any other player.

JBS, When one door closes another one opens matey, try not to be too downbeat.

02 Sep 2026 21:44:42
If the club took 90m for Enzo, you would have been the first on here slatting the owners for wanting 120m and getting 90m.

Can't win.

03 Sep 2026 10:15:21
Finchy, spot on mate.

02 Sep 2026 00:22:10
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 2 - Quick Round Up

31 Aug 2026 23:53:36
My predictions were; Enzo Fernandez to join the enemy that is Maresca, Mudders to go on loan to Spuds, Tosin to someone on a permanent, Sanchez the same and either Gittens or Quenda to go on loan.
Then 1 to come in, Kone would be my choice but I think it might be Alex Scott or Lamine Camara.

02 Sep 2026 03:17:09
Sadly, no midfielder secured - I had wanted Camara or Kone - and Tosin also went to Spuds.

02 Sep 2026 06:21:09
We did sign two midfielders. Sadly, not Camara. In my opinion, our wing backs will be more important under the Alonso system.

02 Sep 2026 09:11:55
You are right about the significance of wingbacks under the Alonso system, as they were for Conte. We are meeting Arsenal at their place, just one match earlier, I think, than we did under Conte, when we were 0-3 down at half-time and he changed our system to the wingback one - unexpectedly starring Victor Moses - that won us the league! Sunday's game, and how Alonso's tactics and choice of players cope with it - and adaptability, if/when necessary, are a big test of what we may expect for the rest of the season and our chances of doing well in it.

01 Sep 2026 23:56:03
Apparently we could have pulled the plug-in the Fernandez deal. I am pleased we didn’t for lots of reasons but mostly because as I understand it we reached verbal agreement with City and I’m old fashioned enough to believe in “my word is my bond.”

Camara would have made this a near perfect transfer window.

I also understand why we didn’t want to get another midfielder in until we had agreed a fee with City.

02 Sep 2026 01:20:09
Ge was always going to do a deal like that; it can't be done in a day; that's weeks of prep. We look great going forward, it's great, but the midfield is now left weak, and we also leak goals for fun, but we upgraded the keeper.

02 Sep 2026 03:22:07
Agreed, Nib. But, apart from honouring a deal made, as I agree with Tom all should, I am not sure how EF would have responded to having to stay.

Are there any decent midfielders around in the world currently out of contract we could still bring in, if only on a temporary basis?

01 Sep 2026 23:16:27
Wow! Unprofessional behaviour from Monaco!

01 Sep 2026 23:59:29
J, very disappointing.

02 Sep 2026 00:20:46
We were played by City and Monaco, but we've only got ourselves to blame for leaving things so late. I don't know any injury updates, but if we go to Arsenal with James or Gusto in midfield, we will be overrun and will have little chance to move the ball forward.

Let's hope Caicedo and Lavia can stay fit until the next window. Very disappointing end to a good window, as it was obvious that we needed a replacement for EF, who was always going to go.

02 Sep 2026 00:39:55
Jimbo, I don't think us getting a replacement for Fernandez before selling him was a good tactic, and if Monaco had kept to their word, most of us would be happy-ish.
I am not a massive fan of our owners, but I don't think they have got a lot wrong in this window.



I think we will start with the so-called "double pivot" against the Gooners, and it will be Lavia and James. I'm more interested in who our wing backs will be, because that, in my opinion, will decide the game.

02 Sep 2026 01:21:55
Are we able to still loan players?

02 Sep 2026 03:24:44
Agreed, Jimbo... But yes, sorting out right wingbacks is also v important. Neto on the right, you'd think, but who on the left? Will Palestra be fit?

02 Sep 2026 08:24:39
Tom, all in all the club has done a good job in the window. However, the EF transfer has been a bit of a shambles, starting with the deadline. We should have just negotiated in the normal way (privately). I am convinced that if we had done so, the deal would have gone through earlier and given us time to sign a replacement.


I don't know when Caicedo and Henderson will be fit to play. The sooner the better.
As for wingbacks to decide the game, I hope you are not relying on Neto or Gusto.
The only small consolation is that the Balagun deal fell through. So now Monaco won't have the money they were relying on to keep Camara and possibly two unhappy players.

02 Sep 2026 14:52:39
Jimbo, your dislike for Neto has been long standing, but I think he has looked ok as a wing back, but I would pick him against Arsenal. For that game, I would love Palestra to be fit.

01 Sep 2026 21:54:11
Carlsberg could only dream of having a window like Chelsea are having.

Happy with the players we have sold and the transfer fees achieved.

Broadly happy with the players we have signed.

Now it’s all down to Alonso to get the very best out of a very talented squad.

01 Sep 2026 23:38:25
Never liked Carlsberg anyway!!

02 Sep 2026 03:26:28
And Alonso must work miracles with midfield and wingbacks.

02 Sep 2026 06:26:04
As I say, wingbacks are important, but in my opinion, we have that area covered.

01 Sep 2026 21:42:12
If true, signing Camara would really help re midfield strengthening after Fernandez departure.

01 Sep 2026 21:00:40
Knowing us there will be some test in the tail of this transfer window.
A transfer sale that was all but done will fall apart or the paperwork will be delivered late. Or, will find a solution and a signing will be made in the last mins.

01 Sep 2026 21:39:43
Latest is that we may have signed Camara for 47 million. Would be v good news if true, Tom.

01 Sep 2026 21:42:01
Lamine Camara apparently agreed, Tom. But I don't quite understand how, as the French transfer window closed a couple of hours ago. Perhaps they have the two/three hour grace period that the UK window has?

{Ed001's Note - that only stops incomings, not outgoings.}

01 Sep 2026 21:46:28
Looks like it's true.

01 Sep 2026 21:56:03
Always a twist with the Blues. Probably fail his medical. 😂

02 Sep 2026 03:28:28
There was that twist or sting in the tail, Tom. 😠