Chelsea Banter 4

15 Aug 2026 12:57:43
Satpaev going on loan to Burnley in the Championship league seems a good idea to me for the young lad and CFC in terms of likelihood of him getting considerable playing time (far more than if staying at the Bridge or likely at another EPL side) in a physical and highly competitive league. Good for Burnley too I'd think.

15 Aug 2026 11:06:56
A midfield of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo has never worked, we are too open on the counter and Enzo just hasn't got the legs to cover hence leaving us exposed. Further forward as a 10 he is good but we have lots of options there.


A sale works all round and we will be a better team without him.
A fit Lavia next to Caicedo is the dream ticket with Alex Scott the option if Lavia is not available with Barco, young Reggie Watson and Reece James backing them up.

15 Aug 2026 12:30:32
EbW

Lavia has never stayed fit, so it's a stretch to say him and Caicedo are the dream ticket.

15 Aug 2026 16:24:39
I'd say he's right, Bill... It's quite literally a dream. Pretty mixed reception for Enzo today - hope they just sort the situation and make it clear either way what's happening. Either way, I think we could do with another midfielder.

15 Aug 2026 07:39:11
{Ed's Note - AK7 has posted a new article entitled, The Nuclear Option: Cavenagh Walks In

14 Aug 2026 21:01:11
I will away for the Brighton game along with some other family members. For those interested they are now on sale on the CFC ticket exchange.

14 Aug 2026 18:41:24
So, apparently the "reported" deadline for City signing EF has come and gone.

If the club did set a deadline (I have my doubts) then they need to stick to it in my opinion. The only alternative is to add a substantial (£5m) amount to our asking price for every day from today.

14 Aug 2026 19:16:57
Tom, I don't know where this deadline issue came from. It is understandable that we would privately set some sort of deadline, because, if Enzo goes, we would definitely need to bring in a midfielder. If City come up with a suitable offer on Wednesday, I doubt we will refuse it.

14 Aug 2026 20:56:06
I think you are both right re this saga not necessarily over, though it should have been one way or another. Enzo F's people, and he himself, could put an end to it. But will they? Certainly his agent won't want to.

14 Aug 2026 17:37:20
Looks like Enzo is staying for another season.

Guess that also puts an end to the Wharton and Scott rumours.

14 Aug 2026 20:58:51
Not so sure as yet, Bill. The club can spin it as the end of us selling him for 120 million, but what if City came back with a higher offer? Wish it was completely settled by now, one way or another. I'm sure Alonso does too.

14 Aug 2026 10:11:15
Three years ago today, Moisés Caicedo became Chels.

Since then: world-class, ever-present and fiercely loyal. Every time he's asked about his future, the answer is the same — he wants to become a Chelsea legend.

Some wear the shirt. Moisés carries it.

14 Aug 2026 11:11:00
I sometimes look at Moises Caicedo and think he must get so frustrated carrying this team. What a signing.

14 Aug 2026 12:54:40
Agree one of the few signings worth the money. I hope his loyalty is rewarded with some trophies.

14 Aug 2026 07:38:12
On the subject of commercial sponsorship and our lack of a FOS sponsor, I see that we actually get more from training kit and sleeve sponsorship than most PL clubs
get from full FOS sponsorship.

The Scouse and Man Utd are in a privileged position with their huge global fanbases; they can still attract the big bucks. City are basically self sponsored, as we all know, and Spuds will have trouble keeping AIA the way they are going. The goons are the only other ones with a major FOS deal.

It's amazing how little some PL clubs are getting this season, Brentford are
getting £4m from Indeed for the season, Brighton £8m from American Express, Fulham £6m a season from Clickhouse, Leeds £12m from Red Bull, Bournemouth £5m a season from Vitality, Everton £10m a season from CWC Markets.

Others aren't published but probably similar amounts.

We get more than all of those from Bing X for sleeve sponsorship and training kits alone.

Shirt sales are also at record highs as more and more fans and "tourists" enjoy the near £100 shirt without a tacky advert all over the front of it.

14 Aug 2026 11:09:15
I rushed out to buy all my grandchildren the kit without the sponsor.

We may well be doing well, receiving top dollar for other sponsorship deals, but only having partial deals over the last few seasons has to be recognised for what it was.



I may well understand the club's desire to stick with a FOS sponsor price of £60m per season, but not having anything, and then taking on a deal midway through a season, isn't a good look.

14 Aug 2026 16:07:36
It's criminal, Tom, and shows the owners, commercial dept (that's if we still have one), are unable to read the room.

14 Aug 2026 16:47:18
Also, if you look at the bottom of the club website, the number of sponsors has doubled over the last few years. So, are we just receiving more money from these and not needed to rely on FOS as much?

14 Aug 2026 16:53:51
Or, if we also had a regular FOS, we would have even more revenue, so, in my view, no FOS is losing us revenue and is criminal.

15 Aug 2026 08:31:52
Finchy, you make a very good point, and with the betting companies now out of the picture as commercial partners, the sponsorship deals will possibly drop even more. A FOS going rate may be less than £10 million a year now, and that may well be the reason why we haven't bothered with one.

3 clubs in the Premier League will start the season with good old fashioned "pure" shirts. I'm sure the commercial team would like a deal to match the likes of Scouse and Utd, but market conditions dictate.

15 Aug 2026 09:20:15
Al, I have made the same point as you several times. There is no way the commercial department do not want a FOS sponsor and the money that goes with it.

It may well be true that they want approx £60m per season for a long term partnership, but for some reason that hasn't happened and we have taken on short term sponsors mid way through a season.

I personally don't think that is a good look or helps with our negotiations with a long term partner.

Of course we are, as usual, just guessing!!

15 Aug 2026 09:33:26
Tom, market conditions dictate, and there is a huge decline in commercial sponsorship throughout all sports, not just football. If you consider the going rate is now likely less than £10 million a year, then why would the club sign up to, say, a 10-year deal for £100 million when it can stay "pure" and concentrate on building relations with multiple sponsors to build revenue whilst waiting for the right opportunity to arise? It is not a bad look at all, in my opinion (and clearly the club's as well).

15 Aug 2026 12:22:47
Al, I can't remember the exact numbers, but we got a ridiculous amount of money from the Dubai-based property developer the season before last and I think it was £1m per game for last season's late sponsor.

So I would guess the very minimum we should be looking for is £30-£40m per season.

If the club didn't want a FOS sponsor, then why take one on halfway through the season for the last two campaigns.

15 Aug 2026 18:20:54
Tom, I am with you. If the club believes that the market for long term FOS deals is too low at present, and thinks the right approach is multi deals, that's fine with me, but the lack of communication with supporters leads to endless debate about the competence of the hierarchy.

A lack of an FOS gives the appearance of failure; more transparency from the club would assuage those concerns.

15 Aug 2026 21:21:52
Jimbo, spot on, mate. I do understand a certain reluctance to communicate, as it could lead to never-ending questions, but in this day and age they could easily set up a Q&A on the app that was mainly managed by AI.



The other side is for people like me to believe they are just arrogant with little respect for loyal supporters, and that conclusion is probably unfair.

15 Aug 2026 23:08:00
Tom, we are in the same boat as other supporters. Premier League clubs are state-owned or by consortiums of investors who are remote from the fan base. I still have issues with 5 SDs and Ben Roberts bringing in two crap keepers. That said, I see a glimmer of hope. The owners/hierarchy do seem to have reflected on their previous strategy by bringing in Alonso and giving him influence in signings and, hopefully, outgoings.

I hope they realise that success on the field is good for their investments. Leaving aside all the things we can't control, I just want some exciting football and a few trophies to add to our collection.

14 Aug 2026 07:39:16
{Ed's Note - phil_LFC has posted a new article entitled, Aroujo to Liverpool: What He Adds and What Worries Me

13 Aug 2026 19:38:01
Looking forward to the Fernandez saga being over, one way or another, this time tomorrow.

Personally, I'm happy for him to stay and I'm also not that fussed if he moves to City. The one thing that would disappoint me in all of this is if Chelsea budge on their £120m valuation and accept a lower bid. After having that as a hard line all summer, the club accepting anything less would be unacceptable. It would set us up for failure in future negotiations.

13 Aug 2026 19:51:26
If EF does leave, my wallet says Wharton, but a mate, whose opinion I rate very highly, says we should be looking to sign a lad called Camara. I was so drunk I can't remember the team he currently plays for.

13 Aug 2026 20:07:25
Tom, he plays for Monaco and is a Senegal international. I think a few PL clubs are interested. He would be cheaper than Wharton. I've no idea if he's any good.

13 Aug 2026 20:31:16
Jimbo, I certainly haven't seen him but my mate says he is very good with the potential to be very special. Apparently aggressive and can see a pass. After that I virtually passed out.

I wonder if the Ed's have a view on him?

{Ed001's Note - I have seen very little of him, but a lot of people rate him highly.}

14 Aug 2026 08:08:05
From a tactical standpoint, Fernandez is a high quality player, and you always want to keep your high quality players. But, and I've said this before, can you get a better option than him in a double pivot? Ed recently mentioned Scott would be and an argument could be made for a rarely fit Lavia also being better there.

From recent seasons you could make a case for Fernandez playing the left side of a pair of central 10's. But again, there are better options out there and we've already singed one in Rogers.

14 Aug 2026 07:19:41
Thanks Ed. I will try and hunt out some videos of the lad if we do become linked to him.