Chelsea rumours 2

08 Mar 2025 11:21:32
This may well be some regurgitated news but I have just picked up some video clips of Mudryk training with the first team squad. They are suggesting that this has been happening over the last few days!

This whole affair seems to have been going on for a hell of a long time!

08 Mar 2025 16:59:52
If he was cleared Tom, I'm sure the club would have advise the fans.

08 Mar 2025 18:44:19
Bill, I guess so but it’s all a bit strange and on top of it all he is named in our European squad.

08 Mar 2025 21:18:25
Tom,

With so many players loaned, I'm surprised our tea lady is not included in the squad.

09 Mar 2025 06:42:21
Blimey Bill I haven’t seen that headline.

“Chelsea tea lady (Flo) fails drug test. Faces four year ban from brewing a cuppa. ”

“Flo says she is completely innocent but her spuds supporting husband had left the marital home. ”.

09 Mar 2025 08:53:33
Putin doctored her tea bags, said they were a threat to his Russian security, Donald Duck agreed and immediately put a tariff on them.

09 Mar 2025 09:17:23
Love it Bill. You’ve got laugh!

10 Mar 2025 00:43:57
Why would anyone care if Mudryk is back: he has been a disaster for the money we have spent for him.

10 Mar 2025 01:42:18
I care.

10 Mar 2025 09:46:59
Me too.

10 Mar 2025 19:47:46
Me too. I think there is a player there. Let's not forget. Moved from a war stricken country, lost friends and family.
I want to see him succeed.

11 Mar 2025 09:31:37
Totally agree Cfc.

11 Mar 2025 21:48:55
I agree it's been a disaster jimbo but better to support him. He's our player.

11 Mar 2025 21:55:11
feels absolutely deluded tbh. he's crap and its blatantly obvious to anyone non biased. my only worry is getting him out of the club as soon as possible.

12 Mar 2025 11:35:52
He's clearly talented kazblue only a fool would suggest otherwise. Is he limited and a player with significant confidence issues? Probably but let's the support the player as a human being. Criticise the transfer all you like I think that's fair game but I think supporting your teams players is better than abuse (though I don't like this idea with players who are garbage people and racist)

14 Mar 2025 16:04:23
Standard you have stated that he is a limited player with confidence issues: I agree but why would you spend that kind of money on a player with those issues, I don’t blame him, I blame our recruitment.

15 Mar 2025 12:23:29
I agree with that jimbo. It was a silly signing like 80% of the signings.

17 Mar 2025 21:05:46
talented in that he runs quick? sorry i just don't see it- he is not top end prem level and won't ever be- maybe he would be decent in a weaker european league ( turkey, holland, portgual)

18 Mar 2025 09:17:36
I remember the full details of us signing by think we were one of several clubs interested in signing the lad. If I remember correctly the gooners supposedly had a £70m plus bud in the table.

Loads of supposed experts referred to him as a “generational talent” whatever that means.

Anyway, I wish the lad well.

19 Mar 2025 20:37:13
doesnt seem the most likeble so i've not much sympathy for him being honest. more mebarrasing for fans as i've spent the whole time taking stick from mates over the signing.

23 Mar 2025 07:54:48
Why are you so bothered about stick from your mates that chelsea brought him.
To behonest it's laughable that you are so bothered. Grow up. the world isn't going to end.
You have someone in tomb who sounds like his health isn't great and you come here whining about a player because your mate give you stick for it

Then you say that mudryk isn't allowed to suffer with confidence basically. No one was moaning when we pinched him from under arsenal.

23 Mar 2025 21:33:40
im not bothered im just not deluded into thinking cos chelsea signed him he isn't a complete dud.

he won't be playing for chelsea for long and can be tossed on the pile with another big money flops with a terrible attitude and even worse performances.

15 Feb 2025 10:55:15
Rumours that we are looking to sell Jackson hopefully not truw, think he would be really good playing wide with a top nos 9 in the middle

Certain players should be untouchable regarding sales Palmer Cacaido clearly two best players.

I would put Jackson Colwill Cucarella Lavia when fit in the next group.

If a first 11 player is sold for big money should be Enzo.

15 Feb 2025 11:54:19
Seymns, I have long held the view that our current owners are running CFC as a business and that is fine.

My guess is every player at CFC has a price. I’ve said I no longer feel an attachment towards my club and that includes, sadly, the players.

15 Feb 2025 12:21:36
Tom B same with me, I actually think i lost the close attatchment during the Roman years although we were succesful so many players came in, guess that has always been the case maybe it's an age thing.

Felt the closest to the team during the Dixon Speedie Nevin team guess it's a time of life thing football's importance lessens when wife and kids come along

Obviously still want us to do well.

15 Feb 2025 12:40:08
Howcis it fine Tom, first and foremost CFC is a football club, the business should follow.

If they think they are running a business, my God they are hopeless at that as well, no FOS losing circa £40mil this season and every fan knows ww need a much larger stadium, again losing money each season.

I would like to know why in gods name our so called beloved CST and CPO thought they were the best people to take our club forward because at the moment, they are very poor owners to day the least, u would put them on par with the Glazers.

15 Feb 2025 13:08:13
Bill, in my opinion they bought the club as an investment. They will run it as a business and if that means their core product is buying and selling players there is little we can do about it.

The stadium debate has been done to death and is hardly the fault of our present owners alone.

I have nothing to compare them with they have spent huge amounts of money, so I guess that proves some sort of desire for success. I guess I see them more like the spuds owners but on steroids.

15 Feb 2025 13:11:22
Bill I think they are better owners than the Glazers maybe they are deluded as to to how easy it was going to be naive but they have put money into the team albeit spent badly. Would rather have them in charge than Oldham Jim at Man Utd.

It was always going to be tough to follow Roman obviously we won the CL with Tuchel but towards the end of the Roman years we were in decline.

15 Feb 2025 13:13:32
Seymns, I think I started feeling detached when the Bates v Harding debate got out of control. The successful years under Roman were brilliant but when that regime started selling players that had come through the academy and who I thought we be the new foundation of our club it dawned on me that nothing has really changed from the days of selling Greaves to rescue the club or Ossie and Wilkins.

It’s the club I love so unfortunately I have to put up with some of the people associated with it.

15 Feb 2025 13:24:49
TomB the Bates harding era was strange who knows what would have happened if Harding hadn't been killed,

My detatchment partly happened as I moved out of London and I don't get to the Bridge hardly at all these days.

15 Feb 2025 13:31:33
Tom

I agree that we all love the club which is why we are so passionate about ownership, SD's, coaches and players both academy and bought.

I also agree with you on the Bates, Harding issue.

The present ownership, like Roman are losing money hand over fist so I'm not quite sure how they will get their investment back never mind making a profit which I know private equity like to do for their investors.

15 Feb 2025 14:31:15
Bill, from what I have read there is an opinion that says our club was seriously undervalued when it was sold to our current owners. There is also a theouabout potential sports revenue schemes going through the roof in seasons to come.

The reported losses we very likely turn to profit as the clubs recruitment ambitions change over the next few seasons.

15 Feb 2025 14:41:23
the owners will sell any player theyl profit from make no mistake about it and i would sell jackson he's not good enough like the majority of our squad.

15 Feb 2025 15:11:22
Any chance on selling our SD's and Maresca?

15 Feb 2025 16:16:35
Seymns and Bill, I knew Mathew Harding reasonably well and he wasn’t the nicest person in the world and on the other side we had Bates who was maybe one of the most difficult people in the world. It was always a recipe for disaster.

Just as a very small footnote the widow and family of MH played an important part in the transformation of CFC and that for me should never be forgotten.!

15 Feb 2025 18:44:07
Regardless of there goal, whether it's building a winning side or a successful money making business, they're doing appallingly. We lost out on £40m this season with no fos sponsor and I can't think of a single player other than palmer who would definitely sell for more than we paid for them. Enzo, caicedo, neto, mudryk, fofana and more would almost certainly net us a loss. Doesn't mean they're bad players but there value is much lower than what it was.

15 Feb 2025 19:20:03
The maths of the FOS sponsor is interesting. As I’ve said before and I am only guessing a one season deal even at £40 may not be as beneficial to a long term deal. Obviously the term of any deal will be subject to us potentially qualifying for the CL and our participation in the WCC.

16 Feb 2025 10:15:22
Come on Tom really. There has been zero benefit to not having a sponsor this year no matter how it's spun. If we get a multi year sponsor next year, it won't be 'we'll done' it'll be why didny we get a short term sponsor?

16 Feb 2025 10:24:49
Tom

We will definitely participate in the WCC, for how long that's another question.

Regarding qualifying for the CL, forget it, we are 6th and sliding fast.

16 Feb 2025 13:33:33
I am not “spinning” anything. I have made it clear several times that mathematically there could be a financial case for not agreeing to a long term FOS deal. i have also made it very clear that I am guessing.

I have no idea if a short term FOS deal was available without including the WCC but I am happy to except any information on that subject. My guess is that adding the WCC to a long term deal and a potential campaign in next season’s Champions League would offer one hell of a lot of money. Of course there is also a risk attached to such a commercial decision.

16 Feb 2025 15:54:44
As Greavesy used to say: “ It’s a funny old game”. Every PL club will have to pay£1 million to the PL for their legal costs and cock-up with APT rules and Everton and Forest each paid £2 million to try and get themselves relegated. Football was the peoples game because no matter how poor you were you could play and it was affordable to watch for working people. Those days are gone but look at Germany where the fans have a majority shares in their clubs. A season ticket for Bayern Munich can be bought for £104 ( obviously long waiting lists) The president of Bayern, Uli Hoeness commented about Bayern’s refusal to increase ticket prices said: “ we do not think fans are like cows, who you can milk”.

16 Feb 2025 16:26:34
Jimbo, I had no idea that is the ST price at BM. What brilliant value and what a heart warming comment from there president.

A West Ham supporter mate was telling me the other week that when the owners of the happy hammers put forward the case for moving to the Olympic stadium was an increase in stadium capacity would bring down the price of seats and ST’s. Apparently the reverse has happened.

Moooooo.

16 Feb 2025 20:41:46
I’m on not an account but a brief look at the BM accounts would suggest they have about £100m more revenue than the gooners, £150m more than the spuds and about £200m more than us.

They also have about fifteen players being paid more than €200k per week.

The strange thing is even if we increased our revenue to the BM levels I couldn’t see us bringing down our ST prices.

16 Feb 2025 23:00:37
Can I ask why Colwill? I think he’s been a massive disappointment. He’s good on the ball but his defending is awful. He’s so weak!

I do agree that Jackson would make a quality left winger as he still has so much to his game. We missed a trick not singing Jhon Duran he’s going to be a brilliant striker. So complete for a youngster and he’s a great target man something we desperately lack right now.

03 Mar 2025 21:41:13
Imo I have long known tomb as a hypocrite. When you state the obvious, he downplays it only to turn around and admit it later. I had long time ago said that the boely and Co are only interested in the business aspects of the club and not on the pitch success as roman did. But came in heavily on their defence against it.

Now he's telling us that he had long seen that the new owners are this and that.
Saw some reports that the fans on ground, not tombs, were on some protests against how the club is headed in wrong direction since boely and Co. We will constantly be on the case else we are becoming a shadow of the club we were. Some claim to be more Chelsea than the rest but are just delusional.

04 Mar 2025 08:18:40
Tussle, can I suggest that you spend less time worrying about my opinions and posts and more time supporting the club.

I didn’t attend the Southampton game so I no personal knowledge of the protest you mentioned but I am told it was a bit of a damp squib.

I would have also thought that the club being successful would have been good news for the owners business investment.

11 Feb 2025 17:12:45
Does anyone - perghaps one of the Eds? - know whether there is any truth in the rumour that CFC may be wanting/ willing to sell Santos in the summer to the highest bidder for 'pure profit?

I hope it isn't true - and that is just paper news stiirring things up - given AS's great performances for Strasbourg and of course for Brazil youth teams. He seems to have worldy potential. Also because one fears that Lavia may never be fit for very long.

{Ed001's Note - I don't know about wanting, but they will sell him if the right offer comes along. You could probably say the same about any of the players to be honest, from what I have heard.}

11 Feb 2025 17:41:48
JBS, there was a rumour pre January window that a club (no name given) was prepared to offer £160m for Palmer.

I personally don’t like the term commodities to describe a person but that’s how I think they are considered.

11 Feb 2025 18:30:50
And that's why Tom, we will not be successful. We needed a settled squad to grow together.

If we wanted to sell players, I would put the ones who are forever injured, first.

11 Feb 2025 19:42:42
Bill, you may well be correct but it’s not as if we didn’t buy and sell players under the RA ownership.

All clubs get injuries but it’s when the same players keep getting injured it becomes a concern. As I said a few weeks ago, it’s a tough decision to draw stumps on a players Chelsea career but making those decisions is why they get paid the big bucks.

11 Feb 2025 20:46:50
Tom yes players have been commodities for a long time now in terms of being traded by clubs. What worries me with new owners is that this trading has not only been surcharged in terms of volume but also that it does not seem to have prioritised creating a winning side any time soon. Instead it's become as much if not more about trading for for bottom line accounting sake. We sell Gallagher and buy Felix to then loan him out. Maresca belatedly says he wanted to keep him and perhaps he did but then why give him so little EPL game time? We buy Veiga then sideline Chilwell then loan out Veiga removing cover for Cucurella at LB then spend money on bringing in a 16 yr old striker from Kazakhstan. An investment in the future? Vision 2030 again? Who knows but how about 2025?

I can just see so little logic in far too much of our transfer business.

Was loaning out Santos in CFC interest or other owners' club Strasbourg?

Is Sanchez who Poch didn't particularly rate better than Petrovich who he did but then gets loaned to Strasbourg where he shines?

Bottom line is do the new owners care as much about success on the pitch as Roman A. Or more about success with the bottom line in accounting terms itself

Yes but do they not know that GETTING ECL football would likely do more for bottom. line playersvhan tradingng in kids?

11 Feb 2025 21:16:08
Really good points JBS.

11 Feb 2025 22:07:58
JBS, I have said many times that in my opinion the owners have gone too quickly in taking on what is a complete rebuild of not only the first team squad but also the supporting structure but I will maintain that the club was overdue that restructuring.

I am absolutely convinced that our current owners not only care about success but also crave it. I cannot for one moment believe that they don’t want to increase the value of there investment and the best way to do that is to be consistent winners and habitual champions league qualifiers.

I’m not sure I like the idea of buying/ investing in 16 year old kids but that is a different subject. In the last window I think the spuds signed three (one from us) academy players from other clubs. As is often the case clubs act like sheep and it would appear that a significant percentage of clubs are looking more and more at youth as the way forward. Maybe it’s a PSR thing but as I said in a recent post how many premiership clubs have paid a transfer fee for a player over the age of 25 in this last window? I’m struggling to think of any!

Time will tell if the owners approach pays dividends but generally in the world of football ownership these are early days and remember they made a complete horlicks of virtually everything at the beginning of there tenure.

12 Feb 2025 10:05:38
Tom

I agree that we have sold youngsters in the past. However, we had a large number of experienced players as a nucleus of our first team.

Likewise, other teams are bringing in youth as you say., However, they have a number of experience in their first team squad, that is the difference.

12 Feb 2025 10:55:38
Bill. I’m not saying that the current trend is correct or that having a mixture of youth and experience wouldn’t be a better way to go. I’m just pointing out what appears to be a pattern.

12 Feb 2025 11:59:18
Spot on Bill we have got rid of all our experienced players bar James - and some sidelined on loan.

Belayted thanks Ed001 for your comment and Tom I am sure the owners want the club to succeed as they have made a huge investment in it but one is questioning whether they've got the right ideas about achieving this in last few seasons where we crying out to have experience in key -spine of team of you like - positions alongside youth. Look, with right decisions in the summer - and if we have qualified for ECL so we can attract the best we need eg top striker and retain the best we have - we could move faster in right direction.

Right now and with ECL v far from guaranteed my feeling is our medium term fate in the balance. It could all go well with ECL qualification and good summer transfer dealings. But if we don't get ECL qualification perhaps we will have to sell the likes of Santos or - as you have suggested - even Palmer and it will feel like a struggle all obver again to get back to chgallenging for big trophies and to have really got 'our Chelsea back' that we were singing lustily in the Southampton away game.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome JBS. I do think I should point out that you might have different ideas about what success is than the owners though. They are looking at it as an investment to make money, I am not so sure they see success on the pitch as all that vital. Which I disagree with personally, but it does seem that it is about trading players to make a profitable enterprise, rather than about putting the best players possible on the pitch to win trophies.}

12 Feb 2025 12:15:59
Good point to emphasise Ed001 and thanks for it. Yes if owners care more about trading to gain profit rather than success on the pitch - though you would think that they should realise success on the pitch would help with profits and dealings - then we have to be very worried as fans.

{Ed001's Note - these are not football people though JBS, they are investors who are new to the sport and see it from an American sports perspective. US sports franchises are money-making machines regardless of results.}

12 Feb 2025 12:16:55
JBS, I haven’t suggested we will sell Palmer, I have said there was “rumoured interest. ”

I keep saying and this is only my view that the players are a commodity and I believe we have to get used to our favourite players being available for sale.

I also assume that the club will make more revenue if it wins trophies and that’s why I think our current owners would also like to win competitions.

12 Feb 2025 14:14:17
Tom I think we all hope you are right. But what do you think of ED001's additional point - one it is hard to disagree with from myn perspective - that our woners are not footballing people ie so may not have the passion that owners who are have for success on the pitch above all?

12 Feb 2025 15:31:10
JBS, as usual us fans are only guessing but they are a very rich group of people who seem to have a passion for sports investments and making money.

I have no idea if they are truly in love with “soccer” but my guess is they are truly in love with money. Again just me guessing but if they win trophies with Chelsea for example the potential increases in revenues are huge. The club also becomes globally more appealing if it wins trophies and that again brings in more revenue.

15 Feb 2025 07:01:24
I have been screaming on here that boely and Co are not working to make Chelsea great again on the pitch winning games. I said that the club had been hijacked and might never be the same again but tomb and likes were there deceiving themselves with plenty talks.

The policy of buying only young players is just the profits from the sale and not to get the club back on top boely and Co were the worst possible owners from the bidders but the enemies of the club who taken the political advantage of the war in Ukraine chose them to Bury the club overtime. Roman was targeted and I still think he might return to the club again.

04 Mar 2025 11:43:24
Tussle, I have always assumed that if there is football success then the value of the owners investment will improve.

I have also assumed that any investment has been made to achieve a profit and that includes the buying and selling of players.

Pre our present owners I have also referred to players (same at most clubs) as commodities.

06 Feb 2025 11:18:13
A mate has just told me the Chelsea and Mudryk have received verbal notification that the "B" sample has returned negative. He there will be no announcement from the club until they receive written notification.

I personally think my mate has picked up an old rumour but hey ho!

06 Feb 2025 16:50:59
It would be wonderful if this rumour was true if only especially for the player himself. But it would a pretty rare example of a B sample being negative I think.

06 Feb 2025 18:31:39
The B sample is seldom different. Also, the results of the B sample are usually known within a week of the A sample. The Mudryck story simply disappeared.

06 Feb 2025 18:33:13
JBS, spot on and hence my doubts about it being true. I’m not sure if there is a thing as “marginal” in a drugs test but I think that is the more likely situation.

06 Feb 2025 18:33:28
"Mudryk’s B Sample is expected back in January and, if positive, the Ukrainian could face a four-year ban"

Well January is over and still no news. Very strange.

06 Feb 2025 21:48:11
This rumour apparently started few days ago on twitter / X and wasn’t by a journalist, someone just starting rumours, more so for MM I hope he gets back playing soon.

07 Feb 2025 16:52:40
Strange that Mudryk is still in the Conference squad. I suppose there could be a rule that makes it pointless to take him out.

10 Feb 2025 14:46:25
The odd normal half reliable sources have also picked this up, no idea if it is true.

But it is undeniably strange that it is taking so long, I did read an article that if is B sample was negative and the A sample was positive due to cross contamination in the testing this would open a huge can of worms and invalidate previous tests no idea if this is true

Apparently B samples that are negative are in the 3-5% range

Also strange that the story has gone so quiet.

03 Feb 2025 17:12:48
Seems as though we may still be paying half of Chilly's wages at Palace (ie 100, 000 of the 200, 000 pounds per week) .

03 Feb 2025 17:54:04
I suppose the alternative was to pay him full wages and get splinters. Personally I would have kept him in the squad as Cucarella cover.

03 Feb 2025 18:13:03
Tom

Maresca would not have played him even if we only had nine players to choose from, that's how stubborn the man is.

03 Feb 2025 19:21:25
I'd have kept him in the squad and played him Tom. His experience surely useful to youngsters.

03 Feb 2025 20:15:23
It's just bad business imo. Surely at that point you'd just keep him? This is another thing that annoys me with the 7 year contracts. What happens when this happens and the player still has 5 years remaining on x wage? The bomb squad didn't work, just had adverse affects imo.

Sad to see chilly go, injury prone but when fit the best left back in the epl imo.

03 Feb 2025 23:16:16
I would have kept Chilly as cover only for Cucarella. I think fans should remember how bad Cucarella was when he joined our club and for whatever reason it took him time to find his feet. In my opinion he is now one of the best left sided defenders in Europe and a long way in front of Chilly.

04 Feb 2025 08:41:08
I agree tom. I think he put in some of the worst chelsea performances ever, worse than bakayoko. He's fantastic now.

04 Feb 2025 09:15:47
He is a very good example (me included) of why its beat not to rush to judge.

04 Feb 2025 17:55:58
Absolutely tom. And I do think you told me that when I was criticising his performances. Very glad he was able to find some performances, and he's exceeding my expectations.

06 Feb 2025 08:38:59
Cucurella was always a good player but did put in some bad performances as did many of the squad. However, I am a great believer in the saying “ You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”.

06 Feb 2025 09:07:40
But you can make a sows ear out of a silk purse!

11 Feb 2025 09:09:09
I disagree that cucurella is a long way in front of Chilwell. Chilwell is better in offensive position, final third.

03 Feb 2025 15:24:14
Is Felix likely to be sold or loaned to AC Milan? Is Disasi likely now to stay at the Bridge?

03 Feb 2025 15:45:23
Loan with no buy option for Felix.

03 Feb 2025 16:52:22
While i liked felix, every man and his dog knew it wasn't going to work. A favour for his agent, I suspect.

03 Feb 2025 16:53:06
So with Felix and Veiga going to Italy on straight loans, if they do well, come the end of the season it will be 'they want to stay in Italy and play for us but we can't afford to buy them, how about another loan'.

Before we know it we have more littke Lukaku's running across Italy.

We never learn with Italian clubs, we are their charity organisation.

03 Feb 2025 17:09:43
The reports I’m reading on Felix seem to be so different. One is saying straight loan with full wages paid plus €6.5m loan fee. I would be happy with that.

03 Feb 2025 18:13:59
And another loan next year Tom?

03 Feb 2025 19:28:47
Talksport reporting 5 million loan fee for Felix but Milan paying his wages. I enjoyed watching him and wonder if we really gave him a chance. Suppose if he does well at Milan we will just sell him or indeed loan him out again.

03 Feb 2025 20:17:54
Unfortunately I don't think there's a way back for felix. There wasn't a spot for him 6 months ago and there won't be one 6 months from now. Great player on his day and I hope he reaches atleast half what his potential was.

03 Feb 2025 23:18:20
I think it depends what happens to Palmer. If a ridiculous offer comes in for CP, Felix would be a reasonable replacement.

04 Feb 2025 15:24:30
Bill, they’re paying £5m as a loan fee for 6 months so if they want a loan for the whole season next year it’s £10m. Easy money and would count as a profit for the year in the accounts as his amortisation fee is around £7-8m I believe.

With Veiga Chelsea only paid £12m for him and are getting £4m as a loan fee. Any Italian club could afford to buy him at the end of the season easily, but I’m sure the club would love to keep farming him out on loan if that’s the fee they’ll get for just 6 months given the massive profit.

04 Feb 2025 18:18:36
fuser, good point and good economics.

03 Feb 2025 10:10:40
We are alsa said to be pusihing for 19 yr old Turkish striker Kenan Yildz of Juventus for c 75 million who is described as a forward (mainly left winger) and attacking midfielder and one of the most promising talent in then world.

Any legs in this one? Do any of the Eds have any info on CFC likely dealings today (we are all thinking of ED02 of course at this time, bless him) .

03 Feb 2025 10:25:45
JBS, I think if that amount of money was available in this window we would have signed Tel. We apparently offered BM a loan with an “obligation” to buy. That for me tells a story.

03 Feb 2025 10:36:49
Interesting Tom, if not very encouraging in terms of our fortunes right now and how we might be seen by talented players with options like Tel. If we want success in terms fe being genuine EPL challengers and really competitive in ECL any time soon we clearly need to qualify for ECL this season as we all thought we would come emnd of last one.

Hugely hope we can and will as you think we will Tom. But am sticking with my miserable 5th to 9th position at the moment and just praying its 5th and that will be enough! Mind you a hammering of the Hammers tonight plus trabsfer window uncertainties over tomorrow might just set us on right course again for last fourteen games after this one.

03 Feb 2025 12:21:48
JBS, as I said in a previous post, I’m not very optimistic about getting a result tonight.

I would rather the club get the right player than do what it has been doing and from the outside it’s like doing transfers because we can.

I think we may well sign a midfielder in the last mins of this window but for me that in some ways is crazy when we could just have brought back Santos.

Anyway only a few more hours of transfer rumours. Hooray!

03 Feb 2025 12:43:45
Couldn't agree more Tom. Almost every reported transfer seems to hinge on, or at least involve, a Chelsea player going the other way. We can read between the lines.

Despite what Maresca might say, Champions League qualification is an absolute necessity this season.

02 Feb 2025 22:16:16
Apparently Chilly having a medical at Palace tomorrow. Good luck to the lad.

I assume Gusto will now be cover for Cucarella.

03 Feb 2025 09:14:57
Yes presumably Gusto now the cover for both Cucarella and James. With Veiga shipped out there is no other left back cover for MC? We are looking a bit thin in both defence and midfield now?

03 Feb 2025 09:59:46
Agree Tom regarding Chilly however isn't Gusto a permanent cover for Reece?

03 Feb 2025 10:42:32
He can play both sides.

03 Feb 2025 12:44:52
Ishe Samuels-Smith is also on the fringes. He's very good.

03 Feb 2025 13:17:50
Trouble is Tom most of the time he will be covering for Reece, hope I'm wrong though.

27 Jan 2025 21:41:53
I wonder if we are one of the supposed ten plus clubs interested in taking Ferguson on loan?

28 Jan 2025 10:02:01
We seemed to be linked to almost everyonme rumoured to be potentially moving this January.

28 Jan 2025 11:23:47
Dry loan makes sense for us, could see Jackson play on the left a bit too, has Ferguson been injured a lot this season or just not been in manager’s plans?

28 Jan 2025 14:55:14
Matt, yes he has missed games through injury and my guess is he will go to a club with guaranteed game time.

He started against us a while ago and totally destroyed us at the back before going off with an injury.

27 Jan 2025 14:58:14
Just see Romano say bonniface talks to go Saudi -
And disasi agreed terms with Villa, is it too obvious that we do something with Duran / disasi.

27 Jan 2025 15:30:35
I doubt Villa would sell Duran unless they had a replacement lined up and while they are in Champions League.

27 Jan 2025 19:14:02
Apparently Tom they are also after JF.

27 Jan 2025 19:43:08
My mate keeps saying Felix is going to Benfica and yet I’ve seen any rumours to suggest that is likely.!

28 Jan 2025 09:43:27
Felix though hardly filling a priority position when we got him has played better than some when given the little game he has been in the EPL. Understandable that we wondered why he had been purchased but equally understandable to question why we are parting with him quite so soon and with Palmer in danger of being overworked and looking below best in recent games?

26 Jan 2025 15:04:29
I love the debate/ banter on this site but I have just finished having a very long discussion with a fellow season ticket holder who says we may well still sign Tel from BM.

Clips always show the positive side of a player but I would be astonished if BM let this lad leave.

26 Jan 2025 17:38:44
Agreed Tom however I suppose it depends on how much they want Nukunku.

27 Jan 2025 09:57:14
I understand that Nkunku wants to leave and the club want him gone, but at some point the powers that be need to prioritise improving the first team rather than continuing on the path of speculative purchases.

Tel is fantastic talent but we need to have conversation about whether these young players are being set up to fail at Chelsea, by joining a team that is in a constant state of flux, with no success now for approaching 3 years.

The SDs need to accept that they can't hoover up every highly rated u23 player in world football. They are going to miss out on some players, that is ok.

My final point would be what does this say about their judgement of players they have purchased for the wide roles? 60m Mudryk, 60m Neto, 65m Felix, 27m Madueke, 25m Sancho. None of them, perhaps bar Madueke who is frustrating in his own right, have delivered. Food for thought.

27 Jan 2025 10:34:50
RBD, just a few points. The pressure should always be on the SD’s to deliver players who can bring success/ trophies to the club. I also have no idea who has or is setting the agenda for the signing of young talent. As far as I know they could be acting under the instructions of the board/ owners.

I think Sancho is proving my initial concerns to be misplaced.

From everything that I have read the club do not want Nkunku to leave. I think if he leaves it could well be that the player wants to.

27 Jan 2025 12:40:19
Tom, its great to be back and chatting Chels with you.

I admit I have no smoking gun to use as proof, but the actions of the SDs so far have suggested that they see any player signed before their time as surplus to requirements. Nkunku was signed prior to them coming on board and was by all accounts a signing driven by Vivell, who has since left the club. We can also reasonably assume that his wage is considered too high by the club, due to the numerous briefs released about bringing wages down at the club. I think it is therefore likely that they would very much prefer to move on Nkunku, not to mention that unlike the vast majority of the squad, he seems to actually be in demand.

As for him pushing to leave - can you blame him? He was given the first game of the season to play in his preferred role, and since then has been shoehorned in as a 9, limited to appearances when we are chasing a game.

I am in agreement that Sancho appears to be an astute signing, but I am basing that entirely on his price. He has certainly not brought dynamic wing play to the Bridge and his output in terms of goals and assists is paltry. Of all the players I listed, none have been a dramatic improvement on CHO, which for circa £230m is extremely disappointing.

27 Jan 2025 14:14:38
RBD, I’m can’t be bothered to look for a “smoking gun” but I am happy to make guesses and probably come up with the wrong conclusion.

I have said so many times I have no problems with players wanting to leave and if the reason is they believe they are being treated unfairly it’s seems perfectly reasonable to me that they move to another club. As I’ve said it would appear to me it’s Nkunku who may want to leave not club wanting him to leave, that would hardly suggest that his wages are an issue for the club.

I repeat I have no idea what job the SD’s have been asked to do at Chelsea but like all SD’s involved in recruitment at any club, if they get it wrong then they deserve criticism.

The winger question is interesting. I’ve stated that every day of the week and twice on Sundays I would have signed Neto, sadly he hasn’t hit the ground running and against Fulham him and Gusto were a disaster. He might well play better with James behind him. Noni is a mystery to me. He seem to have some questions to answer about his professionalism but I find myself swinging from fantastic to woeful. Mudryk was just showing a glimmer of ability and then the wheels fall off, maybe if his own making and that will be very sad. Sancho for me has a touch of class. He is always willing to receive the ball in tight situations and although he prefers to move inside with the ball he can go both ways. If I was looking to sell any of them and putting aside Mudryk it would be Noni if only because it would partially stop me swearing at the TV.

27 Jan 2025 17:18:28
I think Sanch has shown quick feet and some good passing but will hopefully push on into backing himself to ghet into the box more and shoot and hopefully score more.

27 Jan 2025 18:30:52
Tom, my hope for quality wing play died when we somehow deigned not to sign Olise. No matter what the reason, it was a complete slam dunk of a signing and would have set us up for 5 years at a minimum.

I full expect Noni will be sent to the bomb squad - another Vivell signing and he's in the way of the SDs latest pet project Estevao. As for Neto, after fudging said Olise transfer it's clear they did a deal with the devil Mendes and thought they just needed to get someone in through the door. I wasn't impressed with the player, the circumstances, the treatment of Gallagher and Samu, and especially that he came as a package deal with Felix.

How are they going to be able to break even on some of these players, let alone profit is beyond me. There are two fairly predictable outcomes, lots of loans (Veiga, Disasi, Sterling) or sales of anyone they can (Nkunku, Gallagher) . My fear is that the latter will eventually extend to Palmer, Colwill, Jackson, Santos etc.

27 Jan 2025 20:02:38
RBD, what does “designed” it for that matter “slam dunk” mean in the context of Olise? As far as I know we didn’t make a bid for the player.

There is nothing clear about making some sort of deal with a “devil” agent as you suggest. This just all made up stuff but then we all just fans just guessing.

I would have liked CG to stay. He was offered a contract (according to Ed002) and turned it down. He was obviously entitled to turn it down. From what I can remember, I think from Ed001, the manager didn’t want Felix (neither did I) but the SD’s did.

If they don’t sell a player then “breaking even, ” making a loss or making a profit isn’t an issue. The loan deal for Veiga looks like a no brainer and I haven’t got a clue is Disasi will be a loan or a sale but there are apparently several clubs interested. I personally hope he is sold.

Sterling, was a strange episode but I think the club just ran out of road having decided very late in the last window he wasn’t part of there plans. I was hoping he might do reasonably well for the gooners so as to create some interest but as yet that hasn’t happened.

Your comment about Palmer, Santos, Colwill, Jackson being sold at some stage is in my opinion reasonable. In fact there was a rumour of an offer of £160m for Palmer and I asked the question from fellow posters, would they take that offer. If I remember correctly only one person said No but then only person said Yes and that was me. I gave up feeling precious about any player a long time ago.

28 Jan 2025 08:48:07
We tapped up Olise for over year, and then didn't sign him. He was clearly one of the best wingers in the league, moved for less money than we spent on Neto, and has been brilliant for Bayern.

We can read between the lines.

28 Jan 2025 09:49:48
The trouble is that all of this is exposing the apparent lack of careful planning and cool considered minds behind Vision 2023.

It is quite possible that Gallagher a) was offered a not v good contract; or b) it was a reasonable contract but with Poch departing he fekt his game time going forward was in jeaopardy in terms of SD antipathy to Poch and possible replacement manager not favouring some those Poch favoured. Perhaps Poch told him as much?! Who knows.

28 Jan 2025 11:36:38
I don’t recall any rumour that we “tapped up” Olise. I seem to remember Ed002 saying he was in a list of targets. I also find it hard to believe that as our owners self reported an issue that they would sanction a breach of protocol. Leave that approach to Klopp. haha.

I assume reading between the lines is just another term for guessing and we all do that. I’m afraid I don’t have a very suspicious mind.

28 Jan 2025 11:39:21
JBS, you are correct that “rumours” suggested there was a split at various levels about Poch. That sort of split can happen in most corporates. If I was Poch it wouldn’t have given me a very warm feeling.