Fruity66

love the Aurier signing but again Van Dijk really feels like an unnecessary signing unless we are to use Azpi at wing backs

We gotta do something... haha. As much as i like seeing us get the squad ready... after selling Matic we have sold 17 players... we gotta get some in haha...getting a little worrying.

2 awful decisions from the ref... goal given against us (pen) and Bats clearly onside

If Cuevas isn't brilliant, surely we must have a youngster on our books who can play left wing back what about Castillo ? we must have someone haha

Plus Zouma at Stoke Ugbo at Barnsley Aina at Hull & Da Silva at Charlton Gotta say our loan people have outdone themselves in terms of quality of loans.

I think its unlikely we will play 2 up top. I reckon its going to be a case of the lads who have played the most in pre season getting a bit of a rest. so it would surprise me to see them line up such as Courtois Christensen Luiz Cahill Tomori Alonso Pasalic Kante Baker Fabregas Morata Bold selection I know, but id assume Bats, Willian, Azpi, Moses, Kante, Alonso etc could all potentially be benched as need a rest.

does anyone know why Izzy Brown isn't with the squad, or any of the other top performing youngsters? Castillo, Hudson Odoi etc. Realise they have played tournaments but surely they would have joined up?

Also Bayerns squad is following: Starke, Hummels, Ribery, Martinez, Lewandowski, James, Rafinha, Tolisso , Muller, Friedl, Sanches subs: Ulreich, Fructhl, Hoffmann, gotze, alaba, colman, dorsch, pantovic, wintzheimer

Caballero, Eduardo, Bulka, David Luiz, Tomori, Kalas, Clarke-Salter, Scott, Baker, Pasalic, Remy, Morata. that's the full bench so assume Rudger hasn't travelled, remember it being previously mentioned he had longer off post Confed tournament.

Pleased with the startling line up, good depth to it. will anyone come in for Kenedy on the bench?

as everyone has mentioned regarding the squad what does this mean for our HG quota? Christensen ? Moses? Cahill? unless Musonda and Baker are hanging about we are looking awfully thin... i support Conte and the board 100% but i do have to question some of the decisions... wish they would give us some explanation over players leaving.

Completely agree. The integration problem seems to be one of our major flaws. There was a story a few days ago saying Baker was set to sign a new contract and then head out on 2 year loan deal in Prem/Champ - why? by the time he comes back he will be 23-24 when he returns and deemed to old if not good enough to be used. Either sell him or use him if he is good enough. another point and something to think about with the Lukaku deal, although he's a very good player and is a top striker, he does only have 16 goals in 57 games against top 6... he is known for bullying small teams so I still think £75m plus add ons is too much for him. I wouldn't mind not being linked with anyone in the papers but what irritates me is that we are 'apparently' so close to players such as Baka but yet it isn't finalised... why the hold up? wouldn't mind the club giving fans a little more insight into the workings of how transfers are going (unlikely but we can live the dream). Also saw that Kenedy, Musonda, RLC, Chalobah are listed as first team players but Christensen and Baker are not... any clues on that or am I being paranoid?

well one can pray.. apparently we won't pay the 12m to Raiola, god that bloke is a nasty piece of work.

i reckon there's another twist in this story, medical can be done and fee agreed but until contract signed its anyones game... id be interested to see whether us matching the bid has any effect.. Raiola won't like us so that counts against us

I'd have to disagree with the comment about Willian and Pedro, yes we will miss hazard at the start of the season but those two create plenty of chances.. we may need another quality attacking midfielder but those two are top class

If he is sold and goes for that little ill be truly embarrassed

Im not concerned about Chelsea being slow in the transfer market, we took our time last year and got the correct players in, I trust in Conte to make the right decisions. What i am concerned about is our Youth Policy, people say that the likes of Ake, Chalobah etc aren't world class youngsters but honestly have they really had a chance? look at Lingard and Rashford, they needed a season of playing regularly WITH manchester united in order to be successful. We can't keep loaning players out and hoping they will turn into world beaters. If Chalobah is sold for as little as that, no wonder we get all this sh*t from other teams. This academy is miles above most others in the world bar a few but yet we can't transition.

hopefully he stays and we use him... he's class, and so much better than Adama Traore who we have been linked too.

We would all love to see players come through our Academy and star in the first team and personally i think Ake was good enough to play a significant role in the squad this season but if he wants to play first team football then we had to let him go combined with what a few of the guys above said. Money talks and we have regulations to meet. The problem for Ake was he was a brilliant player who had played his way into the team the long way round (lots of loans until he got the premier league one) but he's still stuck behind: Luiz, Cahill, Azpi, Zouma, Christensen and realistically thats only going to get worse when we are likely to bring Rudger in. He's 22 and will know that with an international cap or 2 , he's good enough to be starting games. Hopefully in the future we see him back (obviously not for too much ) but yes it is irritating that the transfer from youngster to player can't be met. I think its partially down to changing managers so often, they can't afford to start youngsters as every game might be their last.

I think the odd thing would be is if we sign Adama Traore..... Musonda in my opinion has showed a lot more quality than him and fits into the squad better. Traore reminds me of Sturridge .. quality but selfish

Unlikely, not sure why Conte would leave his formation to switch back to 4-3-3 include this guy. hes brilliant at free kicks but don't think he offers anything new to what we have already

Its really irritating to see such a talented youngster like Ake go, but I do understand why he and we were happy to let it happen. Hopefully he will return in the future and that by him leaving the likes of Zouma and Christensen become first teamers. What will really irritate me is if neither of these two youngsters become first teamers and we lose them too and end up overpaying for VVD or someone like that (not that I have anything against VVD but if Manolas is worth £30m I really don't think VVD is worth £40+). It also worries me that it sets a bad example to youngsters as he did all the hard work, got a successful prem loan and became and international for Holland but still wasn't really given a chance (still think it was a bad decision to recall him). I understand we are a business and we are here to win trophies and make money but at the rate we are going we might as well not have an academy... (yes that a vast over exaggeration but I liked Ake :( ). Hopefully he will return a better and stronger player.

Confirmed now by Sky Sports http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/10920597/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-wanted-by-chelsea-liverpool-and-man-city Personally think he would be a good signing, aggressive, hard working, english and fits our mentality.

Completely Agree My Chelsea team had Aguero and Costa for Strikers by 2018... but seriously I think this all talk from Italy to unsettle players and fans.... this never comes from the UK but always Italy where he's wanted.. Therefore I wouldn't read too much into this. Also we will make transfers at the right time... Full trust in Conte.

Also if anyone hasn't seen the link below, seems that Izzy Brown agrees with what we are all thinking even if he later denies it http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjq-Zit5p7UAhWkC8AKHcqtAfUQFgg2MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.90min.com%2Fposts%2F5075934-chelsea-youngster-izzy-brown-apologies-for-liking-abusive-instagram-comment-regarding-dom-solanke&usg=AFQjCNH18Zc4SiEmpTIggtkMURhKxq_qhw&sig2=cA7uasd6EpmTfpvYyGlpQg