Bluedylan

We've literally not said a single word about any of this 'speculation'. Not a single comment from the manager, chairman, players or player's agent about any of it. It's all paper talk, and yet people get wound up about created narratives and respond with vitriol I'm not having a pop because our own fans do exactly the same thing. There's people on our forums saying 'I can't believe Lukaku is doing this or that,' or 'the club's saying this or that'. It's bizarre what the transfer window and the gutter press does to ordinarily rational people.

Bit harsh having a pop at us @GGG. We have to defend our interests, just like your club does. We're notoriously difficult to get players off, without very large fees. And 12 months on, we're selling Stones for £10m more than he would've gone for last season, so it doesn't seem like such a stupid move. I've come in peace, not slagging Chelsea off in any way. Just saying how I see things from our perspective and contributing the bits and pieces we've heard at our end re: the Lukaku deal. At no point did I ever say that Stones wouldn't leave. All I said is that it would take more than £20-30m, which is the area that you started your bidding at, and that was evidenced by us eventually rejecting £38m.

Everton fan, visiting temporarily. One or two of you might remember me from last year and the Stones saga that went on. Andy Hunter, who covers Everton matters closely for the Guardian and is based in Liverpool, insists that we haven't even received a single bid from you for Lukaku. He's very well informed and cautious, and doesn't normally print something like that without being quite certain. Personally, I'm inclined to believe him over the Mail, Express and Evening Standard, none of whom have any quotes or substance backing their articles. I know there's mixed opinion on here about paying somewhere in the £60-75m range for an ex-player that you sold, and also because a number of you just don't rate him that highly for the level you require, which is perfectly understandable. A number of our fans would agree with you (although the majority would prefer to keep him, I think, which is also my view). He's a very good player on his day, he does score goals and would get 20+ a season but as we all know he does have some limitations. Anyway, I'm mainly posting just to say, I don't think we'll be selling him. Stones to City is pretty much a done deal, and I don't think we'll sell both.

No 'told you so' from me either. I just remembered that I had a £10 bet with someone on here earlier in the window that Stones would/wouldn't go for £32m (I think). I can't remember who it was unfortunately cos it was a while ago. I'm not coming to gloat about the bet in any way shape or form. But I think we said that £5 would go to this site, and £5 to charity. So, if you're out there, mystery person, it would be good if you honoured your commitment (apologies if you already have). Other than that, no smugness at all from me. I'm glad we kept Stones but I'm not naïve enough to think he'll be with us for a long time, and we have plenty of our own problems to contend with, so there's really nothing to be smug about. Pleasure conversing with most of you. Good luck for the season (apart from the next game, clearly).

Martinez wasn't attacking Chelsea, he is attacking the way the transfer window overlaps into the season, and asking the football authorities to look at it. Regardless of club loyalties, many people would agree with that. Obviously whether that can be changed to fit in with other leagues is another matter. Yes, we are buying people late into the window, because unless we get real bargains (like Deulofeu for £4m), we generally have to watch every single penny, and a lot of deals don't become viable for us until late into the window. We can't generally say 'add another few million onto the price and get the deal done early'. So yes, he's criticising the window overlapping into the season whilst still buying players himself late in the window, during that period, but we would always be buying late in the window, with our finances. He's asking for it to be changed, so that when we and other clubs are buying late in the window, it's still before the competitive matches start. I don't think that's remotely unreasonable, hard to understand or hypocritical. Once again, he specifically didn't attack Chelsea (and journalists were trying to goad him to do just that in his press conference today), he was specifically attacking the way the transfer window is structured.

Well sheva's been a breath of fresh air for this thread.

Taking club biases out of it for a moment, would anyone agree that it's probably a better thing for the league as a competition, if all of the best players were spread around a bit more, rather than concentrated at a few clubs at the top? And if we were resisting Man Utd's bids for a player, in exactly the same way, would you attack and condemn us in the same way, or would you say 'fair play for keeping hold of your player, and not giving in'?

There's a genuinely sound group of Chelsea fans who've been there through thick and thin and seen the rise and fall, and take a more sanguine, longterm perspective, and who generally treat other people and clubs with respect. And then there's the others....who cheapen the rest of you by association.

The vast majority of you have just confirmed the suspicions that most people have about the Chelsea fanbase, and the whole club. It's not remotely welcoming or tolerant of opposing fans (or at least it hasn't been in this thread) by the way. Apart from a few calmer posters who have been happy to have a reasonable chat, loads of people just pop in here, abuse Everton or Everton fans or Martinez and leave it at that.

Yes I was wrong about the transfer request. But a variety of your fans have been coming on here saying 'we'll get this wrapped up tomorrow' or 'he'll be signed by the next game' or '30m and it's a done deal', and none of them have been remotely right. At least I fronted up straight away and said 'well clearly I was wrong about that'. I haven't seen or heard a single person from your fanbase admit they were totally wrong.

You're not getting the player, so get over it. All these digs at Everton are totally unnecessary and somewhat petty. He's our player, under contract and we've decided not to sell him. That's allowed. It's not immoral or small time. I know you're used to getting what you want, but in this instance it doesn't appear that's going to happen.

What has changed exactly? Martinez just won't sell him and made that clear last night, and I don't think the board will go behind his back, so I don't see where else it can go. Stones might be confused and wanting to leave, and a few fans will be angry, but come the middle of September it'll be forgotten and everyone'll just get on with the season as normal, and no doubt the situation might be revisited in January or next summer.

Doesn't look like you're getting him after all, does it? I'm glad. I'm not hugely surprised a few drunk idiots abused him, but the reception for him was overwhelmingly positive from the 5k away fans (even though he had a bad game, which is understandable). Will you move on to another target now then, or just not sign anyone for that position?

That's another reason we might not sell yet. We've got loads of big teams to play in the next few weeks, and tbh we need him for them. It'd be a big ask bringing in a CB of serious quality now, even with money to spend, who could settle and build an understanding with Jags in a week or two.

Of course we won't be in a relegation battle. We defended really well against City, a goalkeeping error undid our gameplan. Come on you're probably taking our best young player. No need to stick the boot in. There but for the grace of God go you.

Probably a 60% chance, but we've already established that I know nothing and don't have particularly good intuition either.

Haha. Dave Kitson makes me laugh. As if he knows everything about every deal that goes down. Stick to telling people about things that really happened to you and your colleagues, Dave, and stop speculating about things you know nothing about, because you've run out of fresh information. Is he still getting paid for that sh*te?

Conspiracy theories. If some evidence comes to light that'll be different, but infinitely more likely that the player was interested in going, the club didn't want to sell. The player got restless as various bids got rejected, and ultimately decided to hand in a TR with a week to go. Look, it happens. We're gutted but it happens. Once you get past the initial disappointment, you have to deal with the situation as best you can, and try to turn it into a positive. People suggesting the board forced the player to hand in a TR as just venting really because they're frustrated about the realities of modern football, and they'd sooner think that Kenwright killed JFK than confront those realities.

With respect, it's not about class. The club comes before any player, and if our management team decide that it's too damaging to lose a player 6 days before the window, given that we already need a CB even before Stones was sold, and given that clubs will be adding money onto any prices they quoted for players, then so be it. Chelsea can afford to let Mata, De Bruyne and Lukaku go because of the exceptional strength of the squad and because it's your decision, it's not a decision that's been forced upon you by external circumstances. Even then Jose had to have a little dig at De Bruyne and Lukaku when they left, so class doesn't come into it.

No, I think he probably would've played, and still could. We've got about 17 defenders injured at the moment, and it was a homecoming to his boyhood club. Not sure if he'll play or not, now this has unfolded, but I still wouldn't rule it out just because of injury problems. I honestly don't know if we'll comment or not. I'd imagine our boardroom is like an episode of The Thick of It at the moment, with phonecalls and rumours and contingencies and rushed meetings happening all over the place. The club might be speaking to the player and saying 'we'll let you go next summer' like Liverpool did with Suarez, or they might be phoning around for replacement options, or they might be negotiating with Chelsea or other clubs, or they might even just ignore it and carry on as normal. Your guess is as good as mine.

All quiet on our side at the moment. Fans are waiting for a comment from the club. We play tonight, so clearly Martinez will be asked about it, if there's nothing official released by the club before then. I would guess Martinez would prefer to sit tight, keep the player til next Summer and then sell him when we've had time to scout replacements properly etc. The fans are divided between being angry at Stones, angry at the universe, being pragmatic that these things happen and we need to use it to our advantage in the market and then finally you have the usual conspiracy theory loons who think that this is somehow tied to faked moon landings and the Twin Towers.

I don't think we're particularly angry at Chelsea btw. I do think your club could've handled it more classily but ultimately it's worked, so people will point to that and say 'they're the realities of modern football'. I have a slightly more naïve and sentimental attachment to the game still, and obviously when you have that, you're more vulnerable to those realities. People are more angry at Stones for the timing. People can see why he'd be interested in going, and people can see why Chelsea would want him. The conspiracy theorists are pointing to the board. We'll have to see what comes out in the next few days. Anyway, assuming you get him now, enjoy him because you're going to love him and once he gets in the team regularly, he'll kick on and you won't need to worry about his position for years and years.

Nah we can still keep him, that's not an issue. It's whether we want to keep him not, the finances, the possibility of the crowd getting on his back, next summer's Euros, who we could get in etc etc. Quite a few things to consider for us. I have to say, to hand it in with 6 days to go is spectacularly poor behaviour on the player's part. Do it in July, if you're going to do it, and at least have some consideration for your current club. Devastated.

Well I'm fairly gutted about that, but I'll have to hold my hands up and say I was wrong about the player and the possibility of a transfer request, contrary to my many statements on the subject. Not much more to say. I don't know whether I'd sell or not. My head's gone really.

Of course you haven't offended the shed enders, and of course you'll be supported on your own forum. All I'm saying was that I've just spoken about football, and given my opinions, nothing abusive. No issue if people disagree with them, but generally speaking, whether on a forum or in the street, it's not considered polite to abuse visitors where I'm from.