Dubair

Would agree if 2 of the midfield options weren’t currently injured and the other 2 weren’t insanely injury prone (one of whom is arguably better suited to playing anywhere across the back 5 than midfield). Maybe Barco or someone from the youth teams will step up. I don’t think it’s a complete disaster that some are making it out but it’s far from ideal either.

Sky reporting they had agreed verbally and via email. Surely they said the agreement was subject to final contract etc. if they didn’t, I would of thought that is grounds to sue.

Crazy situation, most dramatic deadline day since Torres id say. Football doesn’t seem to operate on normal laws but surely a full written agreement constitutes a contract in the normal world. Unfortunately the midfield options are looking a bit precarious,a defender(s), a relative novice, a player who seemed washed up 3-4 years and Lavia who hasn’t managed 20 league games in a season.

Good fee for him no doubt about that. Rogers should be able to replace his goals. I don’t really mind he’s gone to be honest, but we are light in midfield now. Can’t understand why we left it to the 11th hr and then this Monaco deal falling through.

Great Gk is a bit of a stretch. Makes too many errors to be a great one imo.

He’s an upgrade on Sanchez which isn’t saying too much, but he also has many Sanchez like flaws. I guess it makes sense for a year or 2 maybe. Surely Penders goes out on loan now.

Good energy and very fluid in attack, really should have scored at least 1 more. Look a bit dodgy at the back, maybe down to having the goalkeeper behind them/new system but I do feel like most of those defenders are a bit too error prone.

Quite confident for this one. Think Fulham could struggle this year and we’ve had as full a pre season as possible in a World Cup year really. They’ve lost their manager and two top scorers from last year.

Looked very promising when he first came into the team at left back. Then I thought he looked dreadful there anytime I saw him there last season. got his way back into the team at midfield for the run in, thought he played very well in either the champions league final or semi final or both. I’d be interested in him but I don’t think Arsenal would sell cheap at all.

Alonso said he forced him to do 90 minutes as he has a mental block about it. Ive suspected for quite a while that a lot of his “injuries” are in his head. Hopefully, the start of him playing more consistent as he’s looked a tidy player at times.

Henderson is weird one. I don’t rate Wellbeck particularly highly but he’s better than Delap and Giui as a back up.

Edwards seems to be a bit of a busted flush, would be wary of him. Living off an (admittedly exceptional) run about a decade ago now at this stage. Apparently Liverpool were fairly early adapters to big data etc so that may explain why they were so successful? He’s been sacked/left in odd circumstances twice now at Liverpool. A lot of these technical directors all seem to have a good run for a few years and fade away just as quick - Edwards, Emenalo, Dan Ashworth. Unfortunately, our guys haven’t even had a good run yet.

It’s a recurring theme with him though. 3 Chelsea managers didn’t really fancy him + the sporting directors. He was very young but he got 2 games in a half season at Forrest and couldn’t get into a poor Brazil midfield even as a squad member. I don’t think he was useless but nothing to suggest to me, he’s going to amount to a quality player either. Main concern is who he is replaced with or is he replaced at all.

A 8 min highlight video isn’t going to sway me in 2026. He could barely get on the pitch under Maresca, I recall one good game against Burnley. He’d a quick upturn under Rosenior which faded just as quick and then spent the rest of the season rotating between the bench and middling performances. In an ideal world, he’d be given another season but I do think money constraints means they can’t turn a decent fee for someone who didn’t show too much.

I saw very little to get excited about with him to be honest, but yes it feels like we are weakening the squad. I think we are in need of money and no one is interested in Garnacho, Delap etc, so players who wouldn’t be top of the sell list are getting sold.

Hopefully he’s decent but who knows. Relatively large fee on a guy with less than 50 top flight appearances. Classical BlueCo transfer, maybe it’ll work out this time.

Slightly disappointing given the briefings of more experience required but not the end of the world. I suspect we need the money. The Pr pieces have stated already on Hato and Barco so I don’t expect another signing.

I agree with you in principle but I think that ship sailed about 25 years ago. Cheating and diving works. Look at Arsenal, constant dives, fouls and pressuring refs and it’s worked wonders for them. No penalties or red card received this season and a handful of goals disallowed against them because they flop on the floor. You really are extremely more likely to get a VAR intervention if you stay on the floor and your team mates surround the ref.

Not sure what you do with him tbh. Maybe put him out on loan and see will he actually play a respectable amount of games in a season. I’d have suspicions that a lot of his injuries are in his head. Really can’t plan anything with him until he can prove he can play 30 games in a season minimum.

To be honest needs to step his game up massively and he gets a very easy ride within the fanbase compared to others. He’s been absolutely hopeless for half of his time here. Strange because in the middle 18 months before Christmas this year he was top quality.

If he goes, he goes. He is definitely not irreplaceable but who he is replaced with is the big question. A decent-good player but also somewhat of a luxury player with flaws. I’d similar feeling about Madueke and Jackson who were far less accomplished players and we ended up with replacements who were 2/3 levels below them.

Conflicted between thinking he’s walked into a right mess and also it’s a majorly underperforming group that could be quite easily whipped into shape. With no midweek games and a full pre season there is no real excuses for not coming in the champions league places.

Got to be approaching worst signing in history territory. At least the majority of the other disasters were shipped off after a season or had a few moments like Torres.

Mainstream journalists picking it up too now. Seems quite likely there is something going on whether he is trying to leave or trying to get an improved contract.

Yeah might as well throw the League and Fa cup at the first hurdle while we’re at it too. He’s gonna have to learn how to manage the squad with midweek games at some stage if he’s going to be successful at Chelsea. I can see the logic behind wanting mid weeks free but it’s not something I can get behind as a supporter.