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Alex Sandro

Van Butsen said:
Not necessarily, they might have thought we had money for days and hung out of another 40 which would have been a ludicrous sum.  This late tells them that we don't have time for a bidding war so if they want the money then here it is.  Your last part is true as well though about it often being difficult for the selling club to replace, however Juve have a much bigger pulling power in their own country than we do ours.  They could lose a left back and pick up the next best serie a/italian left back fairly comfortably.  I don't think we piss about.  We'd made a lot of deals this summer, whether we all agree or disagree.. we've been very active.


 
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I think making a bid for another top LWB even if Sandro is Conte's only choice would have prompted them to sell. That will send the message that we have other alternatives aside Sandro. But now they know we will try to sign him on the last hour of the transfer window for 75 or 80m which is bad for a 27 year old defender.
 
Van Butsen said:
We'd made a lot of deals this summer, whether we all agree or disagree.. we've been very active.


 
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Actively selling you mean? I'm starting to think that the loan deals are hindering the negotiating team from focusing on players that could be signed for the starting 11

 
wallosh said:
Considering the fact that Alaba is a better player, if we had made all this efforts for Alaba, Bayern would have sell him to us or Juventus would have think twice about Sandro and take the opportunity to sell him for 60m because there is the possibility that they might never get the opportunity again to sell a 27 or 28 year old defender for a fee that high. Even Bonucci who everyone rates as the best CB in the world was sold for less than 40m.
So I think the reason why they haven't sold Sandro to us is because they know Conte desperately needs a LWB and the only one we have been seriously linked with is Sandro. So they are willing to play the waiting game till the end of the transfer when we will have no choice than pay over the odds to get him.
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Bonucci wanted out and forced through a transfer. Big difference

 
Deino said:
Actively selling you mean? I'm starting to think that the loan deals are hindering the negotiating team from focusing on players that could be signed for the starting 11
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Bakayoko, Morata and Rudiger is an awesome window, there is no denying that.  Two of those players are hot property and big game/CL experience.

Everyone's been calling for local loans or to move youth on if they aren't getting a chance, so we played that card and got RLC a prem loan and sold Chal and Ake.  We've recalled and played some youth too, which hasn't been the norm in recent years (Christensen, Musonda, Boga).

We've also sold Matic who has been in decline for 2 years now to a team that didn't benefit when we sold our then best player.

So yeah, we been active as f*ck!

 
You have an excellent point but it doesn't fix our current situation. It really is the closest thing of 'squad overhaul' if you put the numbers there.

Every summer we have the 'massive exodus' or 'squad overhaul'-thread and it has never materialized.

 
Van Butsen said:
Bakayoko, Morata and Rudiger is an awesome window, there is no denying that.  Two of those players are hot property and big game/CL experience.

Everyone's been calling for local loans or to move youth on if they aren't getting a chance, so we played that card and got RLC a prem loan and sold Chal and Ake.  We've recalled and played some youth too, which hasn't been the norm in recent years (Christensen, Musonda, Boga).

We've also sold Matic who has been in decline for 2 years now to a team that didn't benefit when we sold our then best player.

So yeah, we been active as f*ck!
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All this can be interpreted differently though. 

Rudiger was bought because we couldn't get our hands on Bonucci and Morata because the board failed with Lukaku. Whilst i agree they have all been good signings in quality, the quantity still isn't there.

Boga and Musonda have only been kept around due to the lack of numbers and when Hazard is back fit with Pedro i doubt either will get many minutes at all. 

Matic has been in decline for us but has strengthened Utd considerably. 

I don't see how you can look at this window and say its been active for the right reasons when we're in a much worse position than the end of last season. 

 
Forgot to mention Costa as well, obviously that is a huge huge loss and a sh*tty situation, regardless of where fault lies.

Without injury, we look like.

Courtouis
Dave - Luiz - Cahill
Moses - Kante - Bakayoko - Alonso
Hazard - Morata - Pedro

Caba
Rudiger
Christenseon
Fabregas
Willian
Musonda
Bats

So yes I don't deny we are a little thin right now, but that's heightened by some sh*t injuries and suspensions early.  I still think that in enviable and capable!  Every team would be feeling the hurt if 4 starters were unavailable!

 
Van Butsen said:
Bakayoko, Morata and Rudiger is an awesome window, there is no denying that.  Two of those players are hot property and big game/CL experience.

Everyone's been calling for local loans or to move youth on if they aren't getting a chance, so we played that card and got RLC a prem loan and sold Chal and Ake.  We've recalled and played some youth too, which hasn't been the norm in recent years (Christensen, Musonda, Boga).

We've also sold Matic who has been in decline for 2 years now to a team that didn't benefit when we sold our then best player.

So yeah, we been active as f*ck!
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Buying 3 good players is an active window but not a productive one when you have sold or loaned twice as meany as you have brought in, 3 in, Terry, matic, Diego, chalobah, ake, solanke  oscar in Jan, have or are being sold, so yea it's been an active counter productive window 

 
RIP Mourinho said:
All this can be interpreted differently though. 

Rudiger was bought because we couldn't get our hands on Bonucci and Morata because the board failed with Lukaku. Whilst i agree they have all been good signings in quality, the quantity still isn't there.

Boga and Musonda have only been kept around due to the lack of numbers and when Hazard is back fit with Pedro i doubt either will get many minutes at all. 

Matic has been in decline for us but has strengthened Utd considerably. 

I don't see how you can look at this window and say its been active for the right reasons when we're in a much worse position than the end of last season. 
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I agree it can be interpreted  differently, I guess I'm trying to highlight the shi*t storm people were brewing last year when we bought Luiz and Alonso and thought we couldn't challenge.

 
DonAntonio said:
Buying 3 good players is an active window but not a productive one when you have sold or loaned twice as meany as you have brought in, 3 in, Terry, matic, Diego, chalobah, ake, solanke  oscar in Jan, have or are being sold, so yea it's been an active counter productive window 
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Diego is easily the toughest to lose and in an ideal world we would still have him and Morata.

However the rest I think have been adequately replaced (in my mind, could be wrong, we'll see how it pans out).

I refuse to let Oscar and Matic be talked about now like they weren't well below their best (and I was a huge fan of both).

 
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Van Butsen said:
Diego is easily the toughest to lose and in an ideal world we would still have him and Morata.

However the rest I think have been adequately replaced (in my mind, could be wrong, we'll see how it pans out).

I refuse to let Oscar and Matic be talked about now like they weren't well below their best (and I was a huge fan of both).
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We didn't have Europe last year and were tired towards the end of the season...we don't have enough players 

 
Seeing this thread as hot topic I thought we had made a bid officially or had a deal agreed.  :sad:

 
DonAntonio said:
Buying 3 good players is an active window but not a productive one when you have sold or loaned twice as meany as you have brought in, 3 in, Terry, matic, Diego, chalobah, ake, solanke  oscar in Jan, have or are being sold, so yea it's been an active counter productive window 
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Only 2 of those were starters last season added to that we have also sold players like Cuadrado and Atsu but has selling players like Solanke, Cuadrado, Begovic, Traore or Atsu really weakened us.

Atm the only position we have 'weakened' is CM by not replacing Chalobah.

LWB and RWB are as weak as they were last season.

Arguably by replacing Terry and Ake with Rudiger and Christensen we have strengthened CB.

We have improved the harmony of the team and potentially improved the starting 11 by replacing Costa with Morata and have improved depth by replacing Solanke with Remy.

And arguably again improved the starting 11 by replacing Matic with Bakayoko. 

Yes its sh*t that we are missing some key men at the start of the season and we don't have our full strength 11 to rely on but if we sign another CM let alone actually signing another WB we have had a very productive transfer widow. Obviously and annoyingly we could have easily kept a loanee (MvG, Pasalic or even Baker), or I suppose an unhappy Chalobah, until we had brought someone in and we wouldn't be in quite the predicament. 

But that said arguably its the loans we have organised for our players that could yet prove to be our best pieces of business we have made all summer or even in summers gone. 5 players in desperate need of senior minutes (Zouma for rehabilitation purposes), which I might add would not have received an acceptable amount let alone enough minutes to develop had they stayed (Even Zouma who despite all our absentees still wouldn't be in line to start against spurs). Started the first game of the premier league season. Which they wouldn't have been able to do had they been loaned later in the window. A good case to highlight why sorting out a loan as early as possible is extremely important is Ake last season, it took him an age and if I remember an injury crisis to get into Bournemouth's starting 11 despite being their best CB because he joined late and wasn't able to get a decent opportunity to impress the manager, which pre season freindlies are great for.

Further i quite like having a small squad as it allows players like Christensen, Boga, Musonda and heck even potentially Scott and Tomori to get first team exposure which if you look at Rashford or more recently Kyle Walker-Peters can potentially create a career. 
 

 
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PedroMendez said:
Only 2 of those were starters last season added to that we have also sold players like Cuadrado and Atsu but has selling players like Solanke, Cuadrado, Begovic, Traore or Atsu really weakened us.

Atm the only position we have 'weakened' is CM by not replacing Chalobah.

LWB and RWB are as weak as they were last season.

Arguably by replacing Terry and Ake with Rudiger and Christensen we have strengthened CB.

We have improved the harmony of the team and potentially improved the starting 11 by replacing Costa with Morata and have improved depth by replacing Solanke with Remy.

And arguably again improved the starting 11 by replacing Matic with Bakayoko. 

Yes its sh*t that we are missing some key men at the start of the season and we don't have our full strength 11 to rely on but if we sign another CM let alone actually signing another WB we have had a very productive transfer widow. Obviously and annoyingly we could have easily kept a loanee (MvG, Pasalic or even Baker), or I suppose an unhappy Chalobah, until we had brought someone in and we wouldn't be in quite the predicament. 

But that said arguably its the loans we have organised for our players that could yet prove to be our best pieces of business we have made all summer or even in summers gone. 5 players in desperate need of senior minutes (Zouma for rehabilitation purposes), which I might add would not have received an acceptable amount let alone enough minutes to develop had they stayed (Even Zouma who despite all our absentees still wouldn't be in line to start against spurs). Started the first game of the premier league season. Which they wouldn't have been able to do had they been loaned later in the window. A good case to highlight why sorting out a loan as early as possible is extremely important is Ake last season, it took him an age and if I remember an injury crisis to get into Bournemouth's starting 11 despite being their best CB because he joined late and wasn't able to get a decent opportunity to impress the manager, which pre season freindlies are great for.

Further i quite like having a small squad as it allows players like Christensen, Boga, Musonda and heck even potentially Scott and Tomori to get first team exposure which if you look at Rashford or more recently Kyle Walker-Peters can potentially create a career. 
 
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Good points but we were lucky last season with injuries and Conte would also need to be given time to see these loanees return and flourish next season...the history of Chelsea is not littered with managers who have been given this time...

 
PedroMendez said:
Only 2 of those were starters last season added to that we have also sold players like Cuadrado and Atsu but has selling players like Solanke, Cuadrado, Begovic, Traore or Atsu really weakened us.

Atm the only position we have 'weakened' is CM by not replacing Chalobah.

LWB and RWB are as weak as they were last season.

Arguably by replacing Terry and Ake with Rudiger and Christensen we have strengthened CB.

We have improved the harmony of the team and potentially improved the starting 11 by replacing Costa with Morata and have improved depth by replacing Solanke with Remy.

And arguably again improved the starting 11 by replacing Matic with Bakayoko. 

Yes its sh*t that we are missing some key men at the start of the season and we don't have our full strength 11 to rely on but if we sign another CM let alone actually signing another WB we have had a very productive transfer widow. Obviously and annoyingly we could have easily kept a loanee (MvG, Pasalic or even Baker), or I suppose an unhappy Chalobah, until we had brought someone in and we wouldn't be in quite the predicament. 

But that said arguably its the loans we have organised for our players that could yet prove to be our best pieces of business we have made all summer or even in summers gone. 5 players in desperate need of senior minutes (Zouma for rehabilitation purposes), which I might add would not have received an acceptable amount let alone enough minutes to develop had they stayed (Even Zouma who despite all our absentees still wouldn't be in line to start against spurs). Started the first game of the premier league season. Which they wouldn't have been able to do had they been loaned later in the window. A good case to highlight why sorting out a loan as early as possible is extremely important is Ake last season, it took him an age and if I remember an injury crisis to get into Bournemouth's starting 11 despite being their best CB because he joined late and wasn't able to get a decent opportunity to impress the manager, which pre season freindlies are great for.

Further i quite like having a small squad as it allows players like Christensen, Boga, Musonda and heck even potentially Scott and Tomori to get first team exposure which if you look at Rashford or more recently Kyle Walker-Peters can potentially create a career. 
 
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Small squad won't get us far in Europe and defending our title though, we scraped by last season staying on top because no injuries and no European football we needed to add to our ranks to cope. 

 
doctorblue said:
Good points but we were lucky last season with injuries and Conte would also need to be given time to see these loanees return and flourish next season...the history of Chelsea is not littered with managers who have been given this time...
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Yes I agree with you, we need to give our managers more support and hopefully we are learning how to do that I would have hoped that our board and Roman have learnt alot since the Ancelloti and Mourinho mark 1 days. 

We were last season and are generally very lucky with injuries although I believe a lot of this is down to the medical team and the personalities we generally look for in our players instance Luiz played the majority of last season through injury whereas other players such as Smalling, Shaw and Sturridge and a bunch of the Arsenal squad may not have. And I beleive we have a squad strong enough to cope with a few injuries barring CM.
 

 
DonAntonio said:
Small squad won't get us far in Europe and defending our title though, we scraped by last season staying on top because no injuries and no European football we needed to add to our ranks to cope. 
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It depends on your expectations though. For me I think a good season would see us being involved in the title race and reaching the quarter finals of the CL (which our squad is definitely capable of), anything better would be a great season.

I also don't think we as fans should get too expectant and should just enjoy and support what the club can achieve, even if that is just by playing semi-entertaining football. We have all had a laugh at Arsenal fans over the last few years for expecting too much and we have all had issues with the board/Roman for having too high an expectation on managers and giving them the sack for it, so for me atleast it would be a little hypercritical to do the same.  

Back on topic I still think even with our squad not really strengthening, we have a very good shot of winning the league and I still think with everyone fit we have the best starting 11 in the league. 
Tottenham, who I might add actually have less depth than us, still have the 2nd best starting 11 imo, despite actually weakening their squad. 
City despite spending a fortune again still haven't really addressed their flaws. Their team still lacks balance, a quality/potentially dominant midfield and anyone bar Kompany and Fernandinho with any defensive ability. I suppose you could add manager naivety to that list. 
United whilst having addressed some of their issues still lack quality in defence.
And arguably both Liverpool and Arsenal haven't strengthened, and actually a lot rests with the Coutinho and Sanchez respectively.

So whilst we haven't made a significant improvement to the squad and we definitely haven't raised ourselves away from the pack, I personally am not going to see that as an issue, especially seeing as it would have taken an absolutely monumental summer to raise us the heights of competing for both the CL and BPL.

We have a lot of deficiencies to our squad which it looks as if we are slowly trying to remedy (especially what was an ageing core) but it would have been almost impossible to do that in one window let alone to imagine how costly and risky attempting such an overhaul would have been. 

 
You are dreaming if you think we will be able to keep up a title challenge and a decent European run with a thread bare squad. It simply doesn't happen 

 
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