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He’s gone. To Servette. At a loss.
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Frawdulant
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This’ll be a long post but I’ve been chatting with ChatGPT about the 4 players we’re linked with as a replacement and I thought the response was interesting so I’m sharing.
My prompt: And given the Chelsea team that Xabi Alonso has put together this season who do you think best completes that team in place of Enzo Fernandez? I’m not ask who is most like Enzo but rather which player best improves the Chelsea team when considering playing next to Caicedo and having Palmer, Rogers and Pedro ahead of them up top
Yes — this changes my answer quite significantly.
If the question is no longer “who is the best midfielder?” but:
“Who makes this specific Chelsea team better alongside Caicedo, with Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro ahead of them?”
then I would take Manu Koné.
And I think it’s a fairly clear choice.
Chelsea’s current setup under Xabi Alonso is essentially built around a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3, with Palmer and Rogers operating behind João Pedro. Alonso has explicitly said that trio is something he wants to build around, and the early matches have shown how much freedom they’re being given.
That means I don’t think Chelsea need another midfielder whose primary job is to create.
They need someone who makes it possible for those three to create without worrying about what’s behind them.
My answer: Manu Koné
I’d rank the four specifically for this Chelsea team:
Manu Koné
Lamine Camara
Adam Wharton
Alex Scott
And the reasons are quite different from my previous ceiling ranking.
The key is Caicedo
This is the crucial bit.
If you already have Caicedo, I don’t think you want to duplicate what he does.
Caicedo is an outstanding defensive midfielder: covering ground, winning the ball, defending transitions, pressing, tackling and recovering possession.
So I’d want his partner to answer:
“What does Chelsea need when Caicedo has won the ball?”
And that’s where Koné becomes extremely attractive.
He can receive under pressure, turn, carry through midfield and physically advance the team.
So imagine:
CB → Caicedo wins it → Koné carries → Palmer/Rogers receive
That’s an extremely powerful transition.
Why I wouldn’t choose Wharton
This is the really interesting one.
If Chelsea didn’t have Caicedo, I’d be very tempted by Wharton.
But alongside Caicedo?
I’m less convinced.
Wharton would give you:
Caicedo + elite distribution
which is fantastic.
But you’d still have a midfield that relies quite heavily on passing to progress the ball.
And then look at what’s ahead of them:
Palmer — Rogers
João Pedro
You don’t need to add another primary creator.
Those three already have absurd amounts of technical quality and imagination. Alonso’s whole idea is to give them freedom and responsibility.
What you need behind them is someone who says:
“Don’t worry. I’ve got the physical side of this.”
That’s Koné.
Why Koné + Caicedo is so interesting
This is the partnership I’d want to see.
Caicedo
Defensive intelligence
↓
wins/recycles possession
↓
covers space
Koné
receives
↓
resists pressure
↓
carries 15–30 yards
↓
releases Palmer/Rogers
They’re complementary rather than duplicative.
And Koné’s physical profile is exactly what I’d want behind Chelsea’s attacking four.
He’s powerful enough to defend transitions but technically good enough that Chelsea aren’t sacrificing possession to get that physicality.
His recent international data illustrates the combination: UEFA has him at 96.25% passing accuracy across his current European-qualifying appearances, alongside 10 tackles and 15 recoveries.
Camara is the fascinating alternative
Actually, Camara is probably the player I’d choose if I wanted the most technically balanced midfield.
You could have:
Caicedo — Camara
and Camara gives you a little bit of everything:
That’s a really important quality when you’ve already got Palmer and Rogers demanding creative responsibility.
But I still prefer Koné.
Why?
Because I think Chelsea’s biggest potential weakness with that front three is transition defence.
Palmer and Rogers are going to take risks.
João Pedro is going to roam.
The wing-backs are going to push forward.
Suddenly you’ve got:
Palmer
Rogers
João Pedro
wing-back
wing-back
ahead of your midfield.
You need somebody who can put out fires.
Koné is built for that.
And Scott?
Scott is actually the player I’d be least interested in for Chelsea.
Not because he’s worse than the others.
It’s because Chelsea already have Caicedo’s running and defensive intensity.
Scott would give you another excellent athlete, but he doesn’t add enough of something that Chelsea desperately lack.
Koné gives you the ability to break pressure by carrying.
Camara gives you technical versatility.
Wharton gives you elite distribution.
Scott gives you more running.
Of those four, that’s the least valuable addition to this particular XI.
Here’s how I see the four partnerships
Caicedo + Wharton
The controller partnership
Excellent possession
Excellent defensive reading
Brilliant passing
Controls games
Less physically imposing
Less dynamic ball carrying
Potentially too conservative behind Palmer/Rogers
This would be fantastic against a team sitting deep.
Caicedo + Camara
The complete partnership
Very balanced
Excellent defensively
Good carrying
Good passing
Lots of tactical flexibility
Doesn’t have one truly elite complementary speciality
This might actually be the safest pairing.
Caicedo + Koné
The f**king nightmare partnership
Physical
Press resistant
Ball winning
Ball carrying
Transition protection
Can defend huge spaces
Can progress the ball himself
And crucially:
neither needs to be the team’s chief creator.
That’s what I love about it.
You could basically tell them:
“Win the midfield. Get the ball to the three monsters in front of you.”
And let Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro cook.
Caicedo + Scott
The engine-room partnership
Relentless
Excellent pressing
Great physical coverage
Good transition defence
Less creativity
Less press resistance
Less progressive passing
Less ability to break a press through individual quality
I think Chelsea would become extremely energetic but potentially a little blunt.
And there’s another reason I love Koné here
Look at what Alonso is trying to create.
His Chelsea isn’t simply trying to dominate possession for the sake of it. The Palmer/Rogers combination is designed to be unpredictable and aggressive, with Rogers particularly valuable because he can carry the ball and break lines from the half-space. The Premier League specifically identified him as an ideal fit for Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 because of his ball-carrying and No.10/winger hybrid qualities.
So I’d want the midfield to be functional rather than ornamental.
My prompt: And given the Chelsea team that Xabi Alonso has put together this season who do you think best completes that team in place of Enzo Fernandez? I’m not ask who is most like Enzo but rather which player best improves the Chelsea team when considering playing next to Caicedo and having Palmer, Rogers and Pedro ahead of them up top
Yes — this changes my answer quite significantly.
If the question is no longer “who is the best midfielder?” but:
“Who makes this specific Chelsea team better alongside Caicedo, with Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro ahead of them?”
then I would take Manu Koné.
And I think it’s a fairly clear choice.
Chelsea’s current setup under Xabi Alonso is essentially built around a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3, with Palmer and Rogers operating behind João Pedro. Alonso has explicitly said that trio is something he wants to build around, and the early matches have shown how much freedom they’re being given.
That means I don’t think Chelsea need another midfielder whose primary job is to create.
They need someone who makes it possible for those three to create without worrying about what’s behind them.
My answer: Manu Koné
I’d rank the four specifically for this Chelsea team:
Manu Koné Lamine Camara Adam Wharton Alex ScottAnd the reasons are quite different from my previous ceiling ranking.
The key is Caicedo
This is the crucial bit.
If you already have Caicedo, I don’t think you want to duplicate what he does.
Caicedo is an outstanding defensive midfielder: covering ground, winning the ball, defending transitions, pressing, tackling and recovering possession.
So I’d want his partner to answer:
“What does Chelsea need when Caicedo has won the ball?”
And that’s where Koné becomes extremely attractive.
He can receive under pressure, turn, carry through midfield and physically advance the team.
So imagine:
CB → Caicedo wins it → Koné carries → Palmer/Rogers receive
That’s an extremely powerful transition.
Why I wouldn’t choose Wharton
This is the really interesting one.
If Chelsea didn’t have Caicedo, I’d be very tempted by Wharton.
But alongside Caicedo?
I’m less convinced.
Wharton would give you:
Caicedo + elite distribution
which is fantastic.
But you’d still have a midfield that relies quite heavily on passing to progress the ball.
And then look at what’s ahead of them:
Palmer — Rogers
João Pedro
You don’t need to add another primary creator.
Those three already have absurd amounts of technical quality and imagination. Alonso’s whole idea is to give them freedom and responsibility.
What you need behind them is someone who says:
“Don’t worry. I’ve got the physical side of this.”
That’s Koné.
Why Koné + Caicedo is so interesting
This is the partnership I’d want to see.
Caicedo
Defensive intelligence
↓
wins/recycles possession
↓
covers space
Koné
receives
↓
resists pressure
↓
carries 15–30 yards
↓
releases Palmer/Rogers
They’re complementary rather than duplicative.
And Koné’s physical profile is exactly what I’d want behind Chelsea’s attacking four.
He’s powerful enough to defend transitions but technically good enough that Chelsea aren’t sacrificing possession to get that physicality.
His recent international data illustrates the combination: UEFA has him at 96.25% passing accuracy across his current European-qualifying appearances, alongside 10 tackles and 15 recoveries.
Camara is the fascinating alternative
Actually, Camara is probably the player I’d choose if I wanted the most technically balanced midfield.
You could have:
Caicedo — Camara
and Camara gives you a little bit of everything:
- progressive passing
- ball carrying
- defensive work
- pressing
- creativity
- ability to play deeper or higher
That’s a really important quality when you’ve already got Palmer and Rogers demanding creative responsibility.
But I still prefer Koné.
Why?
Because I think Chelsea’s biggest potential weakness with that front three is transition defence.
Palmer and Rogers are going to take risks.
João Pedro is going to roam.
The wing-backs are going to push forward.
Suddenly you’ve got:
Palmer
Rogers
João Pedro
wing-back
wing-back
ahead of your midfield.
You need somebody who can put out fires.
Koné is built for that.
And Scott?
Scott is actually the player I’d be least interested in for Chelsea.
Not because he’s worse than the others.
It’s because Chelsea already have Caicedo’s running and defensive intensity.
Scott would give you another excellent athlete, but he doesn’t add enough of something that Chelsea desperately lack.
Koné gives you the ability to break pressure by carrying.
Camara gives you technical versatility.
Wharton gives you elite distribution.
Scott gives you more running.
Of those four, that’s the least valuable addition to this particular XI.
Here’s how I see the four partnerships
Caicedo + Wharton
The controller partnership
Excellent possession Excellent defensive reading Brilliant passing Controls games Less physically imposing Less dynamic ball carrying Potentially too conservative behind Palmer/RogersThis would be fantastic against a team sitting deep.
Caicedo + Camara
The complete partnership
Very balanced Excellent defensively Good carrying Good passing Lots of tactical flexibility Doesn’t have one truly elite complementary specialityThis might actually be the safest pairing.
Caicedo + Koné
The f**king nightmare partnership
Physical Press resistant Ball winning Ball carrying Transition protection Can defend huge spaces Can progress the ball himselfAnd crucially:
neither needs to be the team’s chief creator.
That’s what I love about it.
You could basically tell them:
“Win the midfield. Get the ball to the three monsters in front of you.”
And let Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro cook.
Caicedo + Scott
The engine-room partnership
Relentless Excellent pressing Great physical coverage Good transition defence Less creativity Less press resistance Less progressive passing Less ability to break a press through individual qualityI think Chelsea would become extremely energetic but potentially a little blunt.
And there’s another reason I love Koné here
Look at what Alonso is trying to create.
His Chelsea isn’t simply trying to dominate possession for the sake of it. The Palmer/Rogers combination is designed to be unpredictable and aggressive, with Rogers particularly valuable because he can carry the ball and break lines from the half-space. The Premier League specifically identified him as an ideal fit for Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 because of his ball-carrying and No.10/winger hybrid qualities.
So I’d want the midfield to be functional rather than ornamental.
WhiteWall
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We're not out of the woods yet.
Having said that we won't let Fernandez go without be able to strengthen it looks like we have done exactly that and are currently coming up short on replacements with no likely candidates. And then, if our midfield wasn't thin enough we have now moved Essugo out to Strasbourg on loan because of no other takers.
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We’ve 100% got someone (Camara) but hopefully 2 (MGW) lined up already, just dotting i’s and crossing t’s.
Remember when we were linked all deadline day with Smith-Rowe and then signed Palmer out the blue. How the Rogers deal happened in the space of about 2 minutes.
I’ve been sceptical and critical of these lot but this window is starting to show they might not be as clueless as first suspected.
WhiteWall
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This is very interesting, although I am not sure if his fitness record has been taken into account. I'm interested why it was limited to the four main players linked on the Internet. I'd be interested in knowing what wider search would bring up. Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Camavinga or another one that I personally like James Garner who already has prem experienceThis’ll be a long post but I’ve been chatting with ChatGPT about the 4 players we’re linked with as a replacement and I thought the response was interesting so I’m sharing.
My prompt: And given the Chelsea team that Xabi Alonso has put together this season who do you think best completes that team in place of Enzo Fernandez? I’m not ask who is most like Enzo but rather which player best improves the Chelsea team when considering playing next to Caicedo and having Palmer, Rogers and Pedro ahead of them up top
Yes — this changes my answer quite significantly.
If the question is no longer “who is the best midfielder?” but:
“Who makes this specific Chelsea team better alongside Caicedo, with Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro ahead of them?”
then I would take Manu Koné.
And I think it’s a fairly clear choice.
Chelsea’s current setup under Xabi Alonso is essentially built around a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3, with Palmer and Rogers operating behind João Pedro. Alonso has explicitly said that trio is something he wants to build around, and the early matches have shown how much freedom they’re being given.
That means I don’t think Chelsea need another midfielder whose primary job is to create.
They need someone who makes it possible for those three to create without worrying about what’s behind them.
My answer: Manu Koné
I’d rank the four specifically for this Chelsea team:
And the reasons are quite different from my previous ceiling ranking.
The key is Caicedo
This is the crucial bit.
If you already have Caicedo, I don’t think you want to duplicate what he does.
Caicedo is an outstanding defensive midfielder: covering ground, winning the ball, defending transitions, pressing, tackling and recovering possession.
So I’d want his partner to answer:
“What does Chelsea need when Caicedo has won the ball?”
And that’s where Koné becomes extremely attractive.
He can receive under pressure, turn, carry through midfield and physically advance the team.
So imagine:
CB → Caicedo wins it → Koné carries → Palmer/Rogers receive
That’s an extremely powerful transition.
Why I wouldn’t choose Wharton
This is the really interesting one.
If Chelsea didn’t have Caicedo, I’d be very tempted by Wharton.
But alongside Caicedo?
I’m less convinced.
Wharton would give you:
Caicedo + elite distribution
which is fantastic.
But you’d still have a midfield that relies quite heavily on passing to progress the ball.
And then look at what’s ahead of them:
Palmer — Rogers
João Pedro
You don’t need to add another primary creator.
Those three already have absurd amounts of technical quality and imagination. Alonso’s whole idea is to give them freedom and responsibility.
What you need behind them is someone who says:
“Don’t worry. I’ve got the physical side of this.”
That’s Koné.
Why Koné + Caicedo is so interesting
This is the partnership I’d want to see.
Caicedo
Defensive intelligence
↓
wins/recycles possession
↓
covers space
Koné
receives
↓
resists pressure
↓
carries 15–30 yards
↓
releases Palmer/Rogers
They’re complementary rather than duplicative.
And Koné’s physical profile is exactly what I’d want behind Chelsea’s attacking four.
He’s powerful enough to defend transitions but technically good enough that Chelsea aren’t sacrificing possession to get that physicality.
His recent international data illustrates the combination: UEFA has him at 96.25% passing accuracy across his current European-qualifying appearances, alongside 10 tackles and 15 recoveries.
Camara is the fascinating alternative
Actually, Camara is probably the player I’d choose if I wanted the most technically balanced midfield.
You could have:
Caicedo — Camara
and Camara gives you a little bit of everything:
And unlike Wharton, he doesn’t need the game to be organised around him.
- progressive passing
- ball carrying
- defensive work
- pressing
- creativity
- ability to play deeper or higher
That’s a really important quality when you’ve already got Palmer and Rogers demanding creative responsibility.
But I still prefer Koné.
Why?
Because I think Chelsea’s biggest potential weakness with that front three is transition defence.
Palmer and Rogers are going to take risks.
João Pedro is going to roam.
The wing-backs are going to push forward.
Suddenly you’ve got:
Palmer
Rogers
João Pedro
wing-back
wing-back
ahead of your midfield.
You need somebody who can put out fires.
Koné is built for that.
And Scott?
Scott is actually the player I’d be least interested in for Chelsea.
Not because he’s worse than the others.
It’s because Chelsea already have Caicedo’s running and defensive intensity.
Scott would give you another excellent athlete, but he doesn’t add enough of something that Chelsea desperately lack.
Koné gives you the ability to break pressure by carrying.
Camara gives you technical versatility.
Wharton gives you elite distribution.
Scott gives you more running.
Of those four, that’s the least valuable addition to this particular XI.
Here’s how I see the four partnerships
Caicedo + Wharton
The controller partnership
This would be fantastic against a team sitting deep.
Caicedo + Camara
The complete partnership
This might actually be the safest pairing.
Caicedo + Koné
The f**king nightmare partnership
And crucially:
neither needs to be the team’s chief creator.
That’s what I love about it.
You could basically tell them:
“Win the midfield. Get the ball to the three monsters in front of you.”
And let Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro cook.
Caicedo + Scott
The engine-room partnership
I think Chelsea would become extremely energetic but potentially a little blunt.
And there’s another reason I love Koné here
Look at what Alonso is trying to create.
His Chelsea isn’t simply trying to dominate possession for the sake of it. The Palmer/Rogers combination is designed to be unpredictable and aggressive, with Rogers particularly valuable because he can carry the ball and break lines from the half-space. The Premier League specifically identified him as an ideal fit for Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 because of his ball-carrying and No.10/winger hybrid qualities.
So I’d want the midfield to be functional rather than ornamental.
Sconnie Blue
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From Wharton, to Scott, to Zubimendi, to Kone, to Camara, and now they've somehow talked themselves into being satisfied with a midfield that currently has Malo Gusto and a brittle Lavia on the pitch.
Sconnie Blue
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It's annoying. It really is. Especially with how weak every club is.
I stand by that Wharton or a top CM would've genuinely had us challenging.
Now we are seemingly content with having a midfield that completed only 20 passes against Brighton last weekend.
I remember a time when a club could sign 4-5 new players, have them click immediately, and suddenly challenge for silverware. I don't think that's really the case anymore, at least not at the top level. Don't get me wrong—I miss that and all the excitement of finally seeing the new players on the pitch for the first time.
It's not even necessarily about the quality of the new players either. It's the change in itself that often disrupts the established mechanics. That's why we don't see many new teams winning anymore. Arsenal are a good example: it took them years to get to the point where they could seriously challenge City, and keeping the squad relatively stable seemed to be an obvious part of that process.
Cups are different for sure, but even there you don't seem to see completely new teams coming together and immediately winning trophies the way you used to.
19seventyone
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Our start has you believing we can mount a title challenge?
Not for me ….yet. We’ve conceded 5 goals in 2 games and that is a million miles away from title form whether we sign anyone today or not.
Agree with the rest of your post
