Dier is ok a bit Matic-like for me except he has a decent free kick. 

Bale, no doubt a talent but has re-occurring injury problems that will just get worse with age, IMO.

Zaha has the talent and the build to be a real player...it's just whether he has the big team temperament that worries me...

3 hours ago, BordeauxBlue said:

Agree about Bale but his injuries are a serious concern. 

Davies is decent. Dier is horrendous, only looked good when in midfield with Dembele doing the heavy lifting. 

Plus if you think we're signing a Spurs player you're having a giggle. Levy would sooner rip his cock off and throw it in the river than sell us anything.

Big European clubs are interested in him and I can see why. Doesn't get enough credit for his performances for club and country. If I were spurs id do all I could to keep hold of him, Davies as well. Also, in regards to Dier, he doesn't mind giving it some as well, remember a few tasty tackles he put in during the 'Battle of the Bridge.' game. 

Another player who I think would fit in well with Chelsea is Marco Reus. Very similar player to Andre Schurrle who had success at Chelsea when given the opportunity. Remember a crackerjack ha trick he scored against Fulham. Good versatility Reus would bring too. 

10 hours ago, doctorblue said:

Zaha has the talent and the build to be a real player...it's just whether he has the big team temperament that worries me...

Zaha, Mahrez, Fekir, Richarlison... I'd love to see a few of those here... Replacing Pedro and Willian next season, both of whom are getting on a bit and should be cashed in on imo.

 

Ps. Zaha has grown. He is their captain. He has a lot more experience than when at Man Utd. He's a tricky, tricky player who is improving all the time. Will help a lot in drawing defenders, beating players one on one, etc.

Edited December 22, 20178 yr by Sun zhi

4 hours ago, Sun zhi said:

Zaha, Mahrez, Fekir, Richarlison... I'd love to see a few of those here... Replacing Pedro and Willian next season, both of whom are getting on a bit and should be cashed in on imo.

 

Ps. Zaha has grown. He is their captain. He has a lot more experience than when at Man Utd. He's a tricky, tricky player who is improving all the time. Will help a lot in drawing defenders, beating players one on one, etc.

Not sure I agree Sun Zhi, for me Mahrez is already Chelsea quality and Zaha and Richarlison certainly have good qualities though don't think they are of the right quality for where Chelsea are at just now.

Not aware of Fekir.

 

2 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Not sure I agree Sun Zhi, for me Mahrez is already Chelsea quality and Zaha and Richarlison certainly have good qualities though don't think they are of the right quality for where Chelsea are at just now.

Not aware of Fekir.

 

Yes. Mahrez is. Fekir, too, imo.

Zaha isn't the most reliable with his end product (Willian replacement!) but he is constantly improving.

He's also homegrown.

Richarlison is only 20, and one for the future, but is already good enough to do a job. He can play either wing and up front, too, so has versatility.

 

Fekir had an excellent season in 2016/17 along with Lacazette (I don't want him heading there), also before he got injured in previous season.

 

This season he's scoring goals at the rate of a striker but as an AM 

Stats: 2017/2018

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/134893/Show/Nabil-Fekir

 

After watching a few minutes of that agree he would be a good addition and if Hazard were to leave would offer some compensation though would think we need to strengthen in other areas too.

I get the optimism on punting on an injury prone quality player but for me, it's not worth paying 100+k wages for a guy that is available probably 20 games a season and is top form in about 3-5.

You don't score when you're in the treatment room

Bonucci Luiz swap...

Not the biggest Luiz fan but I think I'd keep him instead. Defenders from the Italian league haven't been great in more recent years. He's 30, too... Better take the money if he's to be sold.

Sell Luiz, add another 25m on top and get Van Dijk, I'd say. 

If only it were that easy. :p

Not sure why people are so keen on Zaha? Good player but that's about it. People moan about Willian not scoring enough yet the guy has outscored Zaha in almost every season and at 25 I doubt he's going to get any better

 

We should be looking at the likes of Fekir, Malcom, Thomas Lemar and Leon Baily. All talented young players who would go straight into the first 11 and will all become even better in the next few years

Fekir and Lemar are brilliant but quite different. Both are far superior to Zaha.

I'd prefer Fekir myself.

On 12/22/2017 at 14:28, Sun zhi said:

Yes. Mahrez is. Fekir, too, imo.

Zaha isn't the most reliable with his end product (Willian replacement!) but he is constantly improving.

He's also homegrown.

Richarlison is only 20, and one for the future, but is already good enough to do a job. He can play either wing and up front, too, so has versatility.

 

Fekir had an excellent season in 2016/17 along with Lacazette (I don't want him heading there), also before he got injured in previous season.

 

This season he's scoring goals at the rate of a striker but as an AM 

Stats: 2017/2018

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/134893/Show/Nabil-Fekir

 

not seeing how that guy offers much that willian or pedro doesn't. i think lemar would be better here, but i do like mahrez too because i feel he has that vision and creativity that willian and pedro lack. 

1 hour ago, enigma said:

not seeing how that guy offers much that willian or pedro doesn't. i think lemar would be better here, but i do like mahrez too because i feel he has that vision and creativity that willian and pedro lack. 

He has vision and creativity and linked up superbly with Lacazette last season. 

He is player who can hold on to the ball, can dribble past players, has good strength, is creative, scores a lot of goals... He is a very, very good player, and hopefully a bit cheaper than Lemar. He's also physically in the Hazard, Aguero mould, so he should be able to cope very well with the Prem from that point of view.

And he's got the captain's mentality.

Chelsea had a lot of them during Mourinho's first spell. Players who take charge and don't shy away from taking responsibility when the going gets tough.

 

Can tell a lot of people play FIFA on here with their player recommendations 

( :p I guess I'd be one of those^ included in the assumption... But I've not played a FIFA - properly played - since FIFA 99... )

... Liverpool taking Van Dijk for 75m!

Crazy, crazy money. I thought the price would have been reduced given his form.

He should improve their defence but... 75m? 

Good to see it's not Man City who've bought him. 

With a solid DM, a quality striker and a Left w/fb they'd be a very strong team all round I think. 

Amazing that there are very little rumours swirling around that solidly link us with any players.   I guess that's a good thing...the quieter the better; with the league now out of sight let's hope the Board at least back the manager so we can win a piece of silverware.....the CL would be nice 

Since most players we were linked with in the past 12 months ended up elsewhere, it's best we keep quite this winter and get the deal done before other clubs found out. It will be interesting to see what's Roman's decision this time, it's obvious Conte has done a good job to steady the ship and not doing a Jose, but it's also easy to see we are short in terms of quality in the final third. It's impossible for Conte to turn a Masoouda into a Zaha or Mahraez in a few months, we got spend if we don't just use this season as a transition.

I would have liked to see Musonda on loan in an English team rather than abroad. He needs game time and he's obviously not going to get it here. Maybe to Palace next season? :p

Someone made a point a few posts above... English players.

Recently, was there a game with no English player in the XI?

I think there was.

RLC might possibly make it and feature often. Then there's only Drinkwater, and Cahill. Cahill reaching the end, Drinkwater bit part so far. 

That's one reason I'm not against the idea of Luke Shaw, or even Danny Rose at left wingback.

That was also the reason I wasn't as annoyed at the Barkley interest. I don't rate him particularly highly, but for me, it's important to have a few English players at the club.

 

 

I'd take Luke Shaw over any LB bar Sandro.

Barkley is not what we need IMO but if it happens it happens.

I'd look at Tierney from Celtic or Sessegnon from Fulham

3 hours ago, doctorblue said:

I'd look at Tierney from Celtic or Sessegnon from Fulham

Both quality but are they ready for the big time?

Man, I'd love Tierney to compete with Alonso.

IMO the main problem is not LWB, RWB, CB etc. All the team needs is scorer midfielder. Cesc do not have the form we need. And Bakayoko+Kante duo is not effective more than a table. Keep Hazard, go for Bailey/Lemar, sell Kante or Bakayoko, buy Hamsik or that class one. And then we can talk about Alonso/Moses.  

Looks like we still haven't filled the Lampard role, the scoring midfielder. Mata contributed in this way though not with headers. 

What I have seen all be it mostly MOTD, is Bakayoko, Fabregas and Kante have all scored the odd goal though not often enough. 

I would hope to see a midfield of Kante, Bakayoko and Drinkwater to see if this could create the right balance for offensive and defensive, if only for a few matches.

I just don't think Fab has the energy to get forward and back at speed and so can easily be closed down and his creativity nullified.