BBC gossip saying Llorente. A good target man, but Athletico would want a fortune for him I reckon. Doesn't make sense after spending out on Lukaka.

BBC gossip saying Llorente. A good target man, but Athletico would want a fortune for him I reckon. Doesn't make sense after spending out on Lukaka.

Not a chance. We're moving away from a style of football that requires a target man. We only play one up front, so would only need 2/3 strikers in our squad. We have Torres who cost £50m, Lukaku who cost £18m and Sturridge who cost us £5m in compensation; why then spend £25m on a forward who wouldn't fit in.

If Drogba and Anelka both do move on in January, I think the best way to deal would be to bring in a winger. Adam Johnson, Marco Reus... someone of that ilk and we'd be sorted I reckon. Not that we'll allow both to leave at the same time.

Also, the story is from The Metro...

Not a chance. We're moving away from a style of football that requires a target man. We only play one up front, so would only need 2/3 strikers in our squad. We have Torres who cost £50m, Lukaku who cost £18m and Sturridge who cost us £5m in compensation; why then spend £25m on a forward who wouldn't fit in.

If Drogba and Anelka both do move on in January, I think the best way to deal would be to bring in a winger. Adam Johnson, Marco Reus... someone of that ilk and we'd be sorted I reckon. Not that we'll allow both to leave at the same time.

Also, the story is from The Metro...

I couldn't agree more. In hinesight, if we had got Ribbery he would have fitted our system perfectly.

I couldn't agree more. In hinesight, if we had got Ribbery he would have fitted our system perfectly.

Ribery - The same guy who is almost 30 years old? The same lad who has admitted to having a relationship with an underage prostitute and has attracted more controversy than maybe even JT? The same man who has been injury prone throughout the last 5 years at Bayern and who hasnt played in 30 games during a season sinc2 2005/06?

Not sure he is the type of player we should be looking at to be honest.

Out of those free agents probably Cahill and Holliet. I think Holliet is going to be quite special in the future.

Seems we're going to be having a Bilbao raid if the press are to be believed. Llorente from the Metro and Javi Martinez from the Mail yesterday.

I think we will be signing another striker, though I don't think it will be Llorente. I'd suggest he'll be more of a link striker capable of playing wider or most specifically deeper as well, someone who can both replace Torres when need be, but also dovetail with him on occasion as well. Cavani interestingly is capable of doing all three, though I don't expect him to be arriving here.

I still think we had serious interest in Ribery, but left it too late after the Modric deal collapsed. His play this season so far has been nothing short of exquisite, and there is no doubt he would have added another level to the team. But he'll be off the table now given his form. Interestingly Robben might be the one who could be available if Bayern secure Reus or Gotze. Forget his injuries or his age, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

Just on the free transfer list. The one guy who could make an impact is Jefferson Farfan who is off contract with Schalke and probably wouldn't turn down a chance to come here. Right footed, right winger who has come along way even in the last year. He'd be a cheaper alternative to almost all of the strikers/wingers we're linked too and he isn't short of quality either.

Ribery - The same guy who is almost 30 years old? The same lad who has admitted to having a relationship with an underage prostitute and has attracted more controversy than maybe even JT? The same man who has been injury prone throughout the last 5 years at Bayern and who hasnt played in 30 games during a season sinc2 2005/06?

Not sure he is the type of player we should be looking at to be honest.

I was thinking more about how well he's playing, but at least he might take some of the focus of old JT.

Seems we're going to be having a Bilbao raid if the press are to be believed. Llorente from the Metro and Javi Martinez from the Mail yesterday.

I think we will be signing another striker, though I don't think it will be Llorente. I'd suggest he'll be more of a link striker capable of playing wider or most specifically deeper as well, someone who can both replace Torres when need be, but also dovetail with him on occasion as well. Cavani interestingly is capable of doing all three, though I don't expect him to be arriving here.

I still think we had serious interest in Ribery, but left it too late after the Modric deal collapsed. His play this season so far has been nothing short of exquisite, and there is no doubt he would have added another level to the team. But he'll be off the table now given his form. Interestingly Robben might be the one who could be available if Bayern secure Reus or Gotze. Forget his injuries or his age, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

Just on the free transfer list. The one guy who could make an impact is Jefferson Farfan who is off contract with Schalke and probably wouldn't turn down a chance to come here. Right footed, right winger who has come along way even in the last year. He'd be a cheaper alternative to almost all of the strikers/wingers we're linked too and he isn't short of quality either.

I think we'd only go for a striker if both Drogba and Anelka leave and I don't see that happening... not both at the same time, anyway. I want to see more of Javi Martinez, though... I remember (from when I watched La Liga regularly) him as powerful midfielder, very much in the English mould, but the papers seem to have written about him being more like Xabi Alonso. Has he really changed in the last two seasons to be a deep lying playmaker type?

Farfan never seemed up to scratch to me. I'd rather have Kakuta back from his loan spell.

I think we'd only go for a striker if both Drogba and Anelka leave and I don't see that happening... not both at the same time, anyway. I want to see more of Javi Martinez, though... I remember (from when I watched La Liga regularly) him as powerful midfielder, very much in the English mould, but the papers seem to have written about him being more like Xabi Alonso. Has he really changed in the last two seasons to be a deep lying playmaker type?

Farfan never seemed up to scratch to me. I'd rather have Kakuta back from his loan spell.

Thats where he is being played at the moment. Agree about Farfan, from the little i've seen I don't see him being good enough.

Speaking of Daniele De Rossi Bruno Conti, director of Roma said:

I would like to remind people of the following: Chelsea offered €70m for him, a lot of money, but [then president] Rosella Sensi turned it down.

Bruno Conti: Liar or lunatic. You decide.

You know what I would enjoy? If we offered nothing for him on January 2 and he was in Chelsea blue next August. You wouldn't be sounding so smug then Conti.

Also on those who are doubting Farfan. 3 goals and 6 assists so far this season. 10 goals 13 assists in all competitions last season.

His numbers in the Bundesliga (courtesy of whoscored.com)

Apps A KP Avg P PS% C LB TB

8(2) 3 2.6 31.7 77 1.9 0.8 0.1

SpG KP Drb F Off Dis Trn

0.8 2.6 2.8 2.8 0.5 1.7 0.8

Now here are the numbers of Mario Gotze

Apps A KP Avg P PS% C LB TB

10 4 2.9 36.6 77 2 1.1 -

SpG KP Drb F Off Dis Trn

1.5 2.9 4 1.9 0.6 2.9 2.1

For some reason the copy pasted tables don't align properly, but we're all reasonably smart people who can work it out.

The not self-explanatory abbreviations(almost all are per game) mean:

PS% - percentage successful passes

Dis- Dispossessed per game

SpG - Shots per game

Drb - Successful dribbles per game

KP - Key passes

Trn - Turnovers

F - Fouled per game

C - Accurate Crosses per game

TB - Accurate Through balls per game

LB - Accurate Long balls per game

Notice that they aren't very different? Also did you notice that Gotze will cost 30-40m in the summer in all likelihood and Farfan will cost nothing? He's not a bad buy at all.

Edited November 14, 201114 yr by Spiller86

Farfan and Hoillet are the interesting ones for me, although I think that Cahill at the price being mentioned wouldn't be bad either.

Edited November 15, 201114 yr by ace

I was thinking more about how well he's playing, but at least he might take some of the focus of old JT.

If that's the idea we could do with far cheaper options like Barton.

If that's the idea we could do with far cheaper options like Barton.

Couldn't cheer him on, he's off the scale on the c**t'o'metre. Would love to see that twit from The Only Way Is West Ham give him a shoeing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2063855/Chelsea-want-sign-Cheick-Tiote-Newcastle.html

Nope.

Tiote wouldn't be the worst idea ever - although admittedly it would seem as if we were resigned to the fact Essien will never play much again, plus he'll be gone in Feb for the ACoN so I can't really see that happening in January at least. I really rate the player actually, may provide some stability / the enforcer that we're obviously missing in midfield (and hopefully push Mikel out of the team further).

Heard on TalkSport that Malaga want to sign Torres. They are loaded, right now I would take £50m for him

Along with Sturridge he is our best option up front at the moment, but I think we need quite a big overhaul & I don't see him ever getting his frightening pace back that made him so potent for the rat munchers.

If we can recoup a lot of what we paid, then yeah, sell him. He's not doing the business for us and I very much doubt he ever will. Would love to be proved wrong, but I won't be.

If Malaga want Torres and are willing to pay the money for him, then we'd be mad not to take it. Because we would be getting massive overs for him.

Sid Lowe actually said it was unlikely to happen due to the fact it doesnt fit their blueprint.

Someone else who seems to be looking for a club in January is Milos Krasic. He can't seem to get in the Juve team and his agent is saying he's on his way. I've had a look at him and he's certainly got pace, but seems to lack quality with his final ball.

I think Krasic is pretty decent, wouldn't mind another serb Subotic either, should have got him or Jones when we spunked our money on the radio controlled centre back.

Krasic plays a position we are massively weak at. Mata looks like he would fit the central role much better, so any new central mid we go for would be taking Lampards place.

That would be the attraction of Krasic, in that we are weak for crossing wingers. He is inconsistent but deadly when on form.

It's all about options as far as I'm concerned, the ability to give AVB the ability to change the game.

I'd be happy if we could get half of what we paid for Torres. I really think he was a wrong buy. To me the team doesnt seem natural when he plays. Maybe its because we have played for so long with DD i dont know. I wish that someone would come in and take Torres off our hands and let AVB pick his own front line.