1. I think our options are much better than people realize. Lukaku and Sturridge need minutes at the striker spot. They are the kinds of players who need regular minutes to develop and grow.

And Sturridge is currently a starter even with Drogba at the club and Lukaku is an eighteen-year-old (younger than Josh!) with little experience outside the Belgian league. They're both playing as much as they should be at the moment

Drogba's not a long-term plan as a centre-forward, but he's also not blocking the club's long-term plan unless they're a lot more optimistic about Torres' chances of returning to his form of two years back than I am. Unless we can pick up a first-rate replacement in January - unlikely, given that we'll already be working hard to replace Alex and Anelka - we'd do better to hold onto him, completely clinch our spot in next year's CL, and give him a grand sendoff against Blackburn in May.

http://www.sportsvibe.co.uk/news/football/chelsea-set-to-raid-london-rivals-in-shock-40m-move-for-dutch-international-striker-14044/?

Chelsea set to Raid London Rivals in Shock £40m Move for Dutch International Striker

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is preparing a sensational move for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie and could make a move for the dutchman as soon as the January transfer window.

Arsenal captain van Persie is in the final two years of his current contract at the Emirates, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to tie his skipper down to a new deal but the striker is yet to commit to a new deal.

Let the madness begin...

Yes this guy is a genius, but the price we would pay for someone of his age and injury record would be too much. Also, we need more vital position fulfilled.

We'd be far better off buying Bacary Sagna than jumping on the Van Persie hype train.

Yes surely he is due a season ending injury shortly. I don't know what they feed them in the Netherlands, but it leads to severe sporting injuries that's for sure! I wonder how many sports surgeons' kids he and Robben have put through university?

Edited December 8, 201114 yr by Spiller86

Our current problem are at right back(or back up), right wing and maybe central midfield. I hope AVB is aware of this and doesnt go shopping for Van Persie. First of all I hate the guy and second he's bound to fail if we land him, we all know it.

L'Equipe says PSG pair Makelele & Roche were at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to discuss the potential signing of Salomon Kalou.

Our current problem are at right back(or back up), right wing and maybe central midfield. I hope AVB is aware of this and doesnt go shopping for Van Persie. First of all I hate the guy and second he's bound to fail if we land him, we all know it.

Interesting... Do you not see Sturridge as a long term solution there? A lot of people on here seem to think he should be playing centrally, but he didn't really play centrally for Bolton, either and he gets the most joy running at players which is a lot harder from the central position, I think he's the solution to that position. A goal scorer from wide if you will, so more of a right forward than a winger.

We may well have to look at the centre forward position though, if Torres is deemed unlikely to regain his old form then we'll need to replace the void up front that will be left in that position. This season we may well last with Drogba being our main man, but next season he won't be here and we'll be left with Lukaku and Torres. If AVB plans on cutting his losses on Torres a new striker will be needed because Lukaku is simply too raw. A lot of supposition there of course, but the manager would never speak publicly on such matters so it's all we're left with. Personally I'd put some trust in Torres to get back to form, but AVB will call it as he sees it so we never know.

Interesting... Do you not see Sturridge as a long term solution there? A lot of people on here seem to think he should be playing centrally, but he didn't really play centrally for Bolton, either and he gets the most joy running at players which is a lot harder from the central position, I think he's the solution to that position. A goal scorer from wide if you will, so more of a right forward than a winger.

We may well have to look at the centre forward position though, if Torres is deemed unlikely to regain his old form then we'll need to replace the void up front that will be left in that position. This season we may well last with Drogba being our main man, but next season he won't be here and we'll be left with Lukaku and Torres. If AVB plans on cutting his losses on Torres a new striker will be needed because Lukaku is simply too raw. A lot of supposition there of course, but the manager would never speak publicly on such matters so it's all we're left with. Personally I'd put some trust in Torres to get back to form, but AVB will call it as he sees it so we never know.

I believe Sturridge can play centrally and would be a better option than any we have right now for the system AVB wants to play. Even if his best position is out wide, I'd still take a wide player just to have more options out wide. I also believe Lukaku can, in a year or two, develop into a good target man hence I feel if there was a choice for me between a striker and a wide man, I'd choose the latter.

Talking of wide players, Shaqiri looks very decent

oh dear, here we go again. A player has a half-way decent game on the telly, and people start raving about him.

oh dear, here we go again. A player has a half-way decent game on the telly, and people start raving about him.

Yes, but TBF he was pretty good at the u21 comp in the summer.

oh dear, here we go again. A player has a half-way decent game on the telly, and people start raving about him.

Im not bothered how good he is, I just want to be able to shout "come on Shaqiri Shaqiri"....

hips don't lie, mate!

Oh,and congrats, BTW :)

Talking of wide players, Shaqiri looks very decent

NO-----------------------------------ffs would be no better than kalou/Kakuta or some of the younger academy players...

against a poor utd outfit with so much room....what did he do....crossed a few balls.....get Geremi back at that rate..

http://www.sportsvib...striker-14044/?

Let the madness begin...

Could do a lot worse!

hips don't lie, mate!

Oh,and congrats, BTW :)

Glad someone got that.

and cheers mate.

L'Equipe says PSG pair Makelele & Roche were at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to discuss the potential signing of Salomon Kalou.

Good to see there are clubs still interested in buying Kalou, a fee above 5 million would be great deal for us.

Good to see there are clubs still interested in buying Kalou, a fee above 5 million would be great deal for us.

at least recoup what we paid for him. Part of me will be sad to see him go, he's been a good pro, but never quite good enough on a consistant basis, got an unfair amount of critics in my opinion. Not a world beater by any means but scores some important goals for us.

From twitter: Chelsea's scouts are beginning to plot possible January raids and are monitoring versatile Liverpool and England U21 defender Martin Kelly.

Well they are our feeder club!

Edit: Shouldn't you beat your feeder club??

According to mirror tiote is very close to agree terms with us and he's getting checked up on by the doctors etc.. bs or not? Mikel bye bye maybe

I hope that the tiote rumour is bs, a decent player but wouldn't be consistent enough for our first team especially with the progress

Oriol. Unless there's something we don't know with oriol leaving in the summer.

I just don't think we need tiote.

Didn't it also say he was using a witch doctor to cure his injury?

So why didn't the mug join us last jan: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Newcastle-midfielder-Cheick-Tiote-uses-witch-doctor-to-help-secure-Chelsea-move-article841741.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter