9 minutes ago, abramovich said:

Chelsea are interested in Ciro Immobile, according to Il Messaggero.

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/club-news/report-chelsea-interested-in-lazio-striker-ciro-immobile/

In dreamland, IMO he is the main man for his club chasing Serie A title.

Win their game in hand and they jump Inter.

 

45 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

In dreamland, IMO he is the main man for his club chasing Serie A title.

Win their game in hand and they jump Inter.

 

We should be looking at his international team mate Andrea Belotti. We were heavily linked with him when we wanted Morata and he went off the boil a little after an injury, he's back in form again now and hes much more than a goalscorer to their team.

Its pretty obvious Werner is the number 1 target it but I fear the club will lose out on him because he's outscoring Lewandowski right now and if a club like Madrid or even Liverpool come calling in the summer I don't think we can compete unless we offer him obscene wages. Frank has mentioned no knee-jerk signings but it's tough in January because if you want a quality player you have to give clubs an offer they cant refuse and its unlikely any big club will sell their main assets. So you have to look at players like Belotti, Zaha or Dembele and pay over the odds so their teams can reinvest and improve their squads. Leciester selling Harry Maguire for a record fee turned out to be a good piece of business on their part even though he was seen as a important member of their squad. Though I worry that we may have left it too late because we haven't given teams much time to find replacements.

So who knows what will happen, we will probably end up taking an out of form player on loan again like we did we Higuain as I dont see the club spending a huge amount of money until the summer.

44 minutes ago, Sheva said:

We should be looking at his international team mate Andrea Belotti. We were heavily linked with him when we wanted Morata and he went off the boil a little after an injury, he's back in form again now and hes much more than a goalscorer to their team.

Its pretty obvious Werner is the number 1 target it but I fear the club will lose out on him because he's outscoring Lewandowski right now and if a club like Madrid or even Liverpool come calling in the summer I don't think we can compete unless we offer him obscene wages. Frank has mentioned no knee-jerk signings but it's tough in January because if you want a quality player you have to give clubs an offer they cant refuse and its unlikely any big club will sell their main assets. So you have to look at players like Belotti, Zaha or Dembele and pay over the odds so their teams can reinvest and improve their squads. Leciester selling Harry Maguire for a record fee turned out to be a good piece of business on their part even though he was seen as a important member of their squad. Though I worry that we may have left it too late because we haven't given teams much time to find replacements.

So who knows what will happen, we will probably end up taking an out of form player on loan again like we did we Higuain as I dont see the club spending a huge amount of money until the summer.

I'd forgotten about Belotti though do recall a couple of seasons ago he was seen as a potential signing.

5 hours ago, abramovich said:

Chelsea are interested in Ciro Immobile, according to Il Messaggero.

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/club-news/report-chelsea-interested-in-lazio-striker-ciro-immobile/

We've had enough immobile strikers over the years, not sure we want to be signing one who actually has that name 😉

6 hours ago, Sheva said:

We should be looking at his international team mate Andrea Belotti. We were heavily linked with him when we wanted Morata and he went off the boil a little after an injury, he's back in form again now and hes much more than a goalscorer to their team.

Its pretty obvious Werner is the number 1 target it but I fear the club will lose out on him because he's outscoring Lewandowski right now and if a club like Madrid or even Liverpool come calling in the summer I don't think we can compete unless we offer him obscene wages. Frank has mentioned no knee-jerk signings but it's tough in January because if you want a quality player you have to give clubs an offer they cant refuse and its unlikely any big club will sell their main assets. So you have to look at players like Belotti, Zaha or Dembele and pay over the odds so their teams can reinvest and improve their squads. Leciester selling Harry Maguire for a record fee turned out to be a good piece of business on their part even though he was seen as a important member of their squad. Though I worry that we may have left it too late because we haven't given teams much time to find replacements.

So who knows what will happen, we will probably end up taking an out of form player on loan again like we did we Higuain as I dont see the club spending a huge amount of money until the summer.

I don't mind Belotti as a striker. Runs his socks off and seems to get into good areas. Be hard to get him in January though. 

Cavani on a 2 year deal I think is the best option, if we can get him. Leaving aside Higuain we've actually done alright over the years buying older strikers. Eto'o, Vialli, Zola, Hughes were all 30 plus when they signed here. Nor forgetting also that Didier Drogba monstered teams under Carlo also at 32. 

Witha striker like that playing with Tammy we could make the top four and set ourselves up to address the major issues in the summer.

34 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

I don't mind Belotti as a striker. Runs his socks off and seems to get into good areas. Be hard to get him in January though. 

Cavani on a 2 year deal I think is the best option, if we can get him. Leaving aside Higuain we've actually done alright over the years buying older strikers. Eto'o, Vialli, Zola, Hughes were all 30 plus when they signed here. Nor forgetting also that Didier Drogba monstered teams under Carlo also at 32. 

Witha striker like that playing with Tammy we could make the top four and set ourselves up to address the major issues in the summer.

Just don't understand going for an older player like Cavani when we have Giroud.

Cavani might be more mobile yet might take a while to settle down.

13 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

Just don't understand going for an older player like Cavani when we have Giroud.

Cavani might be more mobile yet might take a while to settle down.

Cavani is a better goalscorer and far more mobile.

Just now, Malcolm9 said:

Cavani is a better goalscorer and far more mobile.

I always saw Cavani as a secondary striker, good in the air and I'll never forget that goal they scored against us when playing with Suarez for Uruguay.

10 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Just don't understand going for an older player like Cavani when we have Giroud.

Cavani might be more mobile yet might take a while to settle down.

I like Giroud and think he should have played more. That said Frank doesn't fancy him either due to lack of mobility or the fact he isn't a big goal scorer.

Cavani is nothing if not a goalscorer who still scored 28 goals last season before the arrival of Icardi. He has always been a hard worker and good presser. Which I think is critical for us.

Looking at the other options who might be available in January such as Piatek, Dembele. I think he is a better player still at 32. I'm also not convinced he'll be blocking us from signing perfect striking solution in the summer because it doesn't exist. Werner who you and I have discussed has his challenges and others such as Osimhen are perhaps still a bit unproven. 

Critical difference between other old strikers we've purchased is that we're not asking him to be the talisman. Merely to play a role with Tammy. I think Cavani can do that for at least two seasons from what I've seen of him in the last 12 months.

This is all assuming he is interested of course!

First team Lampard started a transfer rumor, so there must be some interest in Cavani. There's no reason we can't play 442, especially when chasing games.

15 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

First team Lampard started a transfer rumor, so there must be some interest in Cavani. There's no reason we can't play 442, especially when chasing games.

I wanted Frank to try Bats alongside Abraham in a 4-4-2 to rescue points when plan A is not working yet he has never tried it just swapping like for like.

If he plans to do this with Cavani would he be doing this because Cavani is still more mobile than Bats or more because of his football intelligence? 

3 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I wanted Frank to try Bats alongside Abraham in a 4-4-2 to rescue points when plan A is not working yet he has never tried it just swapping like for like.

If he plans to do this with Cavani would he be doing this because Cavani is still more mobile than Bats or more because of his football intelligence? 

Because Cavani is miles better as a striker than Bats. Bats needs to be sold as he clearly doesn't fit in with what we need.

Cavani's wages are also an issue though. 360k/week supposedly. 

Is it too early for the Meme's?

With a week to go, it seriously looking like nothing will happen, or a panic buy on the deadline day. There's not even a remotely decent Chelsea rumor at moment, Cavani deal is possible but looks like we have offer him something special to get him. Maybe with the lose the club made last year, we didn't have much money to spend, and we are selling before buying.

Edited January 23, 20206 yr by icecoolguy22

21 hours ago, Imran_CFC said:

Is it too early for the Meme's?

yes

1 hour ago, icecoolguy22 said:

With a week to go, it seriously looking like nothing will happen, or a panic buy on the deadline day. There's not even a remotely decent Chelsea rumor at moment, Cavani deal is possible but looks like we have offer him something special to get him. Maybe with the lose the club made last year, we didn't have much money to spend, and we are selling before buying.

Yes, all those saying we wouldn't have got the ban lifted if we wasn't going to make a statement in this window. Same old story. The only serious link is a 32 year old on loan for half a season.

I suppose that's a statement of some sort.

33 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Yes, all those saying we wouldn't have got the ban lifted if we wasn't going to make a statement in this window. Same old story. The only serious link is a 32 year old on loan for half a season.

I suppose that's a statement of some sort.

So what do you want to happen, just go out and get anyone, no matter who? I would much rather we had the right targets and if they arent gettable now then wait until the summer, rather than just sign any old sh*te like we have done in the past.

They say we have bid accepted for highly rated youngster by the name of Nowan Atal for 60m [emoji23]

10 minutes ago, evissy said:

They say we have bid accepted for highly rated youngster by the name of Nowan Atal for 60m

I nearly goggled that.

5 hours ago, dkw said:

So what do you want to happen, just go out and get anyone, no matter who? I would much rather we had the right targets and if they arent gettable now then wait until the summer, rather than just sign any old sh*te like we have done in the past.

There are players out there moving though. Barca were linked with Dani Olmo a winger who can play as a ‘10’ but can’t afford him, he is now moving to Leipzig for £30m which is dirt cheap. With Pulisic out and no clear return date, we are stuck playing Willian & CHO on the wings.

I rate him very highly and would have thought we would have gone in for him considering Lamps concerns about a lack of creativity, he would have been a perfect replacement for Pedro and wouldn’t impact any summer plans.

It looks like we are actually still trying to sign Dembele, for 45m...

6 hours ago, dkw said:

So what do you want to happen, just go out and get anyone, no matter who? I would much rather we had the right targets and if they arent gettable now then wait until the summer, rather than just sign any old sh*te like we have done in the past.

Agreed. I think we need to get the right fit. For too long we've been happy with dross because our number one target wasn't available or said no. Remember when we wanted Oxlade-Chamberlain and ended up with Zappacosta? 

Our squad is fine to get us into the top four, particularly when you consider Pedro and Giroud have barely played. They are well and truly good enough to help in the run in.

We always said this was a transition season. As it stands we're still 6 points clear in fourth that's not the end of the world in my view.

I don’t understand..surely there must be 1 striker in the WHOLE WORLD who could improve us? Surely the scouts must have some up and coming players to get? How can we only be linked with Cavani and Dembele?

Have a nagging feeling todays presser is the one where Frank confirms no new arrivals.  a week left and just no solid news of any movement....