Saw this on the BBC sport website about Bayern Munich trying to sign Alex - I think it would be a huge mistake to sell who is arguably our best CB.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13783530.stm

I dont think we should sell him.

Also

I dont think he is are best center back. terry reads the game better than him taking better defensive positions. Both lack pace, terry has a better range of passing and ball control.

Luiz ......... got a lot to learn but pace their and can play with the ball and pass better than alex.

Ivan is better than alex imo.....solid tackler, got pace etc.

Alex had a good 45 mins against united. Yes, but against everton was out paced on a number of times and couldnt get back in position. The lack of pace for a partnership of alex and terry is too slow and there fore Alex suffers and wont get picked. I think he is a good defender but our best, no not for me

If you measure up level of performance against minutes on the pitch, I'd say Alex has been our best central defender over the past 4 seasons. We certainly missed him during his lengthy time out last season.

We'd be crazy to sell him.

Agree with bjd, been an outstanding player for us. Only reason i can think for us to let him go is he gas been injured a fair bit the last few seasons. Though i hope we dont let him go.

I don't think we'll sell, but I now think that based on this little rumour alone, the articles linking us to Godin and other CB's are going to increase.

it doesn't make any sense to sell...we will have to go out and spend again, and knowing our negotiating qualities end up spending more than we make...besides alex is a top defender...the only question is whether chelsea are worried about his tendency to pick up injuries on a regular basis

I think his free-kicks are capable of killing people...we can use that to our advantage....

Not having a manager works both ways. We wont be selling Alex for now.

And if Hiddink is indeed the new manager, I dont see him leaving at all. If anybody rates Alex highly its Guus.

Alex started every game for Chelsea under Guus Hiddink, who managed Alex at PSV.

Quality fact that footballoholic. I think his partnership with Terry is one of the top 2 or 3 central defensive combinations in world football. Ivan and Luiz are crowd favourites but this guy in my view is still the second best defender at the club and arguably the most consistent.

You don't let these kind of guys leave your club.

Quality fact that footballoholic. I think his partnership with Terry is one of the top 2 or 3 central defensive combinations in world football. Ivan and Luiz are crowd favourites but this guy in my view is still the second best defender at the club and arguably the most consistent.

You don't let these kind of guys leave your club.

As much as I'd like to think that's true am not sure the basis of these statement. Alex has been good in patches last season and has missed too many games in my opinion for a defender. His fitness levels are likely to go down from here on and if we do get a right back from his sale I don't see whats the fuss about. We'll have 3 quality central defenders in Terry, Ivan and Luiz which should be good enough.

As much as I'd like to think that's true am not sure the basis of these statement. Alex has been good in patches last season and has missed too many games in my opinion for a defender. His fitness levels are likely to go down from here on and if we do get a right back from his sale I don't see whats the fuss about. We'll have 3 quality central defenders in Terry, Ivan and Luiz which should be good enough.

Having seen United have to resort to playing Evans and Brown at various points last season when both Ferdinand and Vidic were injured/suspended, I can't say I agree with you there. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons they've just bought that that Jones kid.

Having seen United have to resort to playing Evans and Brown at various points last season when both Ferdinand and Vidic were injured/suspended, I can't say I agree with you there. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons they've just bought that that Jones kid.

Not sure keeping Alex helps much in that case, just 13 starts last season and 12 starts in 09/10 isn't a very impressive stat. We had Alex last season too and had to play Ferreira in one of the games and that's because Alex fitness has been a big concern for some time rather. Rather sell him now when there is a bidder rather than turning him into dead wood after a couple of seasons.

Its abit like the essien situation. The medical team need to be the judges whether their body will allow them to play week in and out, at the top of their game. Were not in a position to decide this. Maybe Alex will leave and why luiz was brought in.

We had Alex last season too and had to play Ferreira in one of the games and that's because Alex fitness has been a big concern for some time rather.

So maybe Alex isn't the right guy, but surely that just makes the point that 3 CBs isn't enough...

So maybe Alex isn't the right guy, but surely that just makes the point that 3 CBs isn't enough...

Terry and Ivanovic have been fit for the last couple of seasons and if Luiz stays fit I would like to think that these 3 CB's would be enough.

Terry and Ivanovic have been fit for the last couple of seasons and if Luiz stays fit I would like to think that these 3 CB's would be enough.

But isnt the protocol usually 2 players for each position...in which case we would need 4 top CBs at the club.

Terry and Ivanovic have been fit for the last couple of seasons and if Luiz stays fit I would like to think that these 3 CB's would be enough.

That would be a huge gamble with Bruma also on loan for at least a year.

For me, that loan move suggests that none of our centre backs will be moving out this summer. At least not without a replacement.

Although we dont need 4 full internationals for 2 CB spots (having one or two youngsters with JT, Ivan and Luiz would have done the trick), but we dont really have those youngsters so keeping Alex is very important. Considering Ivanovic plays at RB as well, we're not really overstocked at CB positions and I'm sure all of them would get plenty games.

That would be a huge gamble with Bruma also on loan for at least a year.

For me, that loan move suggests that none of our centre backs will be moving out this summer. At least not without a replacement.

It would be a gamble but Alex's fitness is a big enough gamble in itself, what I'd want to see is a good defender (Johnson/ Ridgewell) willing to play 4th choice as back up to JT, Luiz and Ivan. Cash in on Alex and used the sale proceeds to strengthen where we may need some strengthening and as Rahul mentioned we don't need 4 full fledged internationals as our CB options.

It would be a gamble but Alex's fitness is a big enough gamble in itself, what I'd want to see is a good defender (Johnson/ Ridgewell) willing to play 4th choice as back up to JT, Luiz and Ivan. Cash in on Alex and used the sale proceeds to strengthen where we may need some strengthening and as Rahul mentioned we don't need 4 full fledged internationals as our CB options.

You're right. But Ivanovic isn't a centre back option right now. Assuming we get someone like Van der Wiel, then Alex would be the obvious candidate to leave. If we can get some good business done for a change, I wouldn't mind that:

---> Alex £15m

<--- VDW £15m

<--- Johnson £5m

should be a good bit of business in theory.

Fitness is indeed a concern. What I would say Maverick is that 4 top centre halves is absolutely necessary. It's like deja vu I made this same argument last season after Carvalho was sold. We left ourselves short this season and Alex actually played games injured simply because we didn't have any other option, something which probably didn't help the time he spent on the sidelines.

BTW he made 21 starts in all competitions in 2009-10. When he played we lost only 2 matches (Home to Inter and Away at Spurs). The season before that he made 39 starts (including every game bar Sunderland under Hiddink) we lost 3 matches. This season was not quite so good both in terms of games played or games won for that matter, but it's hardly reason for him to be sold.

I like Ivan a lot, I think he could be a future Chelsea captain, and I can also see the benefits of having a passing defender like Luiz. But the second half of the Manchester United game showed exactly we shouldn't sell Alex. He's not flashy, he's just a quality centre half, not overawed by the occasion, not prone to errors, solid as f**k. You just don't go selling those type of players, especially not to raise money for signings we could pay for without selling him.

Problem with Alex is he's pretty slow off the mark, like Terry is. So when those 2 play together against pace we struggle. They are both fine if paired with a faster partner who can cover, e.g Terry & Ivanovic or Alex & Luiz.

But I see no reason to sell him.

I wouldn't let Alex go. Always performed well for us and when he came on at Old Trafford, where Luiz struggled, he put in another excellent display.

Alex wont leave.

Problem with Alex is he's pretty slow off the mark, like Terry is. So when those 2 play together against pace we struggle. They are both fine if paired with a faster partner who can cover, e.g Terry & Ivanovic or Alex & Luiz.

But I see no reason to sell him.

Agree 100%. Both Terry and Alex need a pacy partner next to them to keep things tidy. That's why Carvalho and Gallas were better suited to play with JT than Alex/Ivanovic. Buying Luiz is the step in the right direction.

Alex is very solid but I wonder if his injuries are starting to affect his form. He's turning 29 tomorrow and if our coaching staff that see him in training every day are getting concerned that he's getting on a bit, selling him while we can still get some value may not be the worst thing.

There were strong rumors about us bidding for Diego Godin in January, so there may be some truth to the news that the club is pondering Alex' future.