Ok lets phrase is another way for the self righteous types on here.

Does it not concern you that we have struggled to beat fairly average teams & look like we have no cutting edge what so ever? Yes, it should do!

So, do we go out & spend money on players who can come in & compete, potentially cementing our 4th spot in the league? Yes, we should do!

Or are you happy that the club are investing in the future according to Emanalo, yet loaning these players out & relying on under performing players & average "Joes" like Meireles? NO, you shouldn't be!

Agree with some of this Ben, and actually I think if we are buying this Kid we should be playing him, put him out wide trust him and put matta down the middle for the rest of the season.

And also I wasnt a big fan of the meireles signing, less so because we loaned Yossi out. but he has done a job for us when have had no one else to, do we need better, absaloutly, is better easy to find, well... im not in a position to answer that, for me Josh was the answer

Players who would secure 4th are already at decent clubs and those clubs probably dont want to let them go without finding a replacement which in January is pretty hard to do.

Also if we keep buying already made stars then 1. our wage bill will sky rocket, which is the not what the club are trying to do and 2. if we only sign these ready made players then there isnt much chance of finding the new Ronaldo or Messi. Now im not saying that we will find the new messi but if we dont take a chance then we will just have to keep paying over the odds for players.

Andy Jacobs, who often talks utter crap about Chelsea, nailed it by saying why not stop spending 18m on Lukaka, 12m on Meireles & go out & get someone who can actually improve our team. He's got a point.

Is he quick though??? Not saying he can't be a good player, but there's no way he's up there with young, nani, Velencia, bale, Adam johnson, walcott, holliet, downing etc. in terms of pace - which is what we so desperately need

how do you know he's not? he roasted bossy

Andy Jacobs, who often talks utter crap about Chelsea, nailed it by saying why not stop spending 18m on Lukaka, 12m on Meireles & go out & get someone who can actually improve our team. He's got a point.

Meireles looked like a class signing up until about a month ago. I agree about the amount for Lukaku though i was very high. these things happen in football though, you win some, you lose some.

The above reads very badly in my book and p*ss poor man management from AVB ?? Hardly welcoming him with open arms is he . “interesting” what a limp languid non description , some of the window displays down Old Compton street are “interesting” but no chance I would purchase or go in to the shop ?

Bet the fella can’t wait to put a pen on the contract ............

Reading between the lines I think we had purchased an option to secure him a while back which is due to expire soon and had to pay up now .

Not sure I agree. AVB is only stating what we all know, and certainly what KDB knows .. That the club have been trying to sign him for some time, prior to AVB's arrival.

He has spoken about KDB as one of the most talented youngsters on the continent. I don't think there's anything that would worry KDB. If AVB isn't massaging his ego, good, he has an awful lot to prove. If he understands he has to work hard to impress the manager that's fine by me. Too many youngsters are on good money and unmotivated and are too pampered. If AVB gave him the impression he had already made it I would be more worried.

For me, the signing isn't the issue. Ok, so we're going to take a flyer on someone that may or may not be good enough as a permanent addition to the squad. I leave that decision to the ones that are making it at the club. We can only hope that it works out.

However, if we as a team are screaming out for a creative winger, something different, how can we buy him and ship him right back to Belgium on loan? That's where I have the issue with this purchase.

I'm not saying he should have a guaranteed spot, but he should be here to have a chance to get himself in the lineup.

Meireles looked like a class signing up until about a month ago.

Really? Always looked like a squad player to me, desperation signing because Spurs blew us out on Modric. Which was stupid & arrogant of the club to not have anyone else lined up.

There are good players out there. Monterlivio was/is in his last year of his contract, he is a much better player. Scott Parker? 1 yr older but twice the player Meireles is.

For me, the signing isn't the issue. Ok, so we're going to take a flyer on someone that may or may not be good enough as a permanent addition to the squad. I leave that decision to the ones that are making it at the club. We can only hope that it works out. However, if we as a team are screaming out for a creative winger, something different, how can we buy him and ship him right back to Belgium on loan? That's where I have the issue with this purchase. I'm not saying he should have a guaranteed spot, but he should be here to have a chance to get himself in the lineup.

Me too, what have we got to lose? Some of the players he will be competing with are going to f**k off for free in the summer anyway.

Spoiled? Seriously dkw?

None of those points even remotely summarise my argument. I just don't see the point in signing a young player from Belgium (which we know from the relative successes of both Jovanovic and Lukaku is a very poor league) when we have had players in Tore and Stoch who have done better in better leagues who left because of a lack of opportunities.

It's the same old story, the youth are not good enough for Chelsea and are shipped off to somewhere else, where they light up the stage, and we continue to spend ourselves into a corner where we require a top four finish every year to make FFP. I'd like to see a youth and transfer policy that worked with some sort of cohesion.

De Bruyne isn't an AVB signing, so whose is he? De Visser, Emenalo, Roman? We apparently sign the best young talent available with no reference to whether they will fit in, or what impact that will have on players we've spent money on developing. Where is the incentive to improve if you know that the best prospects in the system ahead of you were sold off to pay for a guy of similar ability to come in, why come to Chelsea's youth system when you know, you're no chance of ever playing here?

There is no logic to it dkw. None. If having an issue with that makes me spoiled then I confess to the charges and await sentencing.

So you dont want us to sign Hazard then? Or anyone from any league other than Spain, Italy or England? De Bruyne wasnt an AVB signing but I would expect he was given a run down on young players we are following before he arrived at the club, and as he had previously praised De Bruyne when he played against AVB`s Porto I except he was quite happy with it. Stoch wasnt good enough for Chelsea, Tore maybe but wasnt willing to stay and fight his way into the first team and decided to leave, what should we have done, held him against his will? the spoiled thing is aimed at people who maon we never sign young up and coming players, then when we do moan they don`t look good enough on youtube, or football manager or whatever and write him off before weve even bloody signed him because they havent really heard of him. As for our youth development, its no different to any other top team now, you have to be exceptional to break through and unfortunately none of ours have been better than the players ahead of them, simple as that.

Edited January 30, 201214 yr by dkw

For me, the signing isn't the issue. Ok, so we're going to take a flyer on someone that may or may not be good enough as a permanent addition to the squad. I leave that decision to the ones that are making it at the club. We can only hope that it works out.

However, if we as a team are screaming out for a creative winger, something different, how can we buy him and ship him right back to Belgium on loan? That's where I have the issue with this purchase.

I'm not saying he should have a guaranteed spot, but he should be here to have a chance to get himself in the lineup.

My take on that is we are loaning him back to smooth the way for the transfer and also the coaching staff don`t think he could come in and have enough impact immediately so staying where he is is the best for him.

My take on that is we are loaning him back to smooth the way for the transfer and also the coaching staff don`t think he could come in and have enough impact immediately so staying where he is is the best for him.

Fair enough. Although based upon how we've looked in some of our matches, I don't see how he'd hurt us but this could be the case of us helping them help us by them continuing to play him and improve his skills throughout the rest of the season. Something like that.

I also wonder if the purchase now is to avoid a potential bidding war in the summer.

I also wonder if the purchase now is to avoid a potential bidding war in the summer.

What bidding war?

Has anyone here heard of any club apart from us showing any interest in signing KDB?

What bidding war?

Has anyone here heard of any club apart from us showing any interest in signing KDB?

Today there might be none, tomorrow there might be. You never know what can happen in 4-5 months time.

Not sure I agree. AVB is only stating what we all know, and certainly what KDB knows .. That the club have been trying to sign him for some time, prior to AVB's arrival.

He has spoken about KDB as one of the most talented youngsters on the continent. I don't think there's anything that would worry KDB. If AVB isn't massaging his ego, good, he has an awful lot to prove. If he understands he has to work hard to impress the manager that's fine by me. Too many youngsters are on good money and unmotivated and are too pampered. If AVB gave him the impression he had already made it I would be more worried.

Fair point on the motivation side for KDB but isn’t that a conversation to be had behind a shut door on the training ground ?

I just feel AVB’s comments are very much ambiguous and non committal to the player and buying AVB a massive escape route if KDB doesn’t become a first team regular or the transfer work out . I don’t think I would be too happy at work for a manger who states it clearly that although I currently work for him the Company hired me not him .

Like I previously said, the DeBruyne signing is a good one but it does not address the lack of pace and creativity we have now when we are clinging to that vital 4th spot. With matches still to play against United, Arse, LFC, City, and Spurs, not too mention Everton, Newcastle, and Villa, we are not looking to good here... In fact, away to Swans is going to be ugly because they will open us up and we all know what happens then. My major problem, as should be everyone else's as well is why are we not bringing in players for this season! One of the few brightspots in Ramires is now out for a month, who knows what'll come of the Terry trial.... It irks me to see a guy like Honda be sold to Lazio for 11M when we could've picked him up. He would give us that pace and creativity we so desperately need. Why not even bring in Dempsey? Fulham would sell probably for around 12M and he too would help us! So if I am a spoiled upright brat so be it, but the bottomline is we need something now. We miss that 4th spot and not make the CL, who will want to sign with us and if they do at what premium will it cone by?

https://twitter.com/#!/CFCTransfers/status/164021546615189504/photo/1

Arriving in London.

Fair point on the motivation side for KDB but isn’t that a conversation to be had behind a shut door on the training ground ?

I just feel AVB’s comments are very much ambiguous and non committal to the player and buying AVB a massive escape route if KDB doesn’t become a first team regular or the transfer work out . I don’t think I would be too happy at work for a manger who states it clearly that although I currently work for him the Company hired me not him .

You may be right mate. I was trying to look on the bright side.

https://twitter.com/...5189504/photo/1

Arriving in London.

At least he will be able to afford some garms now. Looks like he's been shopping in sports direct.

Latest rumour on twitter is that he has just been given a £10M signing on fee with image rights / duties for a well known brand

You may be right mate. I was trying to look on the bright side.

That isn`t allowed on here anymore unfortunately. Everything the club, manager, board do is sh*t.

You may be right mate. I was trying to look on the bright side.

Careful, Davey, you'll end up like this:

What bidding war?

Has anyone here heard of any club apart from us showing any interest in signing KDB?

I remember reading an article when we were first linked naming all kinds of clubs who were after him. Can`t remember where I read it though. Can`t find it on google, all just articles about how were signing him now.

Also, on Wiki it says his mother was born in Ealing, is that true or is it a piss take?

Edited January 30, 201214 yr by dkw

He's young, fast and can keep close control of the ball... he may not be "world class" but neither was Duff and look what he and Robben did. Good signing (should it happen) in my opinion.

I like what I saw from De Bruyne. He played very confident against us and showed really impressive vision with some very nice passes that cut through our defense. He is not that fast relatively, but he has a nice change of pace and is skilled enough to put a wing back off balance. As someone else said, he has a solid shot too.

I think when AVB says that he is not HIS signing, all he is saying is that it was decided before he got there. He is also saying that KDB is not a player that will be part of his immediate plans. He did also say though that it was the right decision to buy him.

So I don't see anything negative there, just being truthful.

its frustrating to see that bloody 18yr old alex oxlade-chamberlain lead the comeback against villa for arsenal . . yet our 20yr olds need a couple of seasons to even get a chance. especially since i dont think chamberlain is any better than kdb