Should have gone for Buffon while he was available!

We won't be selling him now I dont think. We would have bid for Alisson if we were planning to. I still think we're hoping to  resign him

We should buy an insurance policy just in case he leaves in 12 months time. Perhaps a Strakosha from Lazio

6 hours ago, Spiller86 said:

We won't be selling him now I dont think. We would have bid for Alisson if we were planning to. I still think we're hoping to  resign him

We should buy an insurance policy just in case he leaves in 12 months time. Perhaps a Strakosha from Lazio

Isn't he heading into the last year of his contract ? He has to go if he won't re-sign.

17 hours ago, gurru991 said:

Isn't he heading into the last year of his contract ? He has to go if he won't re-sign.

I’d rather keep him for 1 more year and not make £30m from him than settle for an average keeper... I am using the word average based on the keepers we are linked to...

2 hours ago, ekimozturk said:

I’d rather keep him for 1 more year and not make £30m from him than settle for an average keeper... I am using the word average based on the keepers we are linked to...

I fully understand, I think he's an exceptional keeper but 30 mil is a lot to leave on the table, plus still have to find a keeper next year with less money available.

On 19/07/2018 at 00:34, Munkworth said:

Should have gone for Buffon while he was available!

He wants the CL. We really are not the best place for that....Still one of my all time favorite footballer. Absolute legend and a gent. 

8 hours ago, ekimozturk said:

I’d rather keep him for 1 more year and not make £30m from him than settle for an average keeper... I am using the word average based on the keepers we are linked to...

Personally I would rather take the money rather than keep a player here that doesn't want to be here and one that I suspect (no basis of fact @yorkleyblue) that could verbally be a disruptive influence around the club if he is not getting his own way. I appreciate it is a bit of stereotyping (which I will probably be stoned for nowadays) but many Belgians, similar to the Dutch, can be a bit precious and outspoken when disgruntled.

As for signing average keepers, the actual quality of top division goalkeepers nowadays is unsurpassed. There are very few truly average keepers in the top half of the European top divisions. I would trust in Sarri to develop certain aspects of any supposed downgrade in keeper and tailor the player so that Courtois could quickly become just a distant memory.

I am still hoping that it is not big Pete though. Cech is a legend at this club and should remain as that. He is definitely feeling his age now in his game and his distribution also never particularly was his strong point. Cech is more an old school keeper (brilliant at it mind). Cech was/is the guardian of the box and especially the 6 yard box. He does the keeping and the players do the playing. I don't think forming part of an active defence as the pivot of a defence triangle ever was Cech's game.

Let's look to create new legends within the club rather than running the risk of possibly tarnishing the status of an existing legend by taking them out of their comfort zone and past their prime.

2 hours ago, evissy said:

He wants the CL.

Frank Lampard got the highest IQ among the players when he played the game. Now that I look at Courtois and Eden and I'm wondering - what a tremendous decline for the club in that particular aspect.

Do they really think that Real Madrid is going to continue the domination in Europe with the same intensity and consistency?

2 minutes ago, Giordano_Bruno said:

Frank Lampard got the highest IQ among the players when he played the game. Now that I look at Courtois and Eden and I'm wondering - what a tremendous decline for the club in that particular aspect.

Do they really think that Real Madrid is going to continue the domination in Europe with the same intensity and consistency?

I don't think there is nothing wrong with Tibo's or Eden's intelligence. Both seem sane and balanced people. Frankie is one in a million. 

Real will absolutely be a force in CL in the future as well. Whereas Chelsea will struggle to qualify. That is a fact. 

There is a lot of irony in that post.

We'll see about that. You can't dominate forever. Especially with  player like Cristiano gone, everybody thinks one or two transfers will do just fine but it's never that simple. With all the money, the transfers and the elite coaches in BPL, I expect to take over the CL from the very next year.

Edited July 20, 20187 yr by Giordano_Bruno

3 hours ago, evissy said:

I don't think there is nothing wrong with Tibo's or Eden's intelligence. Both seem sane and balanced people. Frankie is one in a million. 

Real will absolutely be a force in CL in the future as well. Whereas Chelsea will struggle to qualify. That is a fact. 

How can it be a fact when its not going to happen for many months. Its not a fact, its an opinion.

If Thibaut did leave and Milan wanted Morata, could we potentially involve a deal like that to get Donnaruma? 

3 hours ago, evissy said:

I don't think there is nothing wrong with Tibo's or Eden's intelligence. Both seem sane and balanced people. Frankie is one in a million. 

Real will absolutely be a force in CL in the future as well. Whereas Chelsea will struggle to qualify. That is a fact. 

Will they though?

You have to remember they have just lost a guy who was banging in 40 odd goals a season and who changed games when things were looking glum for Real.

Who have they replaced him with? Hazard? As good as Eden is he isn't a prolific goal scorer

Madrid are an entirely different animal now and it is yet to be seen what they will be like post Ronaldo and Zidane.

 

The new RM manager and players will be under huge pressure following them two ^

1 hour ago, TomCFC85 said:

If Thibaut did leave and Milan wanted Morata, could we potentially involve a deal like that to get Donnaruma? 

The Times do, in fact, say so today. But then again many sources say many things...

On 18/07/2018 at 22:34, Munkworth said:

Should have gone for Buffon while he was available!

That still wouldn't of solved the problem though

I know it's a preseason game but Bulka seems decent.

Anyone watch much of him for the U23s?

I don't recall him even having to make a save, not sure you can get any sort of judgement from that first half.

For sure, which is why I'm wondering how he does on a regular basis!

All gone very quiet on the transfer front. 

i wonder what odds you would get on Courtois, Hazard, and Willian, all being chelsea players when the window shuts.

5 minutes ago, big blue said:

All gone very quiet on the transfer front. 

i wonder what odds you would get on Courtois, Hazard, and Willian, all being chelsea players when the window shuts.

There is no way we can let them all go now, we are two weeks away from the window closing. We would never be able to get replacements in on time, we just don't get things done quick enough these days.

It's in the BBC gossip today that Real have switched their attention to Lloris instead of Courtois. 

5 minutes ago, Blueblur said:

It's in the BBC gossip today that Real have switched their attention to Lloris instead of Courtois. 

Still can’t wrap my head around why they wanted Courtois. At the rumoured £200k/w offer he has declined from us, he will be joint 2nd highest earner at Madrid behind Bale and on par with Ramos, Kroos & Marcelo. 

 

Can't see him signing a new contract with us, so we need to sell him or lose him for nothing next summer.