This Season, Players in

Danilo Pantic - Partizan - £1,250,000 - 01 Jul, 2015

Asmir Begovic - Stoke - £8,000,000 - 13 Jul, 2015

Baba Rahman - Augsburg - £21,700,000 - 16 Aug, 2015

Pedro - Barcelona - £21,000,000 - 20 Aug, 2015

Papy Djilobodji - Nantes - £2,700,000 - 01 Sep, 2015

Michael Hector - Reading - £4,000,000 - 01 Sep, 2015

Marco Amelia - Milan - 08 Oct, 2015

Matt Miazga - NY Red Bulls - £3,500,000 - 30 Jan, 2016

Total: £62,150,000

Player Sales: £56,750,000

Net Spend: £5.4M

Last Season, Players in

Total: £116,850,000

Player Sales: £119,500,000

Net Spend: 0

2013/14

Total: £106,000,000

Player Sales: £57,600,000

Net Spend: £49M

2012/2013

Total: £54,500,000

Player Sales: £20,000,000

Net Spend: £34.5M

----

Current state of affairs

1 Asmir Begovi?

2 Branislav Ivanovi? (vice-captain)

4 Cesc Fàbregas

5 Kurt Zouma

6 Baba Rahman

8 Oscar

9 Radamel Falcao (on loan from Monaco)

10 Eden Hazard

11 Alexandre Pato (on loan from Corinthians)

12 John Obi Mikel

13 Thibaut Courtois

14 Bertrand Traoré

16 Kenedy

17 Pedro

18 Loïc Rémy

19 Diego Costa

20 Matt Miazga

21 Nemanja Mati?

22 Willian

24 Gary Cahill

26 John Terry (captain)

27 Jamal Blackman

28 César Azpilicueta

32 Marco Amelia

34 Ola Aina

36 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

40 Bradley Collins

In my view, to at least challenge top 4, we need to splash the cash this summer and buy 3 or 4 top players. City, Utd and us all want to strengthen with new managers incoming, silly transfers are almost a certainty this summer and 'good value' probably wont be the most used phrase.

We were asleep at the wheel last year and now we are really going to struggle to get the top names!

Edited February 11, 201610 yr by Zola

My worry is now the stadium is our focus we wont be spending the kind of money we did in the past.

We actually need to spend more than that to lure players here because we have no CL football so it's going to be a painful summer IMO.

We only need about £25m to win the league, ask Mr Tinkerman.

The time to spend was when we were champions of England, had a coach and had European football.

 

The reality is that we need to spend about £150 million of new money to have a squad capable of winning the league and doing well in Europe. That's if we can still attract top talent.

 

What we've seen is the club reducing it's net spend.

 

Over the last three seasons we've spent an average of about £21 million per season.

United spent about £66 million per season.

City spent about about £84 million per season

Arsenal spent about £36 million per season.

Crystal Palace spent about £21 million per season

 

That's before we sell Remy to China.

 

That means one of two things. We have a massive warchest and FFP (because that's still a factor) space or as Chelsbear said, the stadium is the focus.

 

If the latter is true then we won't spend much more than usual and if we do then it will mean selling players first. 

 

The issue for me is that we don't have the structure to achieve a top four finish without investment. We don't have the leadership or acumen to sit at the top table on a reduced budget.

 

To put it succinctly, we don't have a Wenger.

 

I think the likely outcome if we don't spend is that we become a top-half club for the next 5 seasons with maybe a couple of seasons in the Champions League. 

     ^^^^^^^^

Succinctly : How about trying that yourself?  You talk down to people making your posts unreadable.

 

My worry is now the stadium is our focus we wont be spending the kind of money we did in the past.

We actually need to spend more than that to lure players here because we have no CL football so it's going to be a painful summer IMO.

Agreed, I actually can see us been like Arsenal were when they weren't spending money. Probably without the CL football aswell.

I honestly think outside of winning the CL to get back in it that not been in Europe at all could massively help our season next season. Little to no distractions has been a god send for Leicester.

Why do people have this assumption that if you spend £30, £40, £50 million on a player then it will turn a team in world beaters??? I think we can all look back on quiet a few signings in the last few years that have been a complete waste of money for us. A perfect example of our poor transfer dealings is selling Bertrand (and England international who cost us nothing) and then buying a young full back for £20+ million who had a couple of decent seasons for a not bad german side and he can't even get a game!!! We have had promising games from youngsters in the past but don't act on it. An example of this is Kalas had a blinder on slippy g day and then gets sent on loan AGAIN. I would love someone to grow some balls and give the back to back youth cup winners a chance instead of wasting money on another Shevchenko.

 

The issue for me is that we don't have the structure to achieve a top four finish without investment. We don't have the leadership or acumen to sit at the top table on a reduced budget.

 

To put it succinctly, we don't have a Wenger.

 

 

In the big scheme of things, his achievements have been mega, as we are beginning to realise. 

In the big scheme of things, his achievements have been mega, as we are beginning to realise. 

 

I said something nice about Spurs the other day so I'll let you take the hit for saying something nice about Wenger.

I'm hoping we start bringing youngsters through, aslong as we don't do what teams like Arsenal did and bring youth through then sell them as soon as they're worth tons of money.

Only way the youth comes through is if Roman lowers his expectations and we appointment a manager committed to working on a budget with the club focusing on our new stadium.

Without cl football though is wembely really the best option for us as a temporary home?

Here is a list of players that I think can help the club stand on its feet again:

- Negredo
- Isco
- Modric
- Yaya Toure
- Kane
- Mata
- Varane
- Andy Carroll

Here is a list of players that I think can help the club stand on its feet again:

- Negredo

- Isco

- Modric

- Yaya Toure

- Kane

- Mata

- Varane

- Andy Carroll

 

Negredo, the guy is finished. He rarely plays or scores a goal.

 

Isco, great player, but i can't see him giving up playing for Real Madrid. He's playing for one of the top clubs in world football and he's playing in his home country, i can't see him giving that up for us.

 

Modric, he's happy at Real Madrid from what i can see and would never give up Champions League football for us at his age, he may never get another chance to play in it if he joined us.

 

Toure, bad attitude, massive ego, prick and doesn't influence games like he used to do. He's also getting older now, he'll be 33 by the time next season begins.

 

Kane, Tottenham would never sell to us and Kane would probably never want to join us.

 

Mata, loved the guy when he was here, hasn't quite been the same at United though. I'm not sure he would even want to return to us.

 

Varane, another player that wouldn't give up Real Madrid and Champions League football for us. I don't think he is progressing like i thought he would either.

 

Andy Carroll.......no 

Edited February 11, 201610 yr by Scott Harris

Yea none of those players are ever playing for Chelsea, Isco the exception.

 

 

Only way the youth comes through is if Roman lowers his expectations and we appointment a manager committed to working on a budget with the club focusing on our new stadium.

Without cl football though is wembely really the best option for us as a temporary home?

The difference between buying Baba or keeping Ake around. This is probably the biggest question mark we have going forward IMO. Working on a budget means the manager would have to use youth players and the club/manager would have to have a longer term vision than just the year or two ahead of them. Two things most of the posters on here are dying to see implemented.

We only need about £25m to win the league, ask Mr Tinkerman.

 

He spent a wee bit more than that in 2003 yet he failed to win a single trophy.

He spent a wee bit more than that in 2003 yet he failed to win a single trophy.

 

So ? That was 14 years ago,  he's now top of the league in front of everyone, and his first team cost less than £25m.

So ? That was 14 years ago,  he's now top of the league in front of everyone, and his first team cost less than £25m.

 

That's an anomaly, not the norm.

So ? That was 14 years ago, he's now top of the league in front of everyone, and his first team cost less than £25m.

Also, even if he wins this season, it will be impossible to sustain without major investment next year. He has also been lucky that Vardy and Mahrez have been injury free. One of them goes down and he will start dropping points.

Also, even if he wins this season, it will be impossible to sustain without major investment next year. 

 

It was said to be impossible that ANY club would challenge for the league title without spending massive amounts, if you can do it once, then only a fool would say you cannot do it a second time.

It was said to be impossible that ANY club would challenge for the league title without spending massive amounts, if you can do it once, then only a fool would say you cannot do it a second time.

Wanna take a bet?

They had the element of surprise this year. They won't anymore.

Edited February 11, 201610 yr by JoseBlues

They had the element of surprise this year. They won't anymore.

 

If they do end up winning the league, I will ask you this: how do you maintain a 38 match surprise?

If they do end up winning the league, I will ask you this: how do you maintain a 38 match surprise?

This season is an anamoly of sorts. I absolutely cannot explain our total capitulation, how all the big clubs are failing, etc. Think it was the mistake of all the big clubs failing to see the influx of the TV money in the smaller clubs. Also credit to the smaller clubs that they have used it well.

Think I mentioned in another thread, Leicester have been incredibly lucky with injuries with both Mahrez and Vardy being fit. Vardy is 29 so you can expect him to continue in the same vein. One of them goes down and they will start dropping points.

And many may not agree with it but the FA and media is also loving this small boy becoming a hero story. If you take a look at their stats, they have had 9-10 penalties awarded to them this season with 0 against. Contrast that with ours and it is unimaginable that Costa has still not won a single penalty in 2 years here. If we had some decisions (correct ones) go our way during the start of the season, we would have been looking at 6-7 right now and with Jose still at the helm.

And smaller teams play champions differently. Leicester rely on their blistering pace and direct play which will be useless once team start shutting shop. Ironically that is exactly what we struggle with.

I am not taking away anything from them but they have ridden their luck. Who knows they might be able to replicate their form next year and make me eat my words but that is subjective right now. Personally I don't see it.

Edited February 11, 201610 yr by JoseBlues

With Euro 2016 coming up, the smart thing is to snatch up the targets before the tournament starts ( like 2014). I doubt we will be able to buy the 50M players, the failure to qualify for CL will cost us.

 

As far as Leister goes, my gut feeling is Raneri will mess it up by dropping points against the lesser teams. Against City away was easy tactically, but to beat the likes of Watford or West Ham will take a different approach. They are the people's champion,I get that and I wish them well, just don't see them winning it. They pretty much locked down the CL spot now, however unless they reinforce heavily next season could be a disaster, after the rest of the league figured them out and the added games of European football.

In my opinion, a mix of the current key players to stay, youth to come through and some big money buys. Something like this should be our squad.

Current players to stay.

Courtois

Begovic

Azpilicueta

Baba

Terry

Zouma

Cahill

Mikel

Fabregas

Hazard

Oscar

Willian

Costa

Pato

Youth players to be more integrated

Aina

Ake

Loftus cheek

Kenedy

Traore

Need to buy

Hummels (or similar)

Gundogan (or similar)

Griezmann (or similar)

This would leave 2 players for each position, and some players being able to play more than one position. Terry and mikel can start being phased out. All the other dead wood can be sold.

Most importantly we need to see rotation, same squad getting stale, like during the first half of this season is not what we need.

Is that 150 bazillion, just to compete with The 2 Manchester clubs, with the new money available to all PL, it how shrewd in the market we are, Marquee players are no guarantee of success, Check the leaders out, Be smart, spend smart!!