Sounds like he is more likely to go to Milan then, thankfully.

13 minutes ago, mwblue10 said:

Sounds like he is more likely to go to Milan then, thankfully.

 

1 hour ago, Spandau Billy said:

Juventus to swap #Higuain on loan to #ACMilan for #Bonucci. Loan will cost €18-20m, buy option €30-35m (@LucaFiorino24) 

Juve have informed the Higuain brothers they want to sell Gonzalo. Meeting with Milan to convince the striker. Deal depends on his will (@DiMarzio)

Looks like we may have dodged a bullet there. Need someone up front though.

Only other striker we’ve really been linked with is Martial. 

Looking increasingly likely we’ll be playing the season with Morata up front. 

11 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Only other striker we’ve really been linked with is Martial. 

Looking increasingly likely we’ll be playing the season with Morata up front. 

Willian has said he is staying now aswell, so that puts the martial one to bed. No way United would sell to us without Willian being part of the deal.

 

2 minutes ago, big blue said:

Willian has said he is staying now aswell, so that puts the martial one to bed. No way United would sell to us without Willian being part of the deal.

 

Would be disappointing going into the new season without any new attackers. 

Just now, ForeverCarefree said:

Would be disappointing going into the new season without any new attackers. 

I totally agree, it feel quite stale. Hopefully sarri can get something more out of what we've got. 

Maybe pedro will be moved on, but there hasnt been any real links, and I would imagine his wages would put off potential buyers.

The squad is so over crowded, we've been linked with vecino today, who would be a great squad player, having worked with sarri before, and he can cover both kante and Jorginho, but we already have 7 centre midfielders, and there isn't exactly a massive queue of clubs, willing to pay decent money for bakayoko or drinkwater. 

I thought it was going to be a hectic end to the window, but at the moment, it could just be a few loans for fringe players to trim the squad down.

22 minutes ago, big blue said:

Willian has said he is staying now aswell

 

where did you get this tidbit?

14 minutes ago, robdog said:

where did you get this tidbit?

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2018/7/30/17631544/willian-commits-his-future-to-chelsea-is-very-happy-at-his-club

Interview with Brazilian journo. 

Obviously things can change, but it's not looking likely he will leave. 

5 hours ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Only other striker we’ve really been linked with is Martial. 

Looking increasingly likely we’ll be playing the season with Morata up front. 

The last chance for Morata to prove if he can actually play as the first choice striker.
If he fails once again it will be clear that his level is at best Everton-Bournemount/Fiorentina-Lazio/Sevilla-Real Sociedad . . . . . 

10 hours ago, big blue said:

I totally agree, it feel quite stale. Hopefully sarri can get something more out of what we've got. 

Maybe pedro will be moved on, but there hasnt been any real links, and I would imagine his wages would put off potential buyers.

The squad is so over crowded, we've been linked with vecino today, who would be a great squad player, having worked with sarri before, and he can cover both kante and Jorginho, but we already have 7 centre midfielders, and there isn't exactly a massive queue of clubs, willing to pay decent money for bakayoko or drinkwater. 

I thought it was going to be a hectic end to the window, but at the moment, it could just be a few loans for fringe players to trim the squad down.

Something I hadn't really thought about was that Moses is probably going to be viewed as a winger again now with Dave, Zappacosta and Rudiger as options at right-back. 

So that means at the moment our attacking options out wide are Hazard, WIllian, Pedro, Moses and maybe Barkley and RLC. 

Not exactly Duff, Robyn, Joe Cole is it? 

I just feel like we need something new and different up top, preferably a left footed winger to offer a different option. We're being linked with Bailey and Pulisic but we're not signing either of those unless one of Willian or Pedro goes and unless United stump up £70m for Willian and he actually wants to go I think we're going to be stuck with the same. 

With the midfielders, if no one comes in for Drinkwater I reckon he'll end up spending a year on loan with a sale at a reduced fee at the end of the season. I reckon the club wants Bakayoko gone this season, again maybe on loan but he's already making noises about staying so the worry would be that RLC goes out on loan because he's far more in demand. 

4 hours ago, Gol15 said:

The last chance for Morata to prove if he can actually play as the first choice striker.
If he fails once again it will be clear that his level is at best Everton-Bournemount/Fiorentina-Lazio/Sevilla-Real Sociedad . . . . . 

I think Morata is fine at a club like Chelsea, Juventus or Real Madrid but he doesn't have the consistency to be first choice but he's a great option to have on the bench and playing cup matches etc. 

Trouble is we invested so much money into him we probably can't afford to keep him around as a reserve so it might be a case of replace him or persevere. 

So, according to Sky in Italy, Higuain has accepted a loan deal at AC Milan. Talk about potentially dodging a bullet!

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11854/11455103/gonzalo-higuain-agrees-to-join-ac-milan-on-loan-from-juventus

I was in the minority but I wouldn't have been annoyed if we had landed him.  Also not fussed that we missed out either.  Morata is going to need to really step up this season though.

15 minutes ago, Hanzen said:

So, according to Sky in Italy, Higuain has accepted a loan deal at AC Milan. Talk about potentially dodging a bullet!

You have to laugh at these inter-European deals. Season-long loan, option to buy for £32m??? Where was that offer on our table?

12 minutes ago, Fatty_Speeding said:

You have to laugh at these inter-European deals. Season-long loan, option to buy for £32m??? Where was that offer on our table?

Completely agree! However, everything we get to read is purely on a rumour basis. There's no telling wheter that £50-60M price range was ever really true. You could argue that Juve knew Sarri had an eye for him, but then again Chelsea doesn't REALLY need a new striker, with four strikers in the club. It would seem highly unlikely that we would even consider him at that price - especially if Milan can get him for one season for around a third of the price - with no direct obligation to buy afterwards. 

It does seem to be a part of another deal - the swap deal between Caldara and Bonucci. Could make sense if they get Higuain for a lower price due to that deal. Hard to know. 

Thanks god he's not coming, doubt he's interested anyway. The thing I don't get about Italian players/clubs is they are so happy to do deal with each other, last year  Bonucci went because he had beef with the manager, 12 months later he couldn't wait to come back and both clubs happy to make the deal. Higuain went from the title challenge team to the title that always win the title, then happy to move on to another rival team.

2 hours ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Something I hadn't really thought about was that Moses is probably going to be viewed as a winger again now with Dave, Zappacosta and Rudiger as options at right-back. 

So that means at the moment our attacking options out wide are Hazard, WIllian, Pedro, Moses and maybe Barkley and RLC. 

Not exactly Duff, Robyn, Joe Cole is it?

 

I think CHO will be in the squad. Rudiger will play CB. Whether Moses is thought of as a winger or a FB or both, he's surplus to requirements, unless we sell Zappacosta.

 

4 wingers and 4 FBs is plenty.

3 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

I think CHO will be in the squad. Rudiger will play CB. Whether Moses is thought of as a winger or a FB or both, he's surplus to requirements, unless we sell Zappacosta.

4 wingers and 4 FBs is plenty.

Moses is probably going to stay, his homegrown status makes sure of that but he's not good enough to be playing on the wing for us and I can't see him being picked at right back. If CHO is included in the squad that's your 4 wingers and I think it means we're unlikely to sign a new attacker unless one of Pedro or Willian leaves which at the moment looks unlikely. 

I think we need a new winger personally. There's not a lot of time left in the window to sell and buy. 

21 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Thanks god he's not coming, doubt he's interested anyway. The thing I don't get about Italian players/clubs is they are so happy to do deal with each other, last year  Bonucci went because he had beef with the manager, 12 months later he couldn't wait to come back and both clubs happy to make the deal. Higuain went from the title challenge team to the title that always win the title, then happy to move on to another rival team.

Serie A teams would rather sell cheaper within the league than outside the league (esp. the PL). Think it’s a sort of pact about maintaining the quality of the league.

1 hour ago, Fatty_Speeding said:

You have to laugh at these inter-European deals. Season-long loan, option to buy for £32m??? Where was that offer on our table?

English clubs are the wealthiest across Europe, of course they will get fleeced. Also, unfortunately many of these Italian and South American players prefer to move to Mediterranean countries or stay in Italy rather than go to England. Italian players are notorious for staying in Italy, especially the better ones. 

Glad he isnt coming. He suits the italian game and I dont want us wasting big money on this guy for a short term fix. turns 31 this year, lets be honest how many season would we get for 40m ( not including wages) if we had got him. 

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Moses is probably going to stay, his homegrown status makes sure of that but he's not good enough to be playing on the wing for us and I can't see him being picked at right back. If CHO is included in the squad that's your 4 wingers and I think it means we're unlikely to sign a new attacker unless one of Pedro or Willian leaves which at the moment looks unlikely. 

I think we need a new winger personally. There's not a lot of time left in the window to sell and buy. 

 

Basically if I were Sarri, I'd make a decision pronto on Zappacosta or Moses, and lose one of them. There's a danger in having too many players in your squad. Same with CB. We currently have 6. I'd lose 2. No idea why we're going after another supposedly. I agree with you about winger. I'd love to see an exciting young winger come in but we'd have to lose either Pedro or Willian. I have a sneaky suspicion Willian might go. Basically this is our only chance to get top dollar for him, because of his age and contract status.

Really glad he is going to AC Milan. 

4 minutes ago, evissy said:

Really glad he is going to AC Milan. 

There is a God thankfully !

2 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

 

Basically if I were Sarri, I'd make a decision pronto on Zappacosta or Moses, and lose one of them. There's a danger in having too many players in your squad. Same with CB. We currently have 6. I'd lose 2. No idea why we're going after another supposedly. I agree with you about winger. I'd love to see an exciting young winger come in but we'd have to lose either Pedro or Willian. I have a sneaky suspicion Willian might go. Basically this is our only chance to get top dollar for him, because of his age and contract status.

I'd ditch Zappacosta, it makes the most sense.

Moses is homegrown, solid enough defensively, can attack (end product isn't great though) can play multiple positions. He's a great squad player and has proven to be important to us at times. Zappacosta is mediocre at everything, not as versatile as Moses, and he's taking up a non homegrown spot in the team. If we want to bring another player in then somebody has to go and if I had to pick anybody it would be Zappacosta.

If Sarri goes with Zappacosta, then i can't help but feel it will be because he is Italian.

Edited July 31, 20187 yr by Scott Harris