To the people saying it's not a good deal because there's no option to buy you have to think that we're only in Europa League so getting a player of his talent into our squad is only a good thing.  He's good enough to help us get back into the CL next season where we will get a lot of money for that and then we can either try to buy him on a permanent deal or look elsewhere with the money we have, plus the lure of CL football.  Ideally I would also like it if the deal had an option to buy, but it's certainly not a deal breaker for me.

You've also got to think about RLC and Mason Mount and their development opportunities...happy to take him for the year...

6 hours ago, Gol15 said:

It wouldn't be that bad to just loan him for a year if he can become a key midfield player with Kante and Jorginho.

After the loan he goes back to Real and by that time Loftus-Cheek,Ampadu and others would be 1 year older and ready to take on a more important role in the club.

If only Barkley proved to be world class this season maybe we don't really need Kovacic, though I'm pretty sure that won't happen.

Overall Kovacic is a good player but he has been on the bench for so long and never had an important role in the starting lineup, it reminds of Morata a lot.

Sorry but I have to agree with those who don't see the point if we don't have an option to buy him. I would rather we gave that opportunity to Barkley or RLC.

Not to mention that he's pretty much the same player as Jorginho from the sounds of it so I'm not sure how it would work having both of them in the starting 11, one of the midfielders will need to be able to push up and actually get goals. 

Just because there's not an option to buy at the end of the loan doesn't mean we can't but him, if he does well and likes it here then we can still try and buy him. 

It just seems to me like madrid are being a little sneaky here. 

They get Courtois for half the price of the going rate for top keepers this summer.

Kovacic gets his game time, and if he does exceptionally well, madrid will either take him, charge us a fortune, or most likely, they will use him to try and get hazard very cheap next summer. 

If we had agreed a fee for him already, it would've put the ball in our court. 

We might have been better buying fekir with the money now, then letting Courtois run his contract down and buying kepa in the summer. 

Hopefully hazard signs an extension, and we can put it all to bed. I just can't stand dealing with madrid. 

18 minutes ago, big blue said:

It just seems to me like madrid are being a little sneaky here. 

They get Courtois for half the price of the going rate for top keepers this summer.

Kovacic gets his game time, and if he does exceptionally well, madrid will either take him, charge us a fortune, or most likely, they will use him to try and get hazard very cheap next summer. 

If we had agreed a fee for him already, it would've put the ball in our court. 

We might have been better buying fekir with the money now, then letting Courtois run his contract down and buying kepa in the summer. 

Hopefully hazard signs an extension, and we can put it all to bed. I just can't stand dealing with madrid. 

Exactly. Well done by Madrid. But on the other hand we kind of get what we want - right? We're getting rid of a keeper that clearly doesn't want to be in Chelsea, and Real offers to help us out with a midfielder, which is what we're looking for. The loan deal furthermore makes it possible for us to snatch up a high prospect goalkeeper rather than Butland or Schmeichel. I know, it's kind of a short term solution - but at least a decent solution for both parties.

Hopefully we'll put in a buyout clause as well. Rumours says Real won't accept that, but we'll have to wait and see.

I really don't get why so many people are findiing fault with this. Do we really have to feel like we screwed every club we do a deal with?

Bringing Kovacic in for a year is an extremely good thing for us right now. Extremely.  This transfer window we have neither time, nor money, nor ability to attract highest calibre players. Kovacic has a very high chance of being useful - if not as an attacking midfielder in addition to Kante and Jorginho, then as a replacement to one of them for rotation, for injuries, etc. And to have that with no risk and no crazy cost is awesome. And next year Sarri will have had a year to assess the squad and will have a full window to look for players that he needs.

And if it's also good for Madrid - well ... whatever. We are not in  direct competition with them for anything.

23 minutes ago, Hanzen said:

Exactly. Well done by Madrid. But on the other hand we kind of get what we want - right? We're getting rid of a keeper that clearly doesn't want to be in Chelsea, and Real offers to help us out with a midfielder, which is what we're looking for. The loan deal furthermore makes it possible for us to snatch up a high prospect goalkeeper rather than Butland or Schmeichel. I know, it's kind of a short term solution - but at least a decent solution for both parties.

Hopefully we'll put in a buyout clause as well. Rumours says Real won't accept that, but we'll have to wait and see.

I agree we do get a short term solution, but would not be better long term developing a player we already own? 

I guess it just seems strange to take a player on loan like this for a club of chelsea's size. Loan deals haven't really worked out for us in the past, so I am sceptical. 

Kovacic does seem pretty hell bent on leaving madrid permanently, and hopefully madrid will buy a replacement for him this summer, so he will have his path blocked further at the end of the season.

He is a quality player though, and it's going to be fun to watch him this season.

It's a win for us if he's coming, even just for a year. We didn't let Courtois go without a fight, and they have to chip in something to make it happen. Imagine we just sold Courtois after the WC, we'd never get this offer. He's a quality player, now we could move on a couple of players with his quality. If he has a good season, pretty sure a transfer is on the card.

6 minutes ago, big blue said:

I agree we do get a short term solution, but would not be better long term developing a player we already own? 

I guess it just seems strange to take a player on loan like this for a club of chelsea's size. Loan deals haven't really worked out for us in the past, so I am sceptical. 

Kovacic does seem pretty hell bent on leaving madrid permanently, and hopefully madrid will buy a replacement for him this summer, so he will have his path blocked further at the end of the season.

He is a quality player though, and it's going to be fun to watch him this season.

With RLC getting chances and MM at Derby can't see a problem especially if we can get rid of Babayoko and Stinkwater...

I'll tip my hat to the club if they make this happen with a buyout clause.
Even without it's a job well done and we have a great midfield on paper for this season.

2 minutes ago, doctorblue said:

With RLC getting chances and MM at Derby can't see a problem especially if we can get rid of Babayoko and Stinkwater...

Really need to move of those players on. I thought RLC had some good moments last night, it's going to be tough for him to get minutes though with Barkley, Kovacic, and possibly Fabregas to compete with. 

 

If he plays well and enjoys his time at the club presumably Kovacic will push to make the move permanent at the end of the season anyway regardless of is an option to buy is part of the loan agreement or not. 

The midfield hasn't looked great during pre-season and the worry is we'll rely on Kante too much. Not often you get the opportunity to sign a player like this on loan and even if it has only come about as a sweetner to push the Courtois deal through then so what? I think it's important to give Sarri the best chance of implementing the playing style he wants and I'm not sure he can do that with the current midfield options. 

I can't remember the last time we signed a class player on loan... come to think of it, I can't remember the last time we signed someone on loan... 

IF we happen to pull this off + with the option to buy (wishful thinking imo), it'll be a great piece of business! A midfield 3 of Kovacic, Kante, and Jorginho would be unreal! Fabs is not the player we saw in his first season, RLC still isn't ready for a starting berth and I feel another loan will do him well as the kid does have talent, Barkley still looks out of place to me, Bakayoko and Drinkwater... 

 

Make it happen Chels!!!! 

1 hour ago, big blue said:

It just seems to me like madrid are being a little sneaky here. 

They get Courtois for half the price of the going rate for top keepers this summer.

Kovacic gets his game time, and if he does exceptionally well, madrid will either take him, charge us a fortune, or most likely, they will use him to try and get hazard very cheap next summer. 

If we had agreed a fee for him already, it would've put the ball in our court. 

We might have been better buying fekir with the money now, then letting Courtois run his contract down and buying kepa in the summer. 

Hopefully hazard signs an extension, and we can put it all to bed. I just can't stand dealing with madrid. 

I think he is a sweetener. After we secured Kepa, nothing would stop us from making Tibo play reserves and demanding a bigger price from Real or saying you wait for 12 months. 

It's clever. We'll see how it goes with the loan, it does give them a line on Hazard in 12 months for sure. 

Just now, Raven8er said:

I can't remember the last time we signed a class player on loan... come to think of it, I can't remember the last time we signed someone on loan...

Was either Falcao or Pato.  Think both were around the same time, unless I'm forgetting someone else.

4 minutes ago, Raven8er said:

I can't remember the last time we signed a class player on loan... come to think of it, I can't remember the last time we signed someone on loan... 

Falcao was the last player bought in on loan I think. 

Last world class player we had on loan? Probably have to go back to George Weah for that one. 

9 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Falcao was the last player bought in on loan I think. 

Last world class player we had on loan? Probably have to go back to George Weah for that one. 

I was very excited for George weah. Wasn't he on something like £50k a goal? Should've paid him double for that solitary goal against spurs. 

Falcao wasn't great, neither was pato. We had an option to sign both of them though incidently.

20 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

If he plays well and enjoys his time at the club presumably Kovacic will push to make the move permanent at the end of the season anyway regardless of is an option to buy is part of the loan agreement or not. 

The midfield hasn't looked great during pre-season and the worry is we'll rely on Kante too much. Not often you get the opportunity to sign a player like this on loan and even if it has only come about as a sweetner to push the Courtois deal through then so what? I think it's important to give Sarri the best chance of implementing the playing style he wants and I'm not sure he can do that with the current midfield options. 

That's banking on a lot of things to fall our way. By all accounts he likes and wants to remain at Madrid, he just wants regular game time is all. 

Even if we get Kovacic we will still be relying on Kante anyway. 

4 minutes ago, big blue said:

I was very excited for George weah. Wasn't he on something like £50k a goal? Should've paid him double for that solitary goal against spurs. 

Falcao wasn't great, neither was pato. We had an option to sign both of them though incidently.

I was there the night George Weah made his debut and scored the equaliser against Spurs, made him an instant fan favourite. 

Didn't know about the goal bonus thing, but sounds about right for the sort of thing we were doing as a club at the time. 

I completely forgot about Pato, just had a look and he's not playing in the Chinese Super League and has 29 goals in 45 appearances for Tianjin Quanjian. So looks like he's found his level... He's still only 28. 

4 minutes ago, Remodez said:

That's banking on a lot of things to fall our way. By all accounts he likes and wants to remain at Madrid, he just wants regular game time is all. 

Even if we get Kovacic we will still be relying on Kante anyway. 

Can't see him returning to Madrid if he leaves, even on loan... Things move too quickly at that club. 

Seeing quite a few reports claiming that an option to buy IS going to be including as part of the loan so who knows. 

With a player as brilliant as Kante, like any world class player, of course you're going to rely on them but I think this loan helps ease the burden just a bit because Drinkwater and Bakayoko look outcasts for Sarri's system. 

10 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

I completely forgot about Pato, just had a look and he's not playing in the Chinese Super League and has 29 goals in 45 appearances for Tianjin Quanjian. So looks like he's found his level... He's still only 28. 

Crazy to think he's only 28.  Seems to have been around forever at this point. 

33 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Falcao was the last player bought in on loan I think. 

Last world class player we had on loan? Probably have to go back to George Weah for that one. 

Didn't we take Pato on loan too?

1 minute ago, BordeauxBlue said:

Didn't we take Pato on loan too?

Pato was certainly not world class though

I had managed to forget about Pato and Falcao and now you guys have dragged it up again