4 minutes ago, Argo said:

So despite our UCL place next season being very far from secure we've as good as signed one of the hottest properties on the market.

It's almost as if being out of the UCL doesn't really change much in terms of who you can or can't attract.

Its almost as if there is soem other motivating factor at play. 

Of course should it not work out i am sure we'll all be wondering why nobody wants to take our players of our hands. 

That said i do like Nkunku, just praying we don't ruin this one as well.

12 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Its almost as if there is soem other motivating factor at play. 

Of course should it not work out i am sure we'll all be wondering why nobody wants to take our players of our hands. 

That said i do like Nkunku, just praying we don't ruin this one as well.

Well that's neither here nor there as we've seen many posts recently saying we won't attract players without UCL.

Maybe if it becomes a theme but as far as the short term is concerned I don't feel it's ever a problem. Any player who won't come here wouldn't have even with us in UCL (case in point Haaland not looking twice at us even after we won it).

1 hour ago, Argo said:

Well that's neither here nor there as we've seen many posts recently saying we won't attract players without UCL.

Maybe if it becomes a theme but as far as the short term is concerned I don't feel it's ever a problem. Any player who won't come here wouldn't have even with us in UCL (case in point Haaland not looking twice at us even after we won it).

I do think it's a good point though.

Yes, we've seen big players join non-CL sides before but almost all of the time they have either been paid obscene amounts of money or it was during a summer where a new and "exciting" manager came like Mourinho at United for example.

We intend to run a tight ship on salaries and don't have an exciting manager who will likely miss out on Top 4 by a distance in his first attempt. If we do so we won't exactly go into next season as among the favorites for Top 4 either and players know that.

If an ambitious Liverpool comes in for Nkunku for example I could easily see him pulling the plug on us and go there. Same goes with Rice, Enzo, Bellingham and the others.

 

38 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Yes, we've seen big players join non-CL sides before but almost all of the time they have either been paid obscene amounts of money or it was during a summer where a new and "exciting" manager came like Mourinho at United for example.

It's not just a small list though, multiple big names have done it including Ronaldinho three times.

38 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

If Liverpool comes in for Nkunku for example I could easily see him pulling the plug on us and go there. Same goes with Rice, Enzo, Bellingham and the others.

You're possibly right but that proves my point if anything, UCL or not we'll likely be behind Liverpool in the que for players at this point, even if they don't make it on top of that.

Edited December 20, 20223 yr by Argo

52 minutes ago, Argo said:

It's not just a small list though, multiple big names have done it including Ronaldinho three times.

You're possibly right but that proves my point if anything, UCL or not we'll likely be behind Liverpool in the que for players at this point, even if they don't make it on top of that.

I don’t think the odd season without CL football is a big problem especially if we’ve been a regular for years.  I mean we’ve missed to odd one without too much issue.  The problem comes when you spend more time in the Europa League than the Champions League.  I think Utds pulling power is waning due this even with their wealth.

As long as the pay is good and a plan in place , it's easy to convince a player and his agent to sign up. The injury will slow him down physically, although unlike Werner this guy has more in his toolbox rather than pure pace. Let's hope somehow we survive this season without being looked like complete fool, and have Nkunku and couple of more better players to get us up to top 4 ( or 6 ) level next season.

On 20/12/2022 at 23:39, Argo said:

So despite our UCL place next season being very far from secure we've as good as signed one of the hottest properties on the market.

It's almost as if being out of the UCL doesn't really change much in terms of who you can or can't attract.

On the basis of Todd's future plans, him being injured and money. It's not like Nkunku automatically slots into the team and makes our team into a well-oiled machine. 

We take what we can get but I have a sinking feeling about this signing. I hope to be wrong. 

20 minutes ago, Deino said:

On the basis of Todd's future plans, him being injured and money. It's not like Nkunku automatically slots into the team and makes our team into a well-oiled machine. 

We take what we can get but I have a sinking feeling about this signing. I hope to be wrong. 

I agree. 

We are apparently the best betting odds for MacAllister. Just how on earth are we going to field Nkunku, Mount, and MacAllister on the same pitch? These signings don't make any sense unless the club are contempt in going down the same route of expensive players playing out of position and complicating the simplest things. 

As of now, nothing is in place for an attacking player to shine. No platform. Much work needs to be done in January and in the summer for attackers to come and thrive. 

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by Sconnie Blue

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I agree. 

We are apparently the best betting odds for MacAllister. Just how on earth are we going to field Nkunku, Mount, and MacAllister on the same pitch? These signings don't make any sense unless the club are contempt in going down the same route of expensive players playing out of position and complicating the simplest things. 

As of now, nothing is in place for an attacking player to shine. No platform. Much work needs to be done in January and in the summer for attackers to come and thrive. 

I think that Nkunku can play as the main number 9 as well though. I am sure he ws doing this at Leipzig before Werner rejoined. If we get the attacking midfield right with the right kind of service then Nkunku can thrive up top. If we can keep the players fit of course.

2 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

I think that Nkunku can play as the main number 9 as well though. I am sure he ws doing this at Leipzig before Werner rejoined. If we get the attacking midfield right with the right kind of service then Nkunku can thrive up top. If we can keep the players fit of course.

Think it was Poulsen up top with Nkunku at CAM. 

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

Think it was Poulsen up top with Nkunku at CAM. 

My bad. I culd have sworn i was watching soem Bundesliga games last year when he was playing up top. I do think he is capable of it in the right set up. 

I think that Havertz looks bang average not becuase he is playing in a role that is not his best, but becuase the support function is so poor around him. Whilst his best position is undoubtedly in midfield he could be a lot more effective up top with a better support cast. I think teh same with a player like Nkunku, who i do feel is quite versatile.

He may not have the best creativity around him currently but I’m hoping he will create goals from nothing, something we’ve missed since Hazard.  Plus I’m also hopeful that by the time next season starts he’ll have a few more teammates arriving to help out.  From what I’ve heard and seen he’s a top player and we’d be better with him than not.

Scared of finding out what wages he has been offered considering he is already on £120k/w at Leipzig. And we all know Boehly likes to throw the money around, which is indirectly piling on more debts on the club.

2 hours ago, ducavis said:

Scared of finding out what wages he has been offered considering he is already on £120k/w at Leipzig. And we all know Boehly likes to throw the money around, which is indirectly piling on more debts on the club.

Malang Sarr is on more than that.

Another one for our medical team to practice on.

Already had torn knee ligaments according to " transfer market " site.

Who knows ?

On 23/12/2022 at 15:57, WhiteWall said:

Malang Sarr is on more than that.

Ridiculous isn't it. 

Has this deal actually been officially announced. I can't find anything on the Chelsea website and i have gone back to 20th December in the Latest News section.

Have we actually signed this guy?

39 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Has this deal actually been officially announced. I can't find anything on the Chelsea website and i have gone back to 20th December in the Latest News section.

Have we actually signed this guy?

Started to doubt it myself. Why would we delay the announcement for so long.

On 05/01/2023 at 00:38, big blue said:

Started to doubt it myself. Why would we delay the announcement for so long.

Maybe it's for the best. After all we have Kai, Mount, Gallagher playing at that AM/CAM position already.

There is a here we go from Romano that It's done. 

Just waiting on club confirmation. 

It doesn't matter who we get, Nkunku, Harland,, Trossard,, Dembele or the devil himself. Unless we sort out that midfield of ours they are going to fail. The greatest problem in the team right now is the total absence of creativity and quick ball movement. I really don't get the hype around Mount to be honest. The only good thing about him is that he is hardworking... Period.. he lacks creativity, the ability to create something out of nothing or make quick thru passes to attackers in promising positions. We have a Kovacic who cannot consistently make the right passes, and the master of sideways passing in Jorginho. I can't remember us scoring a single counterattacking goal in the last two seasons simply because our transition is so slow that by the time we decide to give our attackers and strikers the ball, everyone opposition member including the referee is behind the ball. The worst team in the Laliga moves the ball quicker than our team. Sort that out by getting quality forward passing players into that midfield before buying anyone 

54 minutes ago, d-one said:

It doesn't matter who we get, Nkunku, Harland,, Trossard,, Dembele or the devil himself. Unless we sort out that midfield of ours they are going to fail. The greatest problem in the team right now is the total absence of creativity and quick ball movement. I really don't get the hype around Mount to be honest. The only good thing about him is that he is hardworking... Period.. he lacks creativity, the ability to create something out of nothing or make quick thru passes to attackers in promising positions. We have a Kovacic who cannot consistently make the right passes, and the master of sideways passing in Jorginho. I can't remember us scoring a single counterattacking goal in the last two seasons simply because our transition is so slow that by the time we decide to give our attackers and strikers the ball, everyone opposition member including the referee is behind the ball. The worst team in the Laliga moves the ball quicker than our team. Sort that out by getting quality forward passing players into that midfield before buying anyone 

Agree 100%, I said after the shambolic transfer window the fact we didn't attempt to sort out the midfield was a stackable offence, it was ridiculous that we brought in an uninterested striker, an ageing defender and didn't bother with the main problem in midfield. Look at Utd with Casameiro, he's transformed them into a functioning unit.

Still seen no evidence anywhere that we have actually signed Nkunku, either for the summer or this window. Currently it all remains as a puff piece from Fabrizio Romano.  Never seen any official confirmation. 

The clubs probably agreed to wait to officially announce it. Or, perhaps we are working on a deal to loan him back, similar to the Pulisic deal from 2019.

8 hours ago, mwblue10 said:

The clubs probably agreed to wait to officially announce it. Or, perhaps we are working on a deal to loan him back, similar to the Pulisic deal from 2019.

Both clubs working on "final touches" but everything has been signed and agreed according to Romano. 

Romano 100% has an inside source at Chelsea given what happened with Cucurella.