Still no done deal on Enzo Fernandez, but there will be a meeting this afternoon. #CFC have not given up, but no breakthrough as of lunch.
@benjacobs

 

Final meeting / last chance surely?

5 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I would rather lose him on a free in the summer than sell him now with no back up in a position we are seriously struggling with. We still have half a season left to play.

I can only assume that either they are definitely bringing in another midfielder this window, or they have effectively written off this season.

I don’t understand why Benfica want all the money up front. We’re offering a big upfront payment. It’s not like it’s loaded with ridiculous add on’s. 

15 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Gonna look really stupid letting Jorginho go if this doesn't go through. Also talks of Gallagher going as well.

Instead of improving the position that needs the most work, there is a high chance we are going to make it a lot worse.

Why exactly? Our season is basically over in terms of Premier League and 4th spot. We don't need Jorginho to limp over line. We are not trying to save this season with Enzo deal, we are trying to get him now as in the summer it will be 1000-times harder.

We just made 12m on Jorginho. In the summer it would have been 0m.

All the 'usual' guys are now reporting there is one last meeting this afternoon and that they expect the negotiations to continue until very late.

Side note: But I think as long as we start the "deal sheet" before 11pm we have up until 1am (I think) to submit it to the FA for the transfer to go ahead. However if the deal sheet hasn't been started before 11pm then it won't be allowed to go through. 

5 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Feels like they have been very consistent in their standpoint all along. They want the release clause paid in full if he is to leave this month. Our first approach hit the rocks because allegedly we tried to offer players plus cash. Now we seem to have hit a block because we want to pay in installments. Question is whether we will ultimately give in to their original demands, or walk away?

From Benfica's point of view they may not get as much for him in the summer, but there could well be a lot more bidders which would also potentially put the price up. So it is a gamble.

Unless we sell gallagher, paying upfront seems impossible because of FFP so I think this one might be a bust now. 

1 minute ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

Unless we sell gallagher, paying upfront seems impossible because of FFP so I think this one might be a bust now. 

Perhaps that explains why we supposedly accepted that bid from Everton yesterday.

If it doesn't happen it isn't through fault of our board so it's hard to get annoyed at them, Rui Costa is just being a bellend.

That being said selling Jorginho is looking more stupid by the minute, we better have a back up plan otherwise we are f**ked in midfield this season.

Think this final meeting is agreeing to the structure. 

At least I hope. 

Meeting taking place 2.00pm Portugal time, Chelsea is trying to push this thru very seriously.

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Think this final meeting is agreeing to the structure. 

At least I hope. 

Yes this is true.

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Think this final meeting is agreeing to the structure. 

At least I hope. 

Have to think there's still some optimism from our staff that are out there, otherwise surely they'd have walked away by now. 

6 minutes ago, evissy said:

Why exactly? Our season is basically over in terms of Premier League and 4th spot. We don't need Jorginho to limp over line. We are not trying to save this season with Enzo deal, we are trying to get him now as in the summer it will be 1000-times harder.

We just made 12m on Jorginho. In the summer it would have been 0m.

So we should just chuck the rest of the season away and go for nothing? Okay then, tell the fans to not bother turning up for anymore games this season because it's already all over apparently.

2 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

If it doesn't happen it isn't through fault of our board so it's hard to get annoyed at them, Rui Costa is just being a bellend.

That being said selling Jorginho is looking more stupid by the minute, we better have a back up plan otherwise we are f**ked in midfield this season.

I won't be completely annoyed at them but they bear responsibility for messing up the first negotiations at the start of the month. That one apparently is really what got on Rui Costa's nerves. Initially, Benfica seemed open to sell without even meeting the release clause. They probably would have accepted what we are offering now if we didn't insult them by offering players and lower than what we promised. 

I had a feeling we wouldn't be able to get this through so not that gutted purely due to the fact I never got my hopes back up in the first place.

But if we let Jorginho leave with no replacement, f**king hell.

Just now, Scott Harris said:

So we should just chuck the rest of the season away and go for nothing? Okay then, tell the fans to not bother turning up for anymore games this season because it's already all over apparently.

It is not like we have only academy players at hand. We have full international players available. People will attend games and hopefully we will have good games. Basically we are not getting top 4 and CL is a pipedream even with one signing coming in. 

Letting Jorginho go got us 12m sterling. In the summer it would have been 0. 

I can only see this happening if we manage to sell Gallagher or offload someone else.

1 minute ago, Argo said:

I had a feeling we wouldn't be able to get this through so not that gutted purely due to the fact I never got my hopes back up in the first place.

But if we let Jorginho leave with no replacement, f**king hell.

Going to be funny lining up a Gallagher - RLC pivot against Dortmund...

 

Just now, Frankie8Lampard said:

I can only see this happening if we manage to sell Gallagher or offload someone else.

I want us to stick with Gallagher. There is ton of similarities with Enzo and Mount as well. All round midfielders with knack of scoring. I think these 3 could make a very dynamic midfield partnership.

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Going to be funny lining up a Gallagher - RLC pivot against Dortmund...

 

Can see Hall being the "main man" in that position if the unthinkable happens tonight.

Good prospect but if his performance at Anfield is anything to go by he's nowhere near ready for the responsibility.

We have Hall, Chukwuemeka and Santos (if he gets his permit) available. On top of that Zakaria (maybe), Ruben, Gallagher, Kovacic, Mount....

Suppose the club will be reluctant to have so much money in one big lump. 

6 minutes ago, evissy said:

I want us to stick with Gallagher. There is ton of similarities with Enzo and Mount as well. All round midfielders with knack of scoring. I think these 3 could make a very dynamic midfield partnership.

I'd love Gallagher to stay but sadly FFP means we can't have everyone. It's either Gallagher and Mount or Mount and Enzo. I don't picture a scenario where we have all three of them. Even if we manage to get Enzo without selling Gallagher, I imagine he would probably still be moved on in the summer. 

Enzo Fernandez talks expected to go late, in what have been fractious negotiations.

Chelsea have put forward a few different deal structures.

#CFC

(@MiguelDelaney)

3 minutes ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

I'd love Gallagher to stay but sadly FFP means we can't have everyone. It's either Gallagher and Mount or Mount and Enzo. I don't picture a scenario where we have all three of them. Even if we manage to get Enzo without selling Gallagher, I imagine he would probably still be moved on in the summer. 

Doesn't look like we will sell Gallagher in this window. If anything maybe a loan with option to buy. I did hear a possible theory that he might be loaned to West Ham, with him then being part of a deal to secure Rice in the summer. But who knows...