1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Spending almost 70m for Gittens and then loaning him is the biggest indictment of our sporting directors being absolute amateurs.

Garnacho is another case of loaning with options until his book value is low enough where someone will buy him.

I do believe he probably was more like 50m. But he's one of those signings that didn't make sense at the time and was definitely only signed because he played for Citys youth team.

De Jong " tackle" on Alonso

Howard Webb the ref..... gave a yellow card FFS

Edited May 19May 19 by The Rising Sun
Info

5 hours ago, DarkMata said:

I think he will rate him as most football pundits seem to and being one of the perceived leaders he would want to keep him. I think his priorities will be centre backs and attackers and he will be confident in himself to get the best out of what I believe is a good player. Plus I don't think Clearlake will be happy selling one of their precious marquee players as it would show more mismanagement and weakness on their part.

Reckon it'll be decided on the training ground, if Alonso is pinging better passes around the training pitch than Enzo... TBH, reckon a lot of the squad will still be here next season and its going to be a case of sorting through our players of who will work or not in the manager's system. We cant throw another 250 million at it cause we dont have it.

1 hour ago, Nibs said:

The hierarchy must have already sat down with Alonso to thrash out his 4 year deal and they may well have already gone through the squad but I would imagine there will still be some awkward conversations when he officially starts in July and he lists a whole number of players who he deems not good enough and shouldn't have been bought in the first place. A puppet like Rosenoir just had to get on with it and work with what he was given, but you don't appoint someone like Alonso and expect him to happily do likewise.

Haven't we got a couple of teenage wonder kids arriving in the summer anyway? .I hope everyone gives Xabi time, especially with players away in the WC when he starts..

I'm looking forward to the season now.

18 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

De Jong " tackle" on Alonso

Howard Webb the ref..... gave a yellow card FFS

"Please sum up the state of PGMOL and VAR in 10 seconds."

Just now, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

"Please sum up the state of PGMOL and VAR in 10 seconds."

Pretty sure it's before VAR was able to make everything perfect??

5 hours ago, TheCeleryKing said:

In terms of transfers, we don't actually need a complete clear out and change imho. We need a few solid signings - grown up players in some key areas. I think that some of our 'kids' - that are not very popular around here - are actually really good players. I am looking at the two French lads Malo Gusto [23] and Wes Fofana [25]. They are good players and worth keeping around in the team/squad. There are of course players that never worked out - Garnacho [21] and Delap [23] - and they should just move on. Then you have a player like Gittens [21] and the jury is still out, because i have yet to see enough of him to know if there is anything/something there. Maybe there is a footballer in Gittens somewhere?

Were you always this mild?

9 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Pretty sure it's before VAR was able to make everything perfect??

No, I meant Howard Webb currently being head of PGMOL and both them and VAR doing an absolute awful job.

Chelsea 'strike agreement' for first Xabi Alonso transfer as Argentine star says his goodbyes

Chelsea have reached an agreement sign the first player of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge after the Spaniard was announced as the club's new manager on Sunday.

Hurrah! An experienced mid fielder! Oh hang on .... it's 21 year old Barco from Strasbourg via Brighton!

Edited May 19May 19 by The Rising Sun
Information

13 minutes ago, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

No, I meant Howard Webb currently being head of PGMOL and both them and VAR doing an absolute awful job.

13 minutes ago, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

No, I meant Howard Webb currently being head of PGMOL and both them and VAR doing an absolute awful job.

13 minutes ago, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

No, I meant Howard Webb currently being head of PGMOL and both them and VAR doing an absolute awful job.

Oh, sorry mate!

14 hours ago, Speedie said:

Did I not see that BlueCo have taken loans out for £500m and £800m against the Chelsea FC name, with one loan due to be paid back in the next couple of years, and the other by 2033? These loans are also accruing interest to add to the repayments. Was on " the rest is football " special when Rosenior was sacked.

Those loans are for the holding company, 22 Holdco. They represent the cash that is used to fund BlueCo's investment into the club and its assets. The club is indirectly used as a security for those loans, but it is not responsible for the debt and doesn't need to pay that money back to the lenders. A lender taking possession can't sell players or take matchday revenue as repayment, although they can sell the club whole to someone else, or sell the women's team, hotels, properties etc. and the club wouldn't see any direct profit from that. Some people even speculate this would be the preferred outcome, as it would force BlueCo out or in the case of the PIK debt, potentially bring in a owner with an actual track record of success in football (Ares Management)

If BlueCo were unable to pay those loans:

• The senior ~800m debt would need to be repaid with interest (prob around 1bn) - this is like a mortgage, where JP Morgan/Bank of America would possess some of the owners' shares and could sell them to other parties to repay the debt. It could also sell the assets of the holding company which are the club itself, the womens' team, the hotels and the other properties etc.

• The PIK ~500m debt does not require regular repayments but interest still accrues, by 2033 that debt would also be around ~1bn. If BlueCo do not pay this debt by 2033, whatever is remaining is converted to a stake in the club for the lender, Ares Management. The issue with this debt is that Ares announced the deal was for investment in the club's infrastructure and stadium, so they will be pretty pissed if there isn't one by 2033 lol.

12 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

Chelsea 'strike agreement' for first Xabi Alonso transfer as Argentine star says his goodbyes

Chelsea have reached an agreement sign the first player of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge after the Spaniard was announced as the club's new manager on Sunday.

Hurrah! An experienced mid fielder! Oh hang on .... it's 21 year old Barco from Strasbourg via Brighton!

And the height of a borrower. Look forward to seeing him bossing our midfield shrugging off the likes of Rice, Szoboslai, Rodri etc

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

And the height of a borrower. Look forward to seeing him bossing our midfield shrugging off the likes of Rice, Szoboslai, Rodri etc

Fairly sure he will be deployed as a LB under Alonso.

And im willing to feel negatively about bringing in another Brighton / Strasbourg player, but he does seem pretty decent and im not going to slag off someone playing as a CM who is a bit short...

1 hour ago, bisright1 said:

Fairly sure he will be deployed as a LB under Alonso.

And im willing to feel negatively about bringing in another Brighton / Strasbourg player, but he does seem pretty decent and im not going to slag off someone playing as a CM who is a bit short...

Yeah, but does Alonso see him as the experienced player he was expecting??

I don't know why we didn't pause this transfer until Alonso decided what players he wanted, this transfer is all part of the "project" .

Edited May 20May 20 by The Rising Sun
Information

Alonso's Leverkusen relied heavily on Grimaldo (5'7) at LWB. Same height as Barco.

Barco excited me more than Cucurella does.

Bayer had 2 munckins as full backs/wing backs, tiny wee Frimpong is about as tall and heavy as one of my mid morning defecations.

40 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Yeah, but does Alonso see him as the experienced player he was expecting??

I don't know why we didn't pause this transfer until Alonso decided what players he wanted, this transfer is all part of the "project" .

Barco seems like a quality player to me. I'd be very surprised if Alonso was to block signing someone who has excelled in the French league, can play midfield and left back, has been capped by Argentina and is only 21. Alonso also knows he can't come in and say "okay stop scouting players, don't sign anyone, I want to propose every transfer". It would kill our window entirely.

Alonso coming in doesn't mean we are only going to sign 28 year olds, and it doesn't mean he is the only one who has a say about transfers. We're still going to sign the same up and coming players, there is nothing wrong in that, we should be doing that still. The problem was only signing up and coming players.

Edited May 20May 20 by bisright1

8 minutes ago, dkw said:

Bayer had 2 munckins as full backs/wing backs, tiny wee Frimpong is about as tall and heavy as one of my mid morning defecations.

Going to work in his benefit to have a fully fresh Pedro, Santos, Estevao Quenda, Lavia, and potentially Colwill for the start of the season.

Couple of decent signings and champions league qualification should be very attainable, probably the baseline.

On this seasons evidence there’s not much to be worried about on the teams ahead of us, but of course they may also improve too.

Hard to know whether he would like us to qualify for the Europa or Conference or rather have the midweeks free.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Going to work in his benefit to have a fully fresh Pedro, Santos, Estevao Quenda, Lavia, and potentially Colwill for the start of the season.

I mean let's face it next year is up for grabs
Slot's liverpool, Maresca's City, Carrick's United and defending champions Arsenal with an inevitable hangover....we should be dark horses.

Provided we don't do anything stupid like qualify for the Europa league.

4 hours ago, bisright1 said:

Barco seems like a quality player to me. I'd be very surprised if Alonso was to block signing someone who has excelled in the French league, can play midfield and left back, has been capped by Argentina and is only 21. Alonso also knows he can't come in and say "okay stop scouting players, don't sign anyone, I want to propose every transfer". It would kill our window entirely.

Alonso coming in doesn't mean we are only going to sign 28 year olds, and it doesn't mean he is the only one who has a say about transfers. We're still going to sign the same up and coming players, there is nothing wrong in that, we should be doing that still. The problem was only signing up and coming players.

I don't know anything about Barco tbf, but I agree with your views on Alonso and transfers etc.

There's some fanciful thinking that somehow Alonso can present a list of players he doesn't fancy much and the club will immediately sell them, and that Alonso will give a list of players he wants, and the Directors will go out and buy them . I see next season as basically yet another fresh start and some minor transfer policy adjustment.

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Going to work in his benefit to have a fully fresh Pedro, Santos, Estevao Quenda, Lavia, and potentially Colwill for the start of the season.

No point counting Lavia at this point, that guy will get injured as soon as training starts.

16 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Those loans are for the holding company, 22 Holdco. They represent the cash that is used to fund BlueCo's investment into the club and its assets. The club is indirectly used as a security for those loans, but it is not responsible for the debt and doesn't need to pay that money back to the lenders. A lender taking possession can't sell players or take matchday revenue as repayment, although they can sell the club whole to someone else, or sell the women's team, hotels, properties etc. and the club wouldn't see any direct profit from that. Some people even speculate this would be the preferred outcome, as it would force BlueCo out or in the case of the PIK debt, potentially bring in a owner with an actual track record of success in football (Ares Management)

If BlueCo were unable to pay those loans:

• The senior ~800m debt would need to be repaid with interest (prob around 1bn) - this is like a mortgage, where JP Morgan/Bank of America would possess some of the owners' shares and could sell them to other parties to repay the debt. It could also sell the assets of the holding company which are the club itself, the womens' team, the hotels and the other properties etc.

• The PIK ~500m debt does not require regular repayments but interest still accrues, by 2033 that debt would also be around ~1bn. If BlueCo do not pay this debt by 2033, whatever is remaining is converted to a stake in the club for the lender, Ares Management. The issue with this debt is that Ares announced the deal was for investment in the club's infrastructure and stadium, so they will be pretty pissed if there isn't one by 2033 lol.

Thank you for this. With the Glazers at utd, I do worry that BlueCo will do something similar to us. This gives me some reassurance.

6 hours ago, bisright1 said:

Barco seems like a quality player to me. I'd be very surprised if Alonso was to block signing someone who has excelled in the French league, can play midfield and left back, has been capped by Argentina and is only 21. Alonso also knows he can't come in and say "okay stop scouting players, don't sign anyone, I want to propose every transfer". It would kill our window entirely.

Alonso coming in doesn't mean we are only going to sign 28 year olds, and it doesn't mean he is the only one who has a say about transfers. We're still going to sign the same up and coming players, there is nothing wrong in that, we should be doing that still. The problem was only signing up and coming players.

From 2024 on the " we are Brighton" fan site...

Brighton 1-2 Chelsea: Ratings show Boehly will want Barco next

May 16, 2024WeAreBrighton.com

If Todd Boehly uses the player ratings from Brighton 1-2 Chelsea to decide who his next big purchase from the Albion will be, Tony Bloom should prepare himself for a £273 million summer bid for Valentin Barco.

The teenager from Argentina was a half time introduction for the injured Lewis Dunk. And in his 45 minutes on the pitch, Barco was magnificent"

Looks like we got him on the cheap! I read the Brighton report on him , absolutely wonderful praise for the lad.