Wayne Bridge

[bluemoon]

Hello lads. Good result for you lot yesterday. Praying you lot win the title this year.

At our match yesterday there was a lot of talk that we have signed Bridge, plenty of people spotting him at Carrington during the week.

Just wondered if any of you lot had any info on that side. I know there were paper stories claiming that you would not be doing business with City but I have heard the fee is 13 million so that could help you out.

If it is 13 million we have been well and truly done over but my god we need a left back.

[dkw]

Hello lads. Good result for you lot yesterday. Praying you lot win the title this year.

At our match yesterday there was a lot of talk that we have signed Bridge, plenty of people spotting him at Carrington during the week.

Just wondered if any of you lot had any info on that side. I know there were paper stories claiming that you would not be doing business with City but I have heard the fee is 13 million so that could help you out.

If it is 13 million we have been well and truly done over but my god we need a left back.

we should snap your hands of at £13 million, hes worth about half that. january us gonna be mental for your lot, weve been there. you`ll be linked with every player thats ever existedm and a few made up ones.

[bluemoon]

we should snap your hands of at £13 million, hes worth about half that. january us gonna be mental for your lot, weve been there. you`ll be linked with every player thats ever existedm and a few made up ones.

Tell me about it. I want january to arrive and leave quickly. Its silly season with us at the moment.

We are linked with players that are well above our station at the moment, but we maybe can attract one.

Senna has been openly talking about us. I would take him in a heartbeat.

Senna

Bridge

Santa Cruz

That would be a good start. We need alot though.

[geezer]

Well it was interesting that Bridgey was not even on the bench yesterday and yet two right backs were. Didn't leave much cover for the left side had Ashley Cole taken a hit (though Ferreira can play left side if need be).

[jack h]

As ive said in every other thread about Bridgey leaving i would be gutted and IMO 13 million is arounf what we should be getting afterall we paid 16 million for bosingwa, 19 for ferrierra etc so why shouldnt we squeeze some money out clubs that are after our players remember we had to pay 21 million for SWP so we should get as much money for city as possible IMO

Edited December 27, 2008 by jack h

[PloKoon13]

We wouldn't have ANY cover on the left? And it's not as if Ashley Cole is immune to injury...

[TheWestwayWonder]

Good to see you again blue moon. I have heard the rumors about Bridgey leaving, and like Jack (and i suspect most Chelsea folks) would be sad to see him go, even at 13 million but he has given us great service here for five years and deserves to start consistently. Because when he is played regularly he can be a top back in both attack and defense. And as mentioned, for 13 million, it would be "thank you Wayne, but good luck." That would be some tidy business for us, but you will get a great player.

Also, why do City seem so suddenly interested in Marco Senna? I thought Kompany was doing really well for you guys in the holding role.

Anyway, for us at LB, its clear that Cole has won himself the first team spot and has done well there. As for cover, I dont know who we can get, but I wouldnt mind having a transfer similar to when we got Belletti. Veteran presence who is also versatile and wont cost a bundle. We can look for the LB of the future when we need him.

[Liam]

We can look for the LB of the future when we need him.

We'll need him in the future. That's the point. Selling Bridge weakens us as a squad. I'd be unhappy to see him go.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Liam, I like Bridgey as much as anyone, and believe me I was upset with the old rumors of Bridge to Newcastle, Bridge to Liverpool etc for peanuts, because at the time Ashley was still newish and had not yet embedded into the side.

I dont want to sell him without having a replacement. We have seen where that gets us. I dont want to sell him for nothing. But if a team is gonna offer us far more than he would ordinarily be worth, then I say we take it and find some youth player or young, cheap replacement that can back up Ashley.

It wouldnt be fun to see him go, though. Like Duffer, Eidur and Maka, he is a fella you can really like.

[midlandblue]

we could always use Paulo as left back cover

:D

[PloKoon13]

we could always use Paulo as left back cover

:D

Ah, makes sense!

[mad_mac]

I think that'd be Scolari's prefered option....to sell a player and then use another portugeezer out of posision if needed

[PloKoon13]

Can't we flog Ferreira instead? It's not as if he's doing anything at the moment... and he'll never be in the same class as Belletti.

[dkw]

i would understand if bridge wants to leave as hes now clearly second choice to cole, and rightly so. if we get £13 mill for him then its too good to turn down. unfortunately we have no-one in the ressies ready for the step up and ferreira would almost certainly end up 2nd choice left back. hes solid enough but in our formation we need attacking wing backs.

[bluemoon]

Good to see you again blue moon. I have heard the rumors about Bridgey leaving, and like Jack (and i suspect most Chelsea folks) would be sad to see him go, even at 13 million but he has given us great service here for five years and deserves to start consistently. Because when he is played regularly he can be a top back in both attack and defense. And as mentioned, for 13 million, it would be "thank you Wayne, but good luck." That would be some tidy business for us, but you will get a great player.

Also, why do City seem so suddenly interested in Marco Senna? I thought Kompany was doing really well for you guys in the holding role.

Anyway, for us at LB, its clear that Cole has won himself the first team spot and has done well there. As for cover, I dont know who we can get, but I wouldnt mind having a transfer similar to when we got Belletti. Veteran presence who is also versatile and wont cost a bundle. We can look for the LB of the future when we need him.

Yeh I would be very happy with him to be honest. Michael Ball is so bad its unreal. today he was shocking again.

As for Senna, we need another holding midfielder. Away games we are getting bullied. It also frees up Kompany to move into defense as Dunne and Richards have been woeful at times this season. It gives us options and we have lacked that for decades. Kompany is an absolute machine but when he drops into defense he is even better. We need a player that can play the ball from the back. Dunne is a hoof merchant. With the lack of height we have upfront, the ball is coming back at us to quickly.

Ideally I would like to see us sign 5 players. More if possible, a keeper and maybe a left winger while Petrov is out. These I feel are realistic.

Bridge

Upson/Lescott

Senna

Kranjcar

RSC

Defoe would be nice, however, I have doubts about him wanting to move north of Watford. We need to be solid. Blackburn was a horrid game today. Long ball after long ball but we got a good result in the end.

Edited December 28, 2008 by bluemoon

[midlandblue]

I think that'd be Scolari's prefered option....to sell a player and then use another portugeezer out of posision if needed

I believe he plays in that position for his national team

[geezer]

Michael Ball is so bad its unreal. today he was shocking again.

My missus quite likes his singing.

[abramovich]

If it's about raising funds to buy re-enforcements then can't we just sell Paulo and Malouda. Ferreira isn't playing anyway and we have Ivanoic and Beletti as a RB cover and Malouda certainly won't be missed.

Selling Bridge halfway into the season is not an option because if Ashley gets injured we're royally f....d.

[loz]

Selling Malouda would be a bad idea unless we have a replacement already signed. We are short of width as it is and although malouda has hardly impressed he is a better option than no option. I would much rather have him in the side right now than Deco or Kalou or even Ballack.

[geezer]

I'd be happy to sell Malouda providing we didn't sell Bridgey as well. Bridgey could easily fill the gap and we'd revert to a similar partnership to the one Soxy and Baba had (in a pure football kind of way of course).

[dkw]

I'd be happy to sell Malouda providing we didn't sell Bridgey as well. Bridgey could easily fill the gap and we'd revert to a similar partnership to the one Soxy and Baba had (in a pure football kind of way of course).

was it a civil one?

[geezer]

was it a civil one?

Robbie Fowler didn't seem to think so but I don't care because I don't live in a Robbie Fowler house.

[dkw]

Robbie Fowler didn't seem to think so but I don't care because I don't live in a Robbie Fowler house.

big nosed dipper junky w**ker. thats not aimed you by the way, unless you are that.

[geezer]

big nosed dipper junky w**ker. thats not aimed you by the way, unless you are that.

Safe to say there's no resemblance at all except I'm a small nosed Chelsea funky w**ker.

[yogic]

Sky

Chelsea over a deal for Wayne Bridge, Sky Sports News sources understand.

Mark Hughes is known to be a long-term admirer of the England international left-back and is expected to spend heavily in the January transfer window.

City are keen to improve their squad defensively, with the club's backline having failed to convince over the course of a season that has seen them concede 30 league goals to date.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News earlier on Thursday, Hughes confirmed he was hopeful of bringing in new players sooner rather than later.

It is expected Hughes will return to former club Blackburn in a bid to land Roque Santa Cruz, but it is the Bridge deal that looks closer to completion.

Bridge is well regarded at Stamford Bridge but has almost always had to play second fiddle to Ashley Cole, since the left-back's move to the club from Arsenal in 2006.

Backed by the Abu Dhabi United Group it is expected City will be by far the biggest spenders in the transfer window.