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Al Nassr want Luis Diaz for £100M

Early days of the market have shown shopping for Premier League proven players is tough. There are clubs with far deeper pockets and more trophies in the cabinet buying up the same players. Our best work to date has come "buying the dip" abroad, buying young, unproven players or raiding relegated clubs. I admire the ambition and don't feel "embarrassed" we've missed out on a few players, but we need to trust our talent ID a bit more until we're in a PSR position to flex our financial muscle. I hope that missing out on s few of these players sees us going down that road.

Never got this thing about London...what exactly is it that you can do there that you cant do at any major city? As someone pointed out earlier, its not like pro footballers are going for clubs and nights out anymore, everywhere (almost) has very good restaurants, and as for shopping....if footballers or their wives want high class stuff, they arent going to be wandering down high streets to get it, even if it is Harrods. Also if youre making more in a week than most people make in a few years, whats stopping you from dropping into london at any time you want? Even i can do a day trip to London on the train for a few hundred quid on the debacle of public transport

Elanga would be in addition to JP they play different positions. playing with a hard working 10 we play in much the same way but with more control imo. Lots of ways to slice it imo.

Sky tried all that stuff from the outset and give up not for no reason. The sky strikers and all that, Nick Collins the pitchside reporter, as Des Lynam put it years later about 'the guy on the touchline that goes "yeah he's injured"

Interesting to see how Chelsea manage their squad now they are in the CL. there’s no second string European truant to play the second team.

All true - but I just don’t see us playing with a 10. Our two man midfield would likely be overrun given the way Howe likes to play; it could mean that we’re changing style of course, but the Elanga bid suggest to me that this isn’t happening.

Nkunku is on his way and they don’t give a flying fuck about Dewsbury-Hall, he’ll be dispensed for whatever new shiny toy comes their way.

Its more a case of there are no financial consequences for them so they'd happily just buy everyone so that we can't. They wouldn't care if they play them or not.

They probably would but there’s more risk and they’ve got the financial muscle to go straight to the ‘proven PL’ category. Although their scattergun approach covers every type of player in every league and age group.

Dunno why but I feel we will get Pedro Think all this is from Brightons end to get the price up, or from Chelsea’s end to lower prices of other targets And it's coming from London journalists who are in Chelsea’s pocket... Plus, they have Delap and Jackson at ST, plenty of wingers and they are getting Gittens, Palmer who is their main man, Nkunku and KDH who have years left... Probably some others I've forgotten about It would be a terrible use of (endless..) resources for them, they don't need this type of player

Playing with a 10 is the only way the transfer makes sense. He’s still a pressing monster, he’s super physical as a 10 or 9 eg winning headers and holding it up. He offers something none of our players do - playing centrally between the lines. He adds another dimension to the team while keeping the core principles (hard working, athletic). Yeh if you think we are signing a £60m backup striker - it doesn’t make any sense.

Didnt realise they'd signed another keeper already. And that was before chasing Mike Maignan and Trafford.

What stops Chelsea following us to the continent to cock block us? They did it to Liverpool a few seasons ago and just bought all their targets so they couldn't have them.

I'd like us to bring Pedro in, but even if we don't we'll be fine. Our talent ID is very good.

Highly rated PL players have other suitors with deeper pockets. We’re not ready yet to start picking up the best players from the likes of Brighton, Brentford etc. without the ESL clubs sniffing around. I wish we’d move on and look to the continent where there’s more value. Let all of these chumps join the Chelsea circus.

Christ. Almost £300M in there for not many first starters.

We probably didn't sign Huijsen because he wanted a release clause in his contract.

Remember when the other top clubs used to bitch about Chelsea's spending. I get it.

I’ve said it before, but Chelsea are also a very successful club - and they finished above us last season despite having a bad season (while we had the best one in my lifetime). What represents success for us represents failure for them.

How many of them are starting first Prem game of 25/26 season? Probably 0. Neto at a push, but Chelsea will be signing a winger so who knows.

Picking Chelsea over any other top 8 PL team is just footballing Darwinism.

Rose-tinted specs in action there. Trippier was linked for ages before he signed. We spent the entire summer linked with Isak and Ekitike. Botman linked for yonks before finally signing. Tonali came out of nowhere, mainly because she wasn’t the one negotiating it. Staveley couldn’t stop briefing the press in all honesty - she spooked Emery due to it.

1. loads of money 2. live in London Think we probably underestimate just how important number 1 is, especially to players who have no ties to clubs or the country at all.

Every player currently is of championship standard. They have just signed one player who is a massive gamble. Absolutely nailed on relegation this year, unless they sign another 6 or 7 players of premier league standard. They are already nearly £15 million down and then you have increased wages and bonuses on top. So they won't be able to sign the number of quality players required. They are way behind the other two teams who were promoted with them, never mind the other 17 teams.