mrmojorisin75 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 A CM should be the very top of our list. Very worrying that Rafa doesn't think so. One injury from The Colback Effect re-emerging. Loftus-Cheek is a huge talent. Worth testing Chelsea's resolve with a bid for a permanent transfer. don't know why they'd entertain what we'd offer at this point - ake has shown what they can get back for their youngsters if they want to move them on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sempuki Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Here we go again: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 A CM should be the very top of our list. Very worrying that Rafa doesn't think so. One injury from The Colback Effect re-emerging. Loftus-Cheek is a huge talent. Worth testing Chelsea's resolve with a bid for a permanent transfer. don't know why they'd entertain what we'd offer at this point - ake has shown what they can get back for their youngsters if they want to move them on Ake has already proven himself at PL level. Loftus Cheek hasn't Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikon Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 O Jogo'n.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 A CM should be the very top of our list. Very worrying that Rafa doesn't think so. One injury from The Colback Effect re-emerging. Loftus-Cheek is a huge talent. Worth testing Chelsea's resolve with a bid for a permanent transfer. don't know why they'd entertain what we'd offer at this point - ake has shown what they can get back for their youngsters if they want to move them on Ake has already proven himself at PL level. Loftus Cheek hasn't we're not going to pay say £15m for him - other clubs in the PL with TV cash will pay it, that's the point Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leazes_End_Mag Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Here we go again: No English source has reported it and our local media said we wouldn't bid as high as €15 when that was the asking price a couple of weeks ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
loki679 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 that's the flipside as well i guess isn't it, given it's an ashley run club there will likely be no drive to just get people off the books by reducing transfer fees and such to make the deals more agreeable for buying clubs off the top of my head i would personally want rid of as many of the following as possible with better replacements brought in in their positions krul/darlow/elliot (2 from 3) lazaar gamez hanley colback diame haidara gouffran (gone obvs) murphy mitro de jong saivet riviere ...that's 14 players and how many could we be looking to get +£5m in fees for? probably mitro and the keepers, the rest need to be shipped for very low fees to get them off the books but i can't see how this will ever happen i think we'll get buyers for the likes of hanley and murphy but in order to dredge the last penny out of the deals they'll probably end up being very late in the window which is the last thing we want Scary how we have such a long list of shite on our books. As much as Ashley is right to say we can't have this many players on our books, it's his disastrous transfer policy that's led to us accumulating so much shite. Slightly ironic that a transfer policy of buying players for resale value has left us with a load of players we can't sell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheInfiniteOdyssey Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Loftus-Cheek seems an absolute no-brainer of a signing to make, we're absolutely desperate for quality in the the centre of midfield. Last season we looked hopeless against Championship opposition when Shelvey was injured / not on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consortium of one Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 This summer's window isn't the important one. NEXT summer's window will really tell the tale... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mighty__mag Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Loftus Cheek has never been tested anywhere on loan etc. He will likely never really make it into Chelsea's first 11 as a permanent member. I would loan him in and do a deal like with Atsu and pay after the loan if we are satisfied. Is the other lad Baker out of the question? Hes done more on loan and is just as coated at all England youth levels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsley Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Loftus Cheek has never been tested anywhere on loan etc. He will likely never really make it into Chelsea's first 11 as a permanent member. I would loan him in and do a deal like with Atsu and pay after the loan if we are satisfied. Is the other lad Baker out of the question? Hes done more on loan and is just as coated at all England youth levels. Douglas mentioned that we had been offered Baker on loan I think. I agree by the way on Baker - has much more football under his belt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 O Jogo'n.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? What's he like? I'm WiFi-less atm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sempuki Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Chronicle: United want Real Madrid goalkeeper? As we reported last week Rafa Benitez is using his Real Madrid contacts for possible signings and one he wants is goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. Now Spanish paper Marca reports Benitez has asked about him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leazes_End_Mag Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Douglas and Ryder said we weren't interested for the fee Benfica want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? What's he like? I'm WiFi-less atm Keep in mind that these are largely just first impressions, but rather than just watching highlight reels I was looking at a selection of every involvement he's had in certain games against certain opponents (Benfica v Porto, Benfica v Sporting, Greece v Belgium, Benfica v smaller teams). The things that stood out as being really positive were his positional awareness and speed at covering for full-backs (particularly his right-back as he often plays on the right side of the two in a 4-2-3-1), his ability to win the ball on the run when it seems like his opponent has gone past him and his calmness when receiving possession under pressure in his own half. He's constantly looking to provide his defenders with an out ball from what I can see, and contrary to what Jotenko said I'm not seeing a player who takes an age to make a decision. Most sequences see him finding space, receiving the ball and either playing a first time pass backwards/sideways or turning when there's less risk and looking to play forward. The major negatives I can see are his aerial ability for a player of his size (around 6'2"), although he gets up well for aerial challenges he's often not getting much direction on his headers (which is a massively underrated way of retaining or gaining possession) and his speed across the ground, though you wouldn't necessarily expect a defensive midfielder of his stature to be fast. He's not slow, though, certainly looks more mobile than Shelvey and Colback if not quite as quick as Hayden. In addition to this he appears to be a yellow card fiend and can be a bit rash when committing to a challenge, but that sort of comes with the territory. Just generally looks a classy operator and while £17.5m is obviously a hell of a lot of money for someone who has never been completely established as a first choice in Benfica's team, the route he's taken to the top (coming from lower leagues like many of the players Rafa has signed since coming) and the way he takes responsibility on the pitch makes it look like there's a lot to be positive about. Even at 28 now he looks like a player who could go on well into his 30's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Douglas and Ryder said we weren't interested for the fee Benfica want. Just caught up on this, cheers. It does seem to be persisting, mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altamullan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Glad to see you've found a new hobby here for your retirement Graham. Seriously though, top scouting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Douglas and Ryder said we weren't interested for the fee Benfica want. Just caught up on this, cheers. It does seem to be persisting, mind. This is why i'm starting to believe there's something in this, it's popping up far too much for it to just be another silly season rumor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? What's he like? I'm WiFi-less atm Keep in mind that these are largely just first impressions, but rather than just watching highlight reels I was looking at a selection of every involvement he's had in certain games against certain opponents (Benfica v Porto, Benfica v Sporting, Greece v Belgium, Benfica v smaller teams). The things that stood out as being really positive were his positional awareness and speed at covering for full-backs (particularly his right-back as he often plays on the right side of the two in a 4-2-3-1), his ability to win the ball on the run when it seems like his opponent has gone past him and his calmness when receiving possession under pressure in his own half. He's constantly looking to provide his defenders with an out ball from what I can see, and contrary to what Jotenko said I'm not seeing a player who takes an age to make a decision. Most sequences see him finding space, receiving the ball and either playing a first time pass backwards/sideways or turning when there's less risk and looking to play forward. The major negatives I can see are his aerial ability for a player of his size (around 6'2"), although he gets up well for aerial challenges he's often not getting much direction on his headers (which is a massively underrated way of retaining or gaining possession) and his speed across the ground, though you wouldn't necessarily expect a defensive midfielder of his stature to be fast. He's not slow, though, certainly looks more mobile than Shelvey and Colback if not quite as quick as Hayden. In addition to this he appears to be a yellow card fiend and can be a bit rash when committing to a challenge, but that sort of comes with the territory. Just generally looks a classy operator and while £17.5m is obviously a hell of a lot of money for someone who has never been completely established as a first choice in Benfica's team, the route he's taken to the top (coming from lower leagues like many of the players Rafa has signed since coming) and the way he takes responsibility on the pitch makes it look like there's a lot to be positive about. Even at 28 now he looks like a player who could go on well into his 30's. I was wondering why we thought £17M was too much to pay for a top quality midfielder given the money in the game today then I saw he's 28 yrs old. I don't care what our official line is, I reckon we will still struggle to pay that sort of fee for a player over 25. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Douglas and Ryder said we weren't interested for the fee Benfica want. Just caught up on this, cheers. It does seem to be persisting, mind. Just as a matter of interest how did you watch the games or the bits where he was involved in games? Presume you didn't watch full matches Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Just sat watching Samaris clips for half an hour. I like it, I like it a lot. One of the deals that hasn't been denied anywhere, right? Douglas and Ryder said we weren't interested for the fee Benfica want. Just caught up on this, cheers. It does seem to be persisting, mind. Just as a matter of interest how did you watch the games or the bits where he was involved in games? Presume you didn't watch full matches I used Wyscout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 A CM should be the very top of our list. Very worrying that Rafa doesn't think so. Ritchie may fancy that role and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. He's good enough to do it so maybe the emphasis will be on a new wide man ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzza Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 If there was any chance of kovacic from madrid it would be a steal. Excellent player from the little I have seen of him. Box to box midfielder, with defensive attributes slightly better than attacking, good on ball and controls game rythym well... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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