João Pedro

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

Not much we can do if that’s the player’s preference. I would hope the club aren’t daft enough to have done all the groundwork on just him as an attacking target though.

[Kid Icarus]

The way players line up to sign for Chelsea will never cease to baffle me like. If they'll choose them over Liverpool they'll choose them over us.

[HayDen Traces]

Seems our ability to make major signings left with Amanda. Felt like shit happened, & quickly when she was negotiating. Everything is protracted, out in public now which seems to go against us every single time.

[Displayname]

Hope the reports are correct.

Never wanted him for the quoted fee.

[Smal]

1 minute ago, Kid Icarus said:

The way players line up to sign for Chelsea will never cease to baffle me like. If they'll choose them over Liverpool they'll choose them over us.

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.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, HayDen Traces said:

Seems our ability to make major signings left with Amanda. Felt like shit happened, & quickly when she was negotiating. Everything is protracted, out in public now which seems to go against us every single time.

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. 

[CallumG6]

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

[Sibierski]

 

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.

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, Smal said:

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.

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. 

[Skeletor]

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

 

I get it.

[Menace]

1 minute ago, Sibierski said:

 

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.

 

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

[Novocastrian]

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.

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Novocastrian

[The Prophet]

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

[Skeletor]

Just now, Novocastrian said:

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 RSL 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.

 

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.

[Fak]

3 minutes ago, Sibierski said:

 

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.

 

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

[The College Dropout]

25 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

We don’t play with a ‘10’ and I can’t see us playing with one next season either - and it does seem like a fuckton of cash for a backup.

 

If he is who Howe wants, then I’m all for it - I’m just scratching my head over it.  Seems like a big chunk of the budget to me. 

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.  

[janpawel]

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 

 

 

[Novocastrian]

Just now, Skeletor said:

 

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.

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.

[Skeletor]

1 minute ago, Novocastrian said:

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.

 

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.

[Nucasol]

1 minute ago, janpawel said:

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 

 

 

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.

[TheBrownBottle]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

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.  

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. 

[The College Dropout]

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. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, TheBrownBottle said:

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. 

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.  

[gjohnson]

9 minutes ago, Smal said:

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.

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

[LFEE]

No doubt still twists and turns still left in this deal but in defence of JP he agreed to come to us 2-3yrs ago and we sacked the deal off for Isak so if he’s pivoted last minute to Chelsea we can’t cry about it. As disappointing it would be. I’m not that surprised as the sensible noises seemed to suggest Chelsea would pounce once a fee was agreed. Let’s see how it plays out.