I like Ziyech, but the thought of another guy who just launches it from 30 yd every time he looks up isnt my favorite type of player

Agree but at that price you won't find better prob. He's pretty proven as well.

Some rumours Chelsea might just punt this window rather than being in a Spurs situation this window with a ban next.
Not many great targets, if you sell Hazard for like 100m it just seems likely you end up in a Spurs like situation with not great 30m replacements. Market really isn't great for talent. But, this can end with Sarri rage quitting and Lampard being manager which I'm all for.

Again, I am not a fan, but beggars cant be choosers

What good alternatives are there? I'd like a Zaha (but not for the money asked) or a Pepe, but it wont happen. I seriously doubt we'd afford Cengiz Under. Seems like we are down to Ziyech (who can also play in the middle), Ismaila Sarr, Ryan Fraser (do scots qualify for the "english premium fee"?) or maybe some relative unknown from a sub top5 league (trossard etc).

Given the situation, Ziyech seems like a steal and a massive upgrade on what we currently got. Dont forget that we also need a CB (critical) and a new #2 keeper at a minimum. We could definitely use a CM and a LB too.

As of right now, i'd be superhappy with the following end result:

Out: Mustafi, Elneny, Mkhi. Özil out would be good so we can rebuild and free up money, but i doubt it can happen this summer. Xhaka out would be great if we can find a better option for the same money. What would a good xhaka replacement (that is realistic) be?

Loan: Not too many. We need to start giving our very promising youngsters a chance before other clubs come poking ala Serge Gnabry. Mavropanos, Nketiah, Amaechi, Bielik, Medley and John Jules seem like obvious choices to send out to suitable cubs.

Promote: Willock (could be a breakout season) ESR (or send back to bundesliga), Reiss Nelson, Saka (he could get time both as LWB and as winger. Should definitely play in cups.) Anyone else?

We will get Chambers back who can fill Elnenys role and also fill up in the defense.

Purchase a winger: One of Ziyech>Sarr>Fraser>>>Trossard.

Purchase a CB: One of Saliba(Im 100% on this hypetrain!)>Bailly/Umtiti(if they are both physically fit and cheap, i keep reading that Umtitis knee is gone)>Dakonam>that-guy-from-brazil-league

Purchase a GK: We need a proper #2. I honestly think Ospina would be great at it, but i guess he is gone. Emi Martinez is surely not good enough?

Tierney seems like he would be a great purchase at LB, but i doubt Unai is as desperate over that spot upgrade as i am. Kolasinac cant defend, Monreal is old.

It was said that their main prio is to replace Aaron. Who could fill that spot?

Think Ziyech would be a great signing for a lot of teams. I would take him if I thought 1) we would spend that much money and 2) he would be tempted to join Newcastle. It's a big step down from CL semi's with Ajax unfortunately

I forgot.

Out: Bould
In: Ljungberg

Pretty reasonable. You think RB is fine? I guess bellerin + amn is enough. CB/LB/Winger are just absolute musts. Back up gk is whatever just play emi in fa/league cup and leno in cl/league. If ars win EL and get a CL spot they probably don't have to sell anyone they would be inclined to keep to fund those xfers, but if they don't I wouldn't be surprised to see one of laca or aub get sold. Both are great, but you can make an argument having both is redundant. Of the two I'd prefer to keep laca, as he is more versatile with a stronger overall game.

In terms of needs CB > LB >> Winger. Would be massive to squeeze 2 more decent to good years out of kosc + sokratis. Holding + someone else as the longer term mainstays.

Yes, i think RB is fine. I want amn to get plenty of games, regardless of where it is. He is raw but has potential. Chambers could also slot in if absolutely needed.

Im with you on the LB being really important, but im not sure it is more important than a winger. I think Unai wants to play 4-2-3-1, and we would have 0 wingers to play in that. Iwobi just doesnt cut it (maybe he should be moved more central, i dont know) and Nelson is untested.
But yes. I hope we get CB + LB + Winger in.
I guess #2 goalkeeper is not as important as i thought, but im a little paranoid. If Leno gets injured, we'd be ****ed.
I'd also prefer to keep Laca, but i would only sell Auba if we could get massive amounts of money and reinvest it fully. I realize that lots of people feel that we finally have world-class strikers and dont want them gone, but if we cant fill the rest of the team with somewhat competent players to supply them, whats the point?

Overall i'd love for the club to accept that we are not competing with the other big dogs financially anymore. I'd like for us to settle for being a club where the future megastars goes to evolve before being shipped off for insane fees to Barca or City. Kind of like the Ajax but in a more attractive league and with much more resources. Turn our academy into the best in the country and focus on bringing in promising youth instead of paying Mkhitaryan 200k pw. Maybe we could even bink a sick generation like Ajax have and win some titles that way.

SSN (again) reporting Daniel James is close. Personal terms agreed but no deal with Swansea yet. Dunno anything about him other than he's absolutely rapid.

Would be fine with a couple of these kind of punts this summer since we're obv not getting any of the really hyped up kids like De Ligt, Felix, Sancho and Havertz.

Giroud 1 year extension - looks like almost all of the business Chelski will do this window.

Apparently Chelsea haven't even filed an appeal before CAS. Are they just going to accept the ban and see what they have in CHO, Abraham, Mount and James? Might not be the worst idea.

Recall Michy and do not extend fat gonzalo too.

I hope Giroud took them to the cleaners

Can you still crush the transfer market if you can't participate in the transfer market?

oftentimes the best moves are the ones you don't make

#tuesdaythoughts #makesuthink #jesus

Ajax with four signings already lol.

lol

Does any Arsenal fan know what is it exactly Steve Bould does here?



Obv love Giroud and am a big fan of Abraham, but is that how Chelsea are going to go into next season?

Does any fan know what their club's assistant manager does? How are you going to measure their worth/performance? Paging BAIDS.

i vaguely remember that arse had four clean sheet to start the season (including @anfield) when bould joined, and that he was responsible for that according to everyone

but he's also been personally responsible for most of their defensive errors since so i think on balance he must go

Think this is their plan. Not terrible when their are no good #9s on the market and the potential Hazard replacements are basically coutinho and random ligue 1 punts

Yeah, I think they might be less screwed with a ban than most thought, me included. And this is probably the only way Chelsea are ever going to give their academy a chance.

Obv not going to replace Hazard's production levels right away (who is anyway?), but I think CHO is going to be really good and I think he actually prefers playing on the left. Shame about his injury though.

disagree

for now Winger and dynamic CM(ramsey ) >>> CB and LB

sokratis, koscielny, holding and monreal are all (fairly) good cb options
we would improve (our defense) more by becoming more dominant in midfield(relieving the defense of pressure in the progress)

We let in 52 goals in the league. That's the big problem.

But to be fair, Xhaka was responsible for 25 of those.