Transfer: 2023 Summer Transfer Window - Open Window Edition

[I Eat Crow]

I would like a Balogun transfer to Fulham. He'll get minutes and success there with Americans in the past.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Arsenal's Gabriel has a Saudi offer supposedly. Maybe why Arteta has dropped him?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

They can only sell me on that (I wouldn’t like it but I could at least get the logic) if they are spending big on either a LCB or RB; depending what they are trying to do with the shape. If it’s just Endo and then it’s like a utility guy and/or they have to wait until January for Andre, they should have just kept Fabinho.

My criticism of the Endo signing has always been that’s it’s like eating mustard before the hot dog is ready. You got the condiment before you got lunch. They could have done Endo WITH any of the other options that they’ve done and it’s a cromulent decision, but by himself? I really don’t see it.

It seems very likely that they never planned to replace Fabinho and they were caught off guard by him leaving and they did not do their proper homework on finding the proper replacement this summer. Quite shocking but not surprising for a team that waited 2 years chasing Bellingham and refused to bring other midfielders until this summer.

 

[Savant]

It seems very likely that they never planned to replace Fabinho and they were caught off guard by him leaving and they did not do their proper homework on finding the proper replacement this summer. Quite shocking but not surprising for a team that waited 2 years chasing Bellingham and refused to bring other midfielders until this summer.

I don’t know if shocking is the right word, but it’s clear they were very unprepared this summer, which they really had no excuse to be. They needed to be, if nothing else, decisive. Alexis and Szoboszlai look great, not sure why we just stopped afterwards. The strategy has been dog shit.

 

[bleedblue1223]

 

[Jussi]

Another page, another Chelsea purchase...

 

[Evilo]

 

[Spring in Fialta]

An MLS goalie for 16? Seems really steep.

 

[Savant]

An MLS goalie for 16? Seems really steep.

You know, MLS is a pretty good goalie exporter if nothing else.

 

[bleedblue1223]

An MLS goalie for 16? Seems really steep.

It'll be the MLS record for a GK, topping Slonina last season. Petrovic has had some great metrics the past couple seasons, and the league has developed some decent GKs lately, so I'm optimistic that he can be a solid backup.

 

[Peen]

He’s starting over Sanchez in a month

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Chelsea got in their signing of the day…nice

 

[John Pedro]

Liverpool offered 30m for Andre, but Fluminense doesn't want to sell now because of their dream of winning Libertadores

 

[Savant]

Liverpool offered 30m for Andre, but Fluminense doesn't want to sell now because of their dream of winning Libertadores

I blame Argentinos Juniors. Thanks Redondo.

Rumor is they may be willing to wait until January but they definitely like the player. But also why would Fluminense settle for 10m less than their valuation when they know LFC has an extra 90-100m laying around. LFC either don’t understand how leverage works anymore, or they aren’t serious

 

[cgf]

Winger, AM. Young developing.

Now the revisionism goes as far as saying Fofana wasn't as good as the hype even though the guy dominated the EPL in his first season.

Anyway Pavard to Inter. More his level.

Curious. With Fofana, Becker, Volland, and Aaronson, to play off of Behrens we’re well occupied in those spots even if Hollerbach gets loaned out.

Plus we often played with just two attackers last season (Behrens & Becker), using two 8s in front of Khedira.

EDIT:
I do once again have to wonder if we're considering a move to a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1/4-4-2. Then the roster distribution would seem better balanced:

CB (5) - Knoche, Doekhi, Leite, Jaeckel, Heintz/Bonucci, (Bruns)
FB (4) - Juranovic, Gosens, Trimmel, Roussillon, (Dehl)
MID (6) - Khedira, Laīdouni, Schäfer, Kral, Haberer, Tousart, (Kemlein)
ATT (7) - Behrens, Fofana, Becker, Volland, Aaronson, Gharbi, Pantovic, (Sanogo)

With Kaufmann & Hollerbach looking like they'll be loaned to Hannover, Jordan like he'll be sold to BMG, and Skarke like he's heading back to Schalke.

 

[Corto]

I have no idea what Bayern are doing, selling Pavard after loaning out Stanisic...

 

[Live in the Now]

Unless I’m missing something they still have eight defenders. Have to balance the books some too. I also read at some point they were interested in Geertruida.

 

[cgf]

Unless I’m missing something they still have eight defenders. Have to balance the books some too. I also read at some point they were interested in Geertruida.

Correct. They’re signing Geertruida to back up Mazraoui.

 

[Blender]

Hall departs on loan

Lewis Hall has left Chelsea and joined Newcastle United on loan for the season, with the Magpies holding an option to make that move permanent.

www.chelseafc.com

Lewis Hall: Why a loan with obligation to buy makes sense for all parties

Explaining the mechanics and rationale behind Newcastle's move for the young Chelsea left-back

theathletic.com

There has been an air of disappointment at Hall’s departure from Chelsea — both from supporters and some inside the club. Concerns have been expressed that this is a return to the Chelsea academy’s old model, where talented prospects are sold to fund expensive imports.

The fact that Cucurella remains at the club, having disappointed since his arrival from Brighton last summer, has been a source of frustration.

However, Chelsea’s FFP position means they are in a position where they need to sell. The Athletic detailed last week how the club believe they are within current FFP guidelines, but it is a close-run thing. By knowing the money for Hall will come in next summer, they build themselves the space to be fluid in the market.

As a youth academy product, his sale reflects pure profit against FFP, with the player carrying no amortised cost.

Though Hall is highly rated, his prospects at Chelsea were harmed by the number of left-backs at the club. Ben Chilwell, the undoubted first-choice, is still only 26, while Ian Maatsen impressed during pre-season. Chelsea would like to find a buyer for Cucurella, but his ability to also fill in as a left-sided centre-back is useful.

With a squad as big as Chelsea’s, when the club finds a willing buyer for fringe players they are near enough bound to make a deal.

Examples of this come from their willingness to do deals with potential competitors for European football, something which would not have occurred during the Roman Abramovich era. In the last 12 months, they have sold Kai Havertz and Jorginho to Arsenal, Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City and Mason Mount to Manchester United.

Newcastle are the latest beneficiaries of Chelsea’s excesses — ultimately, it is a deal that makes sense for both parties.

So even within the club there are apparently people pretty unhappy with the dysfunctional situation that has lead them to selling one of their best prospects.

 

[Savant]

Hall departs on loan

Lewis Hall has left Chelsea and joined Newcastle United on loan for the season, with the Magpies holding an option to make that move permanent.

www.chelseafc.com

Lewis Hall: Why a loan with obligation to buy makes sense for all parties

Explaining the mechanics and rationale behind Newcastle's move for the young Chelsea left-back

theathletic.com

So even within the club there are apparently people pretty unhappy with the dysfunctional situation that has lead them to selling one of their best prospects.

Within Chelsea:

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Were these sources similarly displeased while they were spending £1B in the last 18 months?

Seems more like a supporter fig leaf puff piece.

 

[Savant]

Were these sources similarly displeased while they were spending £1B in the last 18 months?

Seems more like a supporter fig leaf puff piece.

….and it’s from The Athletic who is the home of the Chelsea puff pieces. Everything since Todd has been in charge has been about how great everything he does is; the crack back room team he assembled, the connection between him and Potter, that there is definitely nothing shady going on transferwise, etc.

 

[Blender]

Were these sources similarly displeased while they were spending £1B in the last 18 months?

Seems more like a supporter fig leaf puff piece.

They've turned over almost their entire backroom like three times over the last year. First a lot of people left when Boehly came in, and then they bumped people for Potter's staff when they poached like 9 people from BHA, and then they turned over a ton of people again this summer. Who even knows how many of these sources were there a year a go.

It's been well reported though that everyone top to bottom is pretty unhappy with their transfer last summer in Sterling, Koulibaly, Cucurella, and Fofana (due to injuries for him) though. They handed Tuchel a blank check and told him to buy who he wants, and it was a colossal disaster.

 

[bleedblue1223]

….and it’s from The Athletic who is the home of the Chelsea puff pieces. Everything since Todd has been in charge has been about how great everything he does is; the crack back room team he assembled, the connection between him and Potter, that there is definitely nothing shady going on transferwise, etc.

Johnson and Twomey have been top Chelsea journalists for years. Sorry it doesn't support your conspiracies.

They've turned over almost their entire backroom like three times over the last year. First a lot of people left when Boehly came in, and then they bumped people for Potter's staff when they poached like 9 people from BHA, and then they turned over a ton of people again this summer. Who even knows how many of these sources were there a year a go.

It's been well reported though that everyone top to bottom is pretty unhappy with their transfer last summer in Sterling, Koulibaly, Cucurella, and Fofana (due to injuries for him) though. They handed Tuchel a blank check and told him to buy who he wants, and it was a colossal disaster.

The issue with too many Directors and also not 1 single main Director over all of them. Clubs need a clear vision on how to build a squad, and we haven't had that.

 

[Savant]

Johnson and Twomey have been top Chelsea journalists for years. Sorry it doesn't support your conspiracies.


The issue with too many Directors and also not 1 single main Director over all of them. Clubs need a clear vision on how to build a squad, and we haven't had that.

There’s no conspiracy. Look at the catalog of Chelsea articles in The Athletic over the last 18 months or so. It speaks for itself.

You talking about he the multi director model is a great example of this because the Athletic did an arrival about how this model would be revolutionary and how innovate it was. And articles on the elite crack team that Todd assembled; most of whom are no longer there.