Winter 22's Premier Football Event: January Window

[randomlegend]

Felix plays the exact same role/position as Havertz i.e. one that doesn't really exist in current tactics. Absolutely bizarre transfer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

To be honest if our entire transfer strategy is just to sit refreshing David Ornstein's twitter account, see what Arsenal are up to and then try to hijack it, that would probably be better than the morons using their own ideas.

[Waffdon]

What's the point of getting this street urchin for six months, to try and leapfrog us into the Conference League places?

CL I guess

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we dig up Pelé and reanimate him to 1961 spec we're still not getting CL.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1958 Santos version though, you win the league.

[Waffdon]

If we dig up Pelé and reanimate him to 1961 spec we're still not getting CL.

All you need is Kante to go beast mode again tbf. In before Giggles, but his performances against Atletico/Real Madrid/Man City in the knockouts were genuinely as good as it gets for a footballer.

[Manc]

I'm trying to think of the last six month loan deal that worked out. Landon Donovan?

[phonics]

Martin Odegaard.

[niko_cee]

What about the last successful transfer out of 'Atleti'? Rodri? Feels like they have a high rate of selling players who turn out to be shite and end up back there on loan a year or so later.

[Giggles]

All you need is Kante to go beast mode again tbf. In before Giggles, but his performances against Atletico/Real Madrid/Man City in the knockouts were genuinely as good as it gets for a footballer.

I have nothing against the great little man.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Kanté at his best is/was the best who has played for Chelsea. Better than the best Lampard, better than the best Terry. Maybe Big Game Dider Drogba beats him, but overall Drogba probably not quite.

[niko_cee]

Peter Osgood, I was going to say Glenn Hoddle but he wasn't peak Hoddle then, Gianfranco Zola?

I like Kanté but come on.

[Lewis]

The best midfielder since Sulley Muntari.

[Yevrah]

With Jimmy to some extent (if not all) on Kante. A ridiculously good player.

That scout at Leicester around the time should have been on some serious win bonuses.

[phonics]

He got a multi million pound job at Everton and proceeded to sign Alex Iwobi for 40 million quid. They can't all be winners.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Peter Osgood, I was going to say Glenn Hoddle but he wasn't peak Hoddle then, Gianfranco Zola?

I like Kanté but come on.

Zola was my childhood hero but none of these guys were the best in the world, Kanté was.

There's a reason we magically went from complete shit to winning the league over the summer of 2016, and it sure as hell wasn't Victor Moses playing wing back.

[niko_cee]

Perhaps I misunderstood your point. I would never have the likes of Kanté or Ashley Cole as Chelsea greats, even if they were for a while among the best in their particular positions.

[Gray Fox]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ldEtjWYAc9T1F?format=jpg&name=medium

Kante the type of player that if he's on it, then the other team just isn't winning. Simples.

[Waffdon]

Kanté was a penalty shoot out away (twice) from winning the League Cup which would have seen him win every possible trophy at club level with Chelsea. He’s surely up there. Cole won everything other than the Super Cup and CWC so he can’t be far off either but I guess he also won a decent amount at Arsenal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Perhaps I misunderstood your point. I would never have the likes of Kanté or Ashley Cole as Chelsea greats, even if they were for a while among the best in their particular positions.

I said he's the best who's played for Chelsea.

Not sure what he is other than a Chelsea great, mind - played 222 times for Chelsea, 40 times for Leicester and 122 in France as well as his 53 internationals.

[Ben]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ldEtjWYAc9T1F?format=jpg&name=medium

Kante the type of player that if he's on it, then the other team just isn't winning. Simples.

We signed Jacob Butterfield instead. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I like to think that the Boro twitter admin actually did make an urgent call to the manager's office. 'Yes, I know this isn't my job, but there's this bloke called Dennis Abbott on twitter, and he says....'

[niko_cee]

He'd have been there for about 6 months anyway so probably no big loss. Either that or they'd have made him shite.

Where does Kanté stand vis a vis someone like Essien? Another very good player, in a better era for the club, with a similar number of appearances? I think my view of Kanté is clouded somewhat by the fact that of late he never seems to play and Chelsea have been pretty rubbish for most of the time he's been there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Essien was very good but more of a complement to those around him. Kanté could get you out of trouble on his own, and in 2016-19 did so pretty much every week.

[Ben]

Is he properly fucked now, or is there a chance he could get back near that level for another couple of years?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Probably the former, although I see they're trying to offer him another contract.

[igor_balis]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ldEtjWYAc9T1F?format=jpg&name=medium

Kante the type of player that if he's on it, then the other team just isn't winning. Simples.
mate this is the third half, not some gimpy facebook page - I think you're a bit confused dot com!! :charm: :charm:

[Waffdon]

Is he properly fucked now, or is there a chance he could get back near that level for another couple of years?

His hamstrings are made of cheese strings. I think he always gets rushed back though (France haven’t helped with that) and looks like they’re having him have surgery this time so we’ll see if he’s still a crock come March time. Back in time to dominate European football once again. (Unlike last season where he was at fault for both Madrid goals after Chelsea were 3-0 up)

[Raoul Duke]

Kante basically won the WC for France doing two people's jobs with Pogba ambling around alongside him doing nothing

[Waffdon]

I hope Chelsea sign Pedro Porro just so we get some Terry/Bridge scenes all over again with Porro and Joao Felix

[randomlegend]

1612872003047854090

Huge.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The right replacement is Bas Dost, so now it's just a question of whether Besiktas can find him.

[Giggles]

Who does he play for, Besiktas or Burnley? The tweet makes no sense.

[Shindig]

He's currently on loan to Besiktas from Burnley for the season. United are paying Besiktas to end that loan six months early.

[niko_cee]

Kante basically won the WC for France doing two people's jobs with Pogba ambling around alongside him doing nothing

He didn't, but I quite like this narrative that everything good about any team he is involved him is down to him. And not Vardy and Mahrez being brilliant at Leicester (I mean, Danny Drinkwater left that summer too), and not Diego Costa (and Hazard) going dam busters at Chelsea. Matuidi did as much for that France side, and Varane, Griezmann and Mbappe did more.

I also find it quite funny how in the era of 'flesh drones' being a critique from certain quarters that the original gets a bit of a pass.

He's obviously got good PR.

[Ben]

He's currently on loan to Besiktas from Burnley for the season. United are paying Besiktas to end that loan six months early.

It’s absolutely bizarre. He’ll make about 10 appearances and maybe score twice. They might as well just dig up Ighalo.

[niko_cee]

As Holland showed he can be a bit of a difference maker off the bench, at the very least.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He didn't, but I quite like this narrative that everything good about any team he is involved him is down to him. And not Vardy and Mahrez being brilliant at Leicester (I mean, Danny Drinkwater left that summer too), and not Diego Costa (and Hazard) going dam busters at Chelsea. Matuidi did as much for that France side, and Varane, Griezmann and Mbappe did more.

I also find it quite funny how in the era of 'flesh drones' being a critique from certain quarters that the original gets a bit of a pass.

He's obviously got good PR.

Did you ever watch him? He's like a ball hoover. He reads the game, anticipates, gets his body in all kinds of comfortable and uncomfortable shapes, nicks it with unbelievable accuracy, twists or bursts out of trouble, and has a very strong range of passing as well. He does all of this for 90 minutes, which - far from being a pressing drone - is because he is brilliant at deploying his energy at the optimal moment.

I've never seen another player remotely similar to him even in style. I would call him the Gerd Müller of midfielders.

[niko_cee]

I don't dispute he's a very good player, and I think his footballing ability is often overlooked, I just don't see him as some sort of transcendental difference maker. In the same way I don't see that is Busquets, who does all of the above with added skullduggery and racism thrown in as well.

[randomlegend]

Kante basically won the WC for France doing two people's jobs with Pogba ambling around alongside him doing nothing

Matuidi was played on the Pogba-side wing just to do his defensive work for him.

[randomlegend]

It’s absolutely bizarre. He’ll make about 10 appearances and maybe score twice. They might as well just dig up Ighalo.

It's pocket change for a back-up loan striker because when Martial gets injured we have no backup (literally none).

The big signing in the summer will be a centre forward (fuck knows who though).

[Don]

At the Rickie Lambert stage of things but a run of playing shite and scraping wins has given them delusions of such grandeur. Gonna be a shame to see the demise in the 2nd half of the season.

[Lewis]

'Kobbie Mainoo' is a stabs somebody stealing a phone name if ever there was one.

[Lofty]

Felix plays the exact same role/position as Havertz i.e. one that doesn't really exist in current tactics. Absolutely bizarre transfer.

Saw someone on twitter refer to the pair of them as 'mythfielders' earlier :D

[niko_cee]

I always thought Havertz would be a great Firmino replacement at Liverpool.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Havertz is going to end up being added to the long list of players who are world class everywhere else but Chelsea.

That said, there is a real limp dick energy about him a lot of the time, which I'm not sure is Chelsea-specific. Same with Pulisic.

[John Arne]

Hanoi Police have signed former ARSENAL ACE!!

Eternal kudos awarded to anyone who guesses the player....



No cheating.



Elton Monteiro

[Ben]

Havertz must be infuriating to a Chelsea fan. He shows glimpses where he makes football look too easy and you think he should tear it up, but he never does. Having said that, I don't have a clue what his position is and seemingly neither do his managers nor himself.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's playing as a 9 because we don't have anyone else, and haven't had anyone else for the last few years as all the 9s we buy undergo the Operation and are therefore shite. He shouldn't be playing there and isn't that good at it. What he is good at is playing behind a 9, albeit in a 4-3-3 world there is no such spot so in all likelihood we will end up selling him to Barcelona for £80 million and then spunking the proceeds on cheeseburgers and coca-cola.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, he's sort of a '10' or, in Bundesliga terms, any one of the forward players who have no defensive responsibilities [such roles not really existing in English football]. He always look big enough, and skillful enough to hold the ball as a sort of 9 and bring other players into play, which is why I thought he'd flourish under Klopp/in a similar role to what Firmino carved out for himself.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Chelsea top scorers the last few seasons in the FA Carling Premiership:

22/23: Havertz/Sterling 4 (!)
21/22: Mount 11
20/21: Jorginho 7
19/20: Abraham 15
18/19: Hazard 16
17/18: Hazard 12

https://media.sciencephoto.com/image/f0205307/800wm

[Kikó]

All on the NHS expense :mad:

[SincereTheRebel]

There really should be a series of interviews with players where they all clear up a few things
*Correct pronunciation of their name
*Best formation
*Best position

The traditonal number 10, died several years ago.

[Ben]

I'm on board with the name pronunciation thing. De Bruyne has been here forever and the commentators still have three or four variations on it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Firmino is the one that does my head in. Read it, folks. Read it and say it. Thankfully Ralf Rang Nick has left the building and reduced the number of phantom Ys knocking about.

The other day I said 'Chukwuemeka' for the first time out loud, and said Chookw-Emmicka. My Chelsea supporting mate had no idea who I was talking about and finally said 'Oh, you mean Chuckoo-i-mEAker?'

No idea who's right, but my one's better.

[phonics]

I never bothered learning how to spell Shezknee and luckily he left.

[randomlegend]

1613225010419666954

I don't know who this is :thbup:

[Baz]

1613225010419666954

I don't know who this is :thbup:

Georginio Rutter. Tagline: Runs around a bit.

[SincereTheRebel]

Have players who blonde off their wigs, ever been nice?

[Alex]

1613225010419666954

I don't know who this is :thbup:

I'm very happy to be proven wrong but my gut feeling is that this is not the sort of business we need to be doing at Leeds at the moment.

[Don]

That signing did catch my eye for the fee and his scoring record to date but he should flourish under such a talented man:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FmQ2Dx9XkAI8Qca?format=jpg&name=large

The yank Lampard, absolute fuck all substance.

[Ben]

What the fuck is that. :D

[Waffdon]

Andreas Schjelderup joining Benfica for €10m. FM legend, they’ll probably sell him for 7x that in a year or two.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's no Endrick.

[Giggles]

He's no Endrick.

He should be christened FMEndrick seeing as everyone who goes on the hand pump over him has never seen him kick a ball.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm sure they've watched at least 1 Youtube highlight video.

[Baz]

He should be christened FMEndrick seeing as everyone who goes on the hand pump over him has never seen him kick a ball.

I followed him on Instagram about six months before FM came out.

But I follow a lot of 15 year old boys on Instagram so :sorry:

[randomlegend]

1613661206249869313

[Lewis]

He should be fighting the coward.

[SincereTheRebel]

He should be fighting the coward.

:lol:

[Gray Fox]

1613865495089872897

This had better be him just being coy and pretending we have no money again.

[niko_cee]

They'll need to shift Chamberlain, Keita and whoever else's wages off the books in the summer before bringing any other 'big signings' in, which, unless they are paying him a relative pittance, makes the Gakpo signing all the stranger.

How can you say you just need to wait for players to get fit, when you have 4 or 5 attackers out injured and have just bought another attacker?

[randomlegend]

Chelsea now trying to sign Noni Madueke.

Another talented but terminally injured "forward-but-not-striker" seems to be exactly what they need.

[Don]

Facundo Buananotte (no relation to midget Diego) to Brighton. £5m with £5m addons. The obscurity is what I live for :drool:

[Gray Fox]

They'll need to shift Chamberlain, Keita and whoever else's wages off the books in the summer before bringing any other 'big signings' in, which, unless they are paying him a relative pittance, makes the Gakpo signing all the stranger.

How can you say you just need to wait for players to get fit, when you have 4 or 5 attackers out injured and have just bought another attacker?

Exactly, it makes no sense either way you look at it. You either had £30m or so to spend and bought a forward instead of the needed position, or you spend nothing because you're waiting for players to come back fit.

[Don]

What the fuck are you lot on about, we're lacking forwards more than midfielders.

[niko_cee]

It's alright, midfield problems assuaged.

Liverpool Sign Japan Midfielder Nagano [per BBC Sport front page] (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64274650)

[Waffdon]

Chelsea now trying to sign Noni Madueke.

Another talented but terminally injured "forward-but-not-striker" seems to be exactly what they need.

Well they do need wingers for Potter’s style. They only have 3 at the club and Pulisic/Ziyech are shite and sound like being sold.

Looks like they’ve bid €100m for Mudryk :D get a midfielder and right back in ffs

[Waffdon]

Done deal. Money talks.

FFP come outside.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe someone will buy Aubameyang for £4 billion and solve our problem. Right click offer to clubs.

[Waffdon]

As long as squad costs aren’t higher than 90% of revenue then UEFA don’t give a fuck about FFP. They will spend a few hundred million still with ease.

Apparently Havertz, Pulisic and Ziyech are all out the door in the summer so that recoups money anyway.

[Lofty]

Mudryk basically a done deal to Chelsea, official accounts retweeting stuff now.

[Manc]

£400m in six months is some going.

[phonics]

Shame that one. He looked fun and spent the last month sucking Arsenal off. Can only hope he's a catastrophic failure now.

[Don]

They needed that injection of directness. Potterball has takeoff and more lols at Arsenal.

[Waffdon]

1614386107210244098

Even Roman Abramovich wasn’t this good

[SincereTheRebel]

£400m in six months is some going.

This sounded silly. Looking at the facts and it is all accurate once Murda is signed.

[Lofty]

1614386107210244098

Even Roman Abramovich wasn’t this good

Even Abramovich wouldn't have spunked that much on a kid with this CV:

https://i.ibb.co/0MKX8Qz/7w1XbbG.png

[Ben]

He must be mint on FM.

[Shindig]

To be fair, that might be top numbers for a suspended league.

[Lewis]

How are Chelsea getting this past the admittedly toothless fair play regulations? Or aren't they, and they'll just do a Wigan in 2006 when they blatantly breached the salary cap by loads to stay in Super League (in this case get European football) and then just took the meagre points deduction the following year? I suspect other clubs would have been doing this seven year contract wheeze if it was a genuine workaround.

[niko_cee]

In an era when PSG and City can essentially print their own money, sorry, sponsorship contracts, I don't think the idea of FFP actually exists. All the authorities are generally worried about is existential risk, so if it's just tons of cash being poured in without it being loaded onto the club in debt form I don't think they give a fuck [and even if the do they have no way to stop it].

They way to fight it is be smart [like Brighton] and just fleece the idiots for all they are worth. In the grand scheme of things footballers are ten-a-penny.

[Waffdon]

How are Chelsea getting this past the admittedly toothless fair play regulations? Or aren't they, and they'll just do a Wigan in 2006 when they blatantly breached the salary cap by loads to stay in Super League (in this case get European football) and then just took the meagre points deduction the following year? I suspect other clubs would have been doing this seven year contract wheeze if it was a genuine workaround.

Because it barley exists and majority of their signings are spread over how ever many years. The reason they didn’t pay for Enzo Fernandez is because they need to pay it in full to activate the release clause.

Mudryk is working out at €10m a year if the add ons aren’t met. It’s fuck all. A lot of their signings will fall under youth recruitment or whatever too which gets written off for FFP

[-james-]

Gerrard to the Polish national team appears to be gathering steam. :cab:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I guess I'm switching allegiance to Cyprus then.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Gerrard to the Polish national team appears to be gathering steam. :cab:

I love that Matty Cash clearly wields that much power.

[Baz]

That’s Mateusz Zloty to you.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Gotówka...

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mitrovic :lol:

[randomlegend]

Mudryk is on an 8.5 year contract :cab:

[niko_cee]

All about the amortization baby, although I'm not sure they've really thought this through if he's on mega money for the length of that deal [and he follows the oft trodden path of Chelsea signings being awful].

[Ben]

The chances of him being poor are quite high. Going off his career stats he’s completely unproven. Imagine giving a 8.5 year deal to Kerlon or Freddy Adu.

[Giggles]

Freddy Adu :drool: He’ll boss the thing for years. Disgusting talent.

Edit: sorry, wrong version.

[Lofty]

Supposedly Arsenal in for Raphinha now and Barca willing to sell for the right price, and they (Barca) want Aubameyang back? Is this all just money laundering now?

[Shindig]

I don't believe that Aubameyang one for a second.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Any rational team would want Aubameyang. £160,000 a week and well worth every penny.

[John Arne]

Arsenal recall goalie Arthur Okonkwo from Crewe where he was playing every week, and send him off to sit on the bench at Sturm Graz.

[Lofty]

The club will have assurances about his playing time or he'll be recalled quickly, very proactive with loans these days.

[niko_cee]

Any rational team would want Aubameyang. £160,000 a week and well worth every penny.

Raheem seems to be on the block as well, 6 months into what is no doubt an insane 5 or 6 years deal.

Good luck shifting that.

[Lewis]

This is what I don't understand about Chelsea thinking eight year deals are an undiscovered workaround. Either they get their contracts upgraded within three years, or the upgrades are already written in, and you're potentially paying some shithead mega money for the rest of his life.

[randomlegend]

It's standard in the Murican sports like Baseball isn't it?

[Lewis]

Yeah, and don't they end up paying people to be shit for six years or medically retiring them?

[randomlegend]

No idea, but Boehly seems like the kind of retard to think American way = best way.

Half-time shows and mass shootings can only be so far away at THE BUDWEISER BRIDGE.

[phonics]

It's standard in American sports because in American sports the 30 owners have literally all the power and will make deals with each other to not compete. There's a reason why only the shittiest franchises have their NFL contracts paid in guaranteed money. Todd Boehley by bowling in (no pun intended) and literally raising the price for every other transfer will piss everybody else off and make them a pariah just like PSG have.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It feels like it's going to end with our first ever trip to League One, but you know what, I've seen us win everything bar the Johnstones Paint Trophy.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's standard in American sports because in American sports the 30 owners have literally all the power and will make deals with each other to not compete. There's a reason why only the shittiest franchises have their NFL contracts paid in guaranteed money. Todd Boehley by bowling in (no pun intended) and literally raising the price for every other transfer will piss everybody else off and make them a pariah just like PSG have.

The vast majority of NFL contracts have some percentage of guaranteed money (to protect the player if they get injured) and every single team has at least 1 person on a fully guaranteed contract. Almost all first round draft picks now get their contracts guaranteed, plus a lot of veterans plus QB's now are demanding it.

[Ben]

Fully guaranteed is a new phenomenon for bigger contracts. I think Kirk Cousins might have been the first one to negotiate such a deal (there was certainly a lot of buzz about it at the time) but then we fall back to Phonics' notion that only the shitty franchises give out those deals.

[Waffdon]

It feels like it's going to end with our first ever trip to League One, but you know what, I've seen us win everything bar the Johnstones Paint Trophy.

You can still win that being in the top league. Patience.

Mudryk is going to be class. Fastest player in the Champions League - been a while since Chelsea had a genuine winger who is direct.

[Lofty]

The Ukrainian Walcott. Let's hope his pace isn't his main attribute on a long term contract given one bad injury can permanently affect that.

Sadly it sounds like according to BBC Gossip big brain Todd is going to recoup some spend from Newcastle gobbling up their cast offs.

[Shindig]

Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek and Ziyech. Oh, my.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not sure about that if you're Newcastle. Maybe Ziyech offers a bit of premium left foot, but what does Conor Gallagher produce that Bobby Twoshanks or whatever that ginger bloke's called can't do?

Matt Longshaft? It can't be that but that's all my brain's giving.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sean Longstaff. No word on his shaft.

[Shindig]

Aye, it feels more like trying to add depth rather than actual improvements. Ziyech probably gets us some goals from midfield. Conor Gallagher hasn't convinced me but the Athletic had him down as one of our sensible transfers. I really hope that's not been a factor.

[Ian]

I wish they had a Bobby Twoshanks.

[Don]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64298998
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64298582
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64293431
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64288868

Bournemouth with the pick of the business but exciting stuff all-round.

[Lofty]

Matt Longshaft signed for Brazzers I think.

[-james-]

Everton's recent decision making and inaction compared to everyone else around them makes them look like they genuinely want to be in the Championship next season. This time last year the squad was way better than the rest of the bottom five but it might even be worse than Bournemouth's now.

[Ben]

Genuinely the best thing about Brexit is the change of work permit rules, so we can now get in all these exotic African and South Americans that would be otherwise lost to Ligue 1 or Serie A.

[Gray Fox]

Everton's recent decision making and inaction compared to everyone else around them makes them look like they genuinely want to be in the Championship next season. This time last year the squad was way better than the rest of the bottom five but it might even be worse than Bournemouth's now.

Problem is they've spunked the money in the years before this one on players and a stadium.

[Raoul Duke]

I wish they had a Bobby Twoshanks.

The Twoshanks Redemption headline writes itself

[Waffdon]

I see Mudryk is on less than 100k a week. What a bargain this will turn out to be.


That Mudryk geezer looks like an absolute don. £40m+ transfer within 18 months. FM strikes again


Technically correct

[randomlegend]

Depay to Atletico Madrid.

Danjuma doing a tour of the Premier League clubs begging someone to buy him.

[Gray Fox]

Newcastle could do worse.

ASM is very entertaining but I feel he spends half the time injured.

[phonics]

Trossard? Fuck off.

[-james-]

It's a fantastic deal if it's the £15-20m fee that's being mentioned.

[Ben]

Is his contract up in the summer?

[niko_cee]

18 months I think and he's full spazzed out so won't sign a new one.

He's also been fucking useless since scoring a hattrick against Liverpool so his value has nose-dived.

He's good, but I don't think he improves Arsenal beyond providing depth, which I guess they do need.

[Adramelch]

He looks like a player that you can't really build a team around, but could be great as an impact sub so to speak. For the quoted price I reckon it's a good deal for any team bar maybe City.

[SincereTheRebel]

Is his contract up in the summer?

Brighton have the option of another year. Fron what i understand. They can activate it and force another year on his deal. Is this true?

[Gray Fox]

Madueke to Chelsea.

About time they made a signing.

[randomlegend]

1616131479058235414

I met him a couple of times when the Norwich players came and gave presents out to the kids at work. Seemed a nice guy. Hope he does well.

[Don]

The name alone promises a big big schlong but those stats look horrific.

Edit: Not that gammon obvs.

[Baz]

Cantwell should ruin riot in Scotland.

[Lofty]

By all accounts Cantwell's talent isn't in doubt, it's his attitude. Might spit the dummy after a few reducers welcoming him to the McEwan's Vase or whatever it is up there.

Trossard to Arsenal agreed £21m

[Giggles]

Why is he going to the SPL from the Championship? Can they pay him that much?

[Waffdon]

Doubt Norwich pay that much in wages.

[phonics]

That Trossard deal is about 25 million too much. The first Lucas Perez purchase of the new era.

[Don]

Perez bought off his own contract to go to third division Deportivo La Coruna and single-handedly bring back the Valeron days. 3 goals in his first 2 appearances :cool:

[-james-]

That Trossard deal is about 25 million too much. The first Lucas Perez purchase of the new era.

It's not though is it. Who else is getting proven prime age PREMIER LEAGUE QUALITY for that fee?

[phonics]

I mean Everton are PREMIER LEAGUE QUALITY and they’re shit.

[niko_cee]

Trossard is alright [4 months ago he was hot property and obviously had his head turned at that point] but I reckon there are risks buying out of Brighton. Their players do tend to look better for them than they actually are. White has worked out pretty well though, probably better than I expected although maybe that's because they don't let him play centre-half.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If it's any help, Cucurella is absolute dogshit to the point he's lost his place to an 18 year old.

[niko_cee]

He was the main one I was thinking of when considering the risk. He's decent, but never a £60m player or whatever it was. They just put that price on him to take the piss/scare City away.

Bissouma doesn't seem to be doing much at Spurs either, but I guess that might be a Spurs thing. He was also better value due to contract/private issues.

I guess it's the inner champ manager in me that laments the fact that BIG clubs virtually never take risks on players, preferring to be mugged off by the likes of Brighton [and previously Southampton] who give players 18 months to increase in value tenfold.

[Lofty]

Arsenal buying a Polish centre half named Jakub Kiwior apparently.

[Ben]

I'm sure he started for Poland at the World Cup.

[Waffdon]

Dani Alves to Prison FC, Here we go!

[phonics]

Memphis Depay has gone to Atletico. I love the boards dedication to buying Simeone players he will hate and bomb out the club within 2 years.

[phonics]

I've realised why I think I'm against the Trossard transfer. He absolutely reeks of Spurs. From the purchase being made because our first choice didn't join, the type of 'skillful yet ultimately unwerwhelming' player, to his ratty little face.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The face is a problem. Arsenal's current team full of angelic choirboys like Odegaard and Saka. Vibe complicated.

Name less of a problem, 'Leandro Trossard' is like a mock-up of Wenger's dream post-2010 signing.

[Waffdon]

1615771917910163474

That’s Pedro Neto/Jota

[Lofty]

I've realised why I think I'm against the Trossard transfer. He absolutely reeks of Spurs. From the purchase being made because our first choice didn't join, the type of 'skillful yet ultimately unwerwhelming' player, to his ratty little face.

Arsenal were tracking him at Genk and Mudryk wasn't their first choice, Neto was.

[Raoul Duke]

Arsenal were tracking him at Genk and Mudryk wasn't their first choice, Neto was.

One of the Arsenal coaches used to be his manager in Belgium too, I read earlier

[Don]

Just keep the melty Malacia excuse of "ah he was only bought in as backup" once it becomes clear he's a massive flop :happycry: (Trossard is decent mind)

[randomlegend]

Obsessed doesn't begin to cover it.

[Don]

500 posts in the summer transfer thread but can't hack it the instant crunch-time comes and the chickens come home to roost. Soft, soft shite.

[randomlegend]

You've made more posts about Tyrell Malacia in the last 4 months than I have about Liverpool players in my entire life.

[Shindig]

Today's twitter rumour has me googling Ross Stewart. The papers aren't jumping in so it might be some melt thinking, "Well, they need to replace Wood." I can't see Sunderland selling their top striker to us.

[Manc]

Steinberg reporting Liverpool will move for Mount in the summer if he doesn't extend his contract. Yes please.

[randomlegend]

Mokbel reckons United are going after Kane.

[randomlegend]

Steinberg reporting Liverpool will move for Mount in the summer if he doesn't extend his contract. Yes please.

How the mighty have fallen.

[Giggles]

Mokbel reckons United are going after Kane.

How doesn he push that one when last year didn't work?

[niko_cee]

How the mighty have fallen.

I reckon Mount would be pretty good in Klopp's system. He's a bit of a young Lallana.

[Ian]

Surely United aren't spending whatever it'd take to prise Kane out of Levy's grasp while the Glazers are in charge? Or is this a "Big Jim's gonna make this his first priority!" sort of rumour?

[Gray Fox]

I reckon Mount would be pretty good in Klopp's system. He's a bit of a young Lallana.

He has the feel of a Henderson. Every team needs one, yet no one really wants to be seen to be having one at their club.

He seems to have been around forever and is only just 24 too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mount probably the most under-appreciated player in football. People don't like him because he has the face and vibe of the kid who was (in fact, correctly) selected ahead of you in junior football even though you thought you were better. We'd be silly not to re-sign him - like his old mentor Frank, not sure if the Merseyside emotional cauldron is quite his scene. We're wired a bit differently daan saaf.

[randomlegend]

Surely United aren't spending whatever it'd take to prise Kane out of Levy's grasp while the Glazers are in charge? Or is this a "Big Jim's gonna make this his first priority!" sort of rumour?

Rumoured the new owners will be in before the summer window and Kane will only have a year on his contract. Levy is obviously a bastard to negotiate with but I can't see him letting Kane walk for free.

Edit: rumour is for summer, not now, sorry didn't make that clear.

[Gray Fox]

Mount probably the most under-appreciated player in football. People don't like him because he has the face and vibe of the kid who was (in fact, correctly) selected ahead of you in junior football even though you thought you were better. We'd be silly not to re-sign him - like his old mentor Frank, not sure if the Merseyside emotional cauldron is quite his scene. We're wired a bit differently daan saaf.

I'd see him as similar to when Klopp signed one Gini Wijnaldum. Not a name you'd immediately think would fit into the 3 man midfield of his system, but fast forward to 2 years after his departure, a name we have sorely yet to replace.

[phonics]

Tottenham’s Director of Football has been banned from the sport for 2 years because of the dodgy deals that he was involved in at Juventus that apparently Spurs were aware of and rather than a negative they saw that as a reason to hire him.

[Ben]

Today's twitter rumour has me googling Ross Stewart. The papers aren't jumping in so it might be some melt thinking, "Well, they need to replace Wood." I can't see Sunderland selling their top striker to us.

I just think it's the Northern Echo lad trying to stay relevant. Apparently Boro were on the verge of signing him two weeks ago too.

[Waffdon]

https://t.co/0SmXWa9iwK

Boehly :drool:

[phonics]

In the least believeable rumour of all time, Camavinga to Arsenal on a 6 month loan.

[The Merse]

I've realised why I think I'm against the Trossard transfer. He absolutely reeks of Spurs. From the purchase being made because our first choice didn't join, the type of 'skillful yet ultimately unwerwhelming' player, to his ratty little face.

I’ve actually called him a Spurs faced cunt before.

Bang up for it though, he’s been class every time I’ve seen him. It’s not like he’s being brought in to replace anyone, he’s always pressed well in a similar system, been scoring at a similar rate to our starters. Will do for me.

[The Merse]

In the least believeable rumour of all time, Camavinga to Arsenal on a 6 month loan.

Reeks of ‘twitter/reddit ‘signing suggestion’ thread that got traction turning into a speculators tweet’. Can’t see it.

[randomlegend]

Danjuma to Everton on loan.

[Gray Fox]

Does he know what he's let himself in for?

[niko_cee]

https://t.co/0SmXWa9iwK

Boehly :drool:

I knew there was something limiting things to 5/5.5 years. Surely if these are additional 'optional' years then those can't be used for FFP purposes, as, if they are actually optional on the side of the club then what is to stop them offering 20 year contracts for amortisation purposes but then never take up the options? If they aren't optional (ie have to be triggered) , isnt that against the FIFA statute limiting things to 5 years?

Thought that money list thing the other day was pretty lol. Chelsea's revenues were way down, which was interesting in the context of spending multiple times more than anyone else, but City being the biggest commercial club going is surely taking the piss, or am I just wildly out of touch with the tik tok generation?

[Waffdon]

Yeah, City are dodgy as fuck. No idea how they’re getting away with it.

No idea why they’re saying 5 years is a rule when long contracts have been done multiple times. Kepa got given 7 or 8 when he signed.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Let's say you do breach FFP, what are the penalties? Banned from Europe for a year or something?

[Gray Fox]

City were handed a two year European ban when they were found in breach, before they argued the case and it went down to a fine. Without checking, I think they got away with the ban because it was too long after the offence for them to be banned for it.

[niko_cee]

There are no penalties if you're a serious player, which is why all the pissant clubs get chucked under the bus but City and PSG et al can continue on their merry way with their completely on the level commercial arrangements with all of those companies they also happen to own.

[niko_cee]

How much was it Roman [or whoever it was] was demanding the new Chelsea owners commit to transfers as part of the buy out? £440m in two windows feels like it must be a big chunk of whatever it was, Caicedo to take it through half a billion? Absolute madness.

[Waffdon]

1 billion. Probably trying to get it out of the way early doors. Which is fine as since Tuchel fucked off all their signings have been for players under 23. May as well try and build for the future when you have unlimited cash at your disposal. Can always sell them on to recoup some money whereas signing players like Aubameyang, Koulibaly etc are utterly pointless

[Ben]

That’s a point. With Abramovich apparently not taking (all) the money from the sale, have they not just put some of it in the club bank account to balance out this mad spree?

[Don]

Livakovic rumoured to be on way to Forest. These boys gonna be back in CL real soon if they keep this up.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea looking to sign a right back. :drool:

No more Azpilicueta. These new recruitments people are the bollocks.

[Gray Fox]

And also going back to Benfica for Enzo.

[Waffdon]

I think if they get him he’ll join in the summer. Only 3 of him, Madueke, Felix, Mudryk, Badiashile (sp?) and potentially Gusto will be available for CL. Good luck picking the odd men out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is ratface not cup tied? Actually, Atletico went out didn't they? Lovely stuff.

[Gray Fox]

You can play for one team in the groups and another in the knockouts. Luis Diaz did it last season.

Also, do players U21 at the start of the season not need to be registered?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought your old team had to be knocked out, or something. Maybe they've changed it.

Think Benoit still has to be registered as he hasn't been there long enough.

[Waffdon]

All players born January 2001 or after don’t need to be registered for PL so they’re fine on that end as majority of their signings fall into that category. The Cat B players for CL (Broja, Hall etc) can be interchanged because they have been at Chelsea for a certain amount of years and don’t need to be registered. Madueke, Mudryk and even Fernandez don’t fall under this category due not not being home grown so would need to be registered as a senior member and take a spot from Ziyech or whatever. Even if Chelsea sold 10 players who were registered, they can only register 3 new players for the knockout stages.

[Boydy]

Look at him just throwing out "players born after January 2001" like it's no big deal.

[Yevrah]

Boomer cunt.

[Boydy]

Boomer cunt.

:D

I'm just a millennial fast approaching a midlife crisis. :(

[Baz]

How is Anthony Gordon worth 4 times what City paid for a striker who has since won a World Cup. :harold: I don’t know a single Everton fan who even rates him.

[niko_cee]

What is he apparently worth? £100m?

[Baz]

What is he apparently worth? £100m?

Alvarez cost £14m

Newcastle reportedly bid £45m (rejected) and previously Chelsea bid £60m (rejected) for Gordon.

[Ian]

Like FM clubs doing bent big money transfers to each other for nothing players then won't stop spamming you with £2m bids for your world class players.

[Waffdon]

https://archive.ph/eDMT7

Expect the majority of Chelsea’s signings to be done in the next week based on this.

[igor_balis]

https://archive.ph/eDMT7

Expect the majority of Chelsea’s signings to be done in the next week based on this.

based on the mysterious URL and the fact the site doesn't seem to be loading properly im gonna assume I've now got some horrible Scottish malware on my phone

[Waffdon]

It’s to get past the firewall so you can read the article for free

[Jimmy Floyd]

based on the mysterious URL and the fact the site doesn't seem to be loading properly im gonna assume I've now got some horrible Scottish malware on my phone

It's a phushing scam

[Raoul Duke]

Irn Brute force attack?

[Lofty]

Why is this kick off delayed?

Edit: Wrong thread :moop:

[igor_balis]

It's a phushing scam

wouldn't that be vowels and his lot

[Jimmy Floyd]

This might be influenced by my days in the Highlands (which somehow happened) but I think the canny Scot veers that way. Kiwi accent is basically Scots that's been left out in the sun.

[Waffdon]

Northern Scotland accents might be the worst thing imaginable.

[niko_cee]

https://archive.ph/eDMT7

Expect the majority of Chelsea’s signings to be done in the next week based on this.

Pretty ridiculous that this has [1] been allowed to happen [despite being so bleedingly obvious what they were up to] and [2] that they can carry on doing it for the next week or so, when they sign Caicedo on a 10 year deal, despite it clearly being against the point of FFP et al.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I need that one to go through, will be a handy ice breaker with at least a couple of my 5 customers in Ecuador.

[Ben]

Why have only Chelsea thought of doing it? Obviously it's prohibitive to lesser clubs because it can torpedo them if the signing goes tits up but for a group of charlatans like Juventus or Barcelona who are always looking to manufacture shit, it's right up their street.

[niko_cee]

Neither of those clubs have unlimited money.

It only works if you can weather the Winston Bogarde effect, which, seeing as Chelsea pioneered that conceptually, never seems to have been an issue for them. Probably needs a shady network of facilitators to make sure the merry-go-round keeps going in terms of loan fees and moving players on to keep the monies in jar ahead of the amortisation pot. See those transfers to China or David Luiz's career for pointers.

[niko_cee]

I mean, Barcelona in particular have a pretty lolworthy record when it comes to dolling out big contracts. Imagine if they were twice as long as well.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Weather the Winston Bogarde effect? We've been keeping Baba Rahman on some sort of weird retainer since the end of the Ashanti Empire.

[Gray Fox]

Sounds like Spurs might have snatched Danjuma from under Everton noses.

[Baz]

What a shambles of a club. :harold:

[Gray Fox]

He'd even done the medical and media for Everton too.

Word on the street also says that Bielsa has told Moshiri that the squad isn't good enough for him to be able to work with it. Anthony Gordon is also expected to join Newcastle for somewhere just north of £40m, after they rejected £60m+ in the summer for him and he's been shite since.

[Waffdon]

He’ll probably do well for Newcastle especially with him under Howe. Seems like his type of player.

[Manc]

Everton looking at Hasenhüttl. I think the squad suits.

[Shindig]

The Goodison seethe after a 9-0 home defeat. :drool:

[Lewis]

You could train a dog to do what Anthony Gordon does.

[Ben]

Dogs can already run, they don't need to be trained.

[niko_cee]

€23m for a forward with 3 goals in 24 games? Just a shame Liverpool didn't have any absolute dross kicking around for Bournemouth to waste their money on. Well, dross they could afford.

[Spikey M]

Spurs hijacking the Everton Danjuma loan just stinks of a club that has no idea what they're doing.

[Ben]

Spurs or Everton?

[Spikey M]

Both really, but I mean Spurs on this occasion.

[Gray Fox]

€23m for a forward with 3 goals in 24 games? Just a shame Liverpool didn't have any absolute dross kicking around for Bournemouth to waste their money on. Well, dross they could afford.

We still have Nat Phillips to ship out. He's great in the air but the lad can barely run. Anything over £10m would be great.

[SincereTheRebel]

https://twitter.com/TMuk_news/status/1618189383294746624?t=kAZKZL451gFy10VZ0gKZNg&s=19

[-james-]

Owning a decent Portuguese club must be a nice bit on the side. 500% mark-up on a South American teenager every six months and a wad of Champions League TV money every time you pass go. Why has nobody pumped a hundred million into Estoril yet?

[randomlegend]

If Enzo Fernandez had ended up going for the money talked about (I guess he still might) you're looking at like a 1000-1300% increase (depending what variable they've paid off) in 6 months.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

If Mellin and Baz came through, TTH could have bought into one of the clubs.

[Baz]

*Bazbot

Nothing to do with me.

[Waffdon]

Who on earth were Genoa selling to be on there at some point?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Who on earth were Genoa selling to be on there at some point?

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/genua-cfc/rekordabgaenge/verein/252

I had forgotten that Piatek was sold for so much.

[Waffdon]

Didn’t realise Juventus bought Romero never mind paying that much. What could have been.

[Lewis]

'Which clubs have profited' is bad translation for income received right? Most of those clubs will have just shuffled people around without actually making any profit.

[niko_cee]

Indeed, Juve being top of the tree [or thereabouts, I gave up] tells you all you need to know. Arthurs + Millions for Pjanic = Profit in the mind of that thing.

[SincereTheRebel]

Liga Nos eating lovely.

[Don]

And yet their greatest ever player continues to be allowed to toil in that filth because he eats halal and his dad isn't a tranny hooker on the Copacabana strip. The injustices.

[Manc]

Bournemouth moving for Zaniolo. Wild.

[Don]

The greatest goddamn relegation battle ever witnessed. Southampton and Bournemouth were down a couple of weeks ago but they've done enough to make me doubt that.