We're all going on a Summer Transfer Thread

[Lofty]

Apparently Sancho is the player on FM who goes mental if he doesn't start, that's the long and short of it.

[Giggles]

Trufax to live by.

[Baz]

Anyone got a sky sports pl stream so I can listen to deadline day while doing my nfl draft pls?

[niko_cee]

Why aren't more teams interested in Osimhen? Are his wage demands absolutely insane or something?

[Giggles]

Why aren't more teams interested in Osimhen? Are his wage demands absolutely insane or something?

Did he not go to Saudi?

[niko_cee]

Nah, he's holding out for a better offer from an actual football club, but only Chelsea seem to be interested. Reading that back, no shade intended, well, not consciously.

He can go to Saudi next week if nothing happens. Maybe he's not all he's cracked up to be. Just seems there are a number of teams who could do with a forward that you would think would be interested.

[Gray Fox]

I think he missed his big move window. He should have gone last summer for the £90m or whatever it was they wanted for him. That said there must be something clubs don't like, because even Barcelona haven't tried their luck.

[niko_cee]

I mean, Arsenal are in talks for Sterling, if you believe the rumours.

Why on earth don't they just go for Osimhen?

[Waffdon]

He wants Chelsea because they’re the Real Madrid for African kids

[niko_cee]

People skipping past Utd's Kone deal don't realise Ineos has bought the spine for the next generation too in Yoro, Kone, and Zirkzee. An excellent window.

Mike, Surrey

Of course it's Mike in Surrey.

[Waffdon]

Napoli signing 2 out of Scotland’s 3 starting midfielders is quite funny. Scots have done well in Italy recently so happy days.

[randomlegend]

Sancho stays up all night playing FIFA and can't get up in time for training. Genuinely.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We still pretending Jackson isn’t absolutely quality?

He's absolutely dreadful. Cult hero though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

And I'm sorry to go all Enoch Powell on you at this late juncture in August, but buying a load of Africans and banlieue French-Africans doesn't make the spine of anything, as Chelsea so aptly demonstrates. They all go past their prime at 27 and that's if they haven't lost motivation after the first or second big contract (an affliction understandable for anyone who comes from such a poor background as most of them do) or buggered off to Turkey/Saudi for the same reason. There's far too much forward-projection from data as teenagers and not nearly enough racial profiling. Where was N'golo Kanté at 18? Where was Didier Drogba?

The spine of a top side is three, maximum four players who start every game right now, are 24+ years old and already proven performers. Van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah. That was a spine.

[Waffdon]

You don’t score 17 goals in your first season if you’re dreadful. That doesn’t take into account how well rounded he is. Absolutely quality

You’d think he cost £75m and scored 3 goals the way people talk about him.

[Waffdon]

And I'm sorry to go all Enoch Powell on you at this late juncture in August, but buying a load of Africans and banlieue French-Africans doesn't make the spine of anything, as Chelsea so aptly demonstrates. They all go past their prime at 27 and that's if they haven't lost motivation after the first or second big contract (an affliction understandable for anyone who comes from such a poor background as most of them do) or buggered off to Turkey/Saudi for the same reason. There's far too much forward-projection from data as teenagers and not nearly enough racial profiling. Where was N'golo Kanté at 18? Where was Didier Drogba?

The spine of a top side is three, maximum four players who start every game right now, are 24+ years old and already proven performers. Van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah. That was a spine.

Drogba had his best season for Chelsea in his 30s

[phonics]

When we were down bad People could say I’m biased but I was never calling Marouane Chamack ‘quality’.

Sterling following the reverse career path of Anelka.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Tammy Abraham scored more than that, he was also dreadful, probably worse than Jackson. Love him but this is as far as he's ever getting.

[Giggles]

You don’t score 17 goals in your first season if you’re dreadful. That doesn’t take into account how well rounded he is. Absolutely quality

You’d think he cost £75m and scored 3 goals the way people talk about him.

People talk about him that way because he looks comical most of the time.

[phonics]

Three of those 17 goals came in a game where both he and the opposition was so comically bad he should have scored 7.

[Waffdon]

Stick to hurling

[Waffdon]

Three of those 17 goals came in a game where both he and the opposition was so comically bad he should have scored 7.

Stick to meth

[phonics]

Meanwhile you’re huffing copium.

[Giggles]

He's not even Waffs type.

[niko_cee]

Ugarte looks like he's carrying a bit of timber/early 90s shell suit vibes in this photo at his unveiling.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/800/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/8/30/5e4b9875-3669-477e-87b1-629de05792aa.jpg.webp

We'll ignore the slogan.

[Dark Soldier]

Gonna make that my wallpaper, dreamy

[Giggles]

For a club that's carried through likes of Pogba, "Bruno", and retirement Ronaldo - Fight must be just a very loose suggestion.

[Baz]

Osimhen sitting on the sofa for six months. :cool:

[niko_cee]

'Homegrown players rule in transfers is awful'

Don Hutchison

Former Chelsea midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

The homegrown players rule in transfers is the worst one I have ever come across in football, certainly in the last 10-15 years. The idea that you have to sell homegrown players to balance the books is awful.

It is a serious rule that we need to take a hard look at. When you think of academies trying to produce players, fans latch onto that when they get into the first team, and all of a sudden the model is going to be producing them knowing they will be sold in five or six years.

Sort of missing the point here Don. More of a short-sighted exploit than some sort of centrally mandated diktat.

Also, I had no idea, or had at least completely erased from my mind, that he was ex-Chelsea.

[randomlegend]

For a club that's carried through likes of Pogba, "Bruno", and retirement Ronaldo - Fight must be just a very loose suggestion.

Have you never watched Bruno Fernandes play?

[Giggles]

Have you never watched Bruno Fernandes play?

Many times, he's effective going forward but a moany lazy cunt. Would manage to saunter across hot coals with his head thrown back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The fact that pundits like Don Hutchison are just nowhere near bright enough to understand what's going on should, in itself, tell you that the sport has farted itself into stupidity.

Always going to happen though once you have that much money and people trying to siphon it out of the game.

[randomlegend]

Many times, he's effective going forward but a moany lazy cunt. Would manage to saunter across hot coals with his head thrown back.

You could've just said no.

[Giggles]

Does too much to be considered dead weight, but for 85+ minutes is a passenger.

[randomlegend]

He consistently has one of the highest distances run in the entire league.

[-james-]

Sancho and Felix for £65m combined is obscenely good business.

[Waffdon]

Bruno is quality. Surrounded by utter shite

[randomlegend]

Sancho and Felix for £65m combined is obscenely good business.

It isn't.

[niko_cee]

Are Chelsea signing Sancho?

Liverpool have been on a loans out bender, presumably hoping for some sweet sweet pure profit if any of them do well.

[randomlegend]

Are Chelsea signing Sancho?

Liverpool have been on a loans out bender, presumably hoping for some sweet sweet pure profit if any of them do well.

Yes, loan with obligation to buy.

[Waffdon]

Madueke, Palmer, Neto, Felix, Mudryk, Nkunku and Sancho all playing for 3 spots at most :lol:

[Baz]

Are Chelsea signing Sancho?

Liverpool have been on a loans out bender, presumably hoping for some sweet sweet pure profit if any of them do well.

I presume (well, hope) it's the same deal as previous seasons where it's basically 'you can have him if you'll play him.' Ben Doak playing every week for Boro could be fantastic.

[Waffdon]

Yes, loan with obligation to buy.

There must be a decent loan fee if the obligation is only £20-25m. He must be getting a pay off from Man Utd unless his wages weren’t as high as I assumed

[phonics]

Annoying that Chelseas incompetence didn't manage to piss off Madueke. Kids going to be a star.

[Waffdon]

Presume he’ll be sold next year

[-james-]

Wouldn't Sancho have cost more if United weren't desperate to get him off their books? I think there's a lot of potential in him still even if it didn't work out at United. Felix is just world class despite not doing the goals last time.

There is a lot to meme about, but I think generally Chelsea have been going for the right guys. Maybe not Mudryk, but wasn't everyone after him?

[randomlegend]

There must be a decent loan fee if the obligation is only £20-25m. He must be getting a pay off from Man Utd unless his wages weren’t as high as I assumed

He will have taken the standard 25% wage cut our players get when they aren't in the Champions League. Nobody has reported about a loan fee (although there has been big variation in the obligation fee reported so I wonder if there is a loan fee which some are including and some aren't). Nothing been said about us paying him off, which would've been splashed fucking everywhere if we were.

[niko_cee]

I see the BBC have done a handy Ramsdale v Bazunu bit, which answers my question as to what had happened to the latter. Southampton are just addicted to buying shit goalkeepers off top clubs aren't they? Did they buy Gunn for a fortune years ago?

[niko_cee]

£30m for Eddie Nketiah.

:cab:

Andre to Wolves fr £21m is an odd one as well. Presumably there is a lot of under the table shenanigans on that one.

Edit - sure enough:


Sporting director Matt Hobbs on Andre's move to Wolves: "It feels like a long time in the making. He’s got the same agent as Joao Gomes and is a player we talked about when we did Joao.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sancho and Felix are 'good business', if indeed they are, on account of accountancy tables at various clubs needing to add up. Nothing to do with football whatsoever. It's more comparable to cartels sending harem whores from one part of Mexico to another because there's been an outbreak of herpes.

[Baz]

Sancho is 24? lol

[phonics]

There is a lot to meme about, but I think generally Chelsea have been going for the right guys. Maybe not Mudryk, but wasn't everyone after him?

Todd Boehley saved Arsenal setting themselves back 4 years buying Nicolas Pepe pt 2.

[phonics]

He consistently has one of the highest distances run in the entire league.

Just to put this statistic in perspective. Mezut Ozil was Arsenals highest distance runner during his time in the league.

[Gray Fox]

Almost all of his distance covered is running after the referee.

[phonics]

I dont actually think he's a bad player but his style is part of the reason Uniteds midfield could be completely bypassed with a half decent ball. Like Ozil he'd be an absolute beast of a player in 1998 but if he's in the team you have to play deep as fuck or die because he's not stopping the opposition from playing.

[thommo]

1829645618467520880

That is utterly insane money. No way we could turn that down.

[niko_cee]

League One Birmingham have signed some absolute nobody from Fulham for fifteen million quid. What the fuck is going on?

[Shindig]

I just want Mason Mount to find his feet somewhere. What was happening at Chelsea to make him work?

[niko_cee]

Magic Frank Lampard.

[Gray Fox]

Birmingham outspending Liverpool in the transfer window :p

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1829523595489632593

:lol:

Stunning.

[randomlegend]

Birmingham outspending Liverpool in the transfer window :p

They've apparently set the League One transfer fee record above the Championship one with Stansfield.

[Lofty]

Raheem the dream.

[niko_cee]

I love that this made it into the BBC write up of the Sancho move:


Chelsea also like signing players that supported them as children, and south London born Sancho fits that bill.

:D

Someone tell Robbie Keane.

[Shindig]

Nufc.com are seething we couldn't replace Anderson and Minteh. I'll give them the former as it would be nice to have another winger. Anderson presumably got game time last season due to injuries and Tonali's ban. We've still got Miley to come back.

[Giggles]

Is today DEADLINE DAY?

Just really need to see Omobamidele and Kelleher shift and it hasn't been a bad window.

[Spikey M]

Yesterday was.

[Baz]

Is today DEADLINE DAY?

Just really need to see Omobamidele and Kelleher shift and it hasn't been a bad window.

It slammed shut at 11pm last night. Kelleher remains at Liverpool.

[Giggles]

Ah fuck, that's that then. Bazunu and Travers out in the cold now too, it may need to be the start of the Max O'Leary era.

[niko_cee]

I'm sure Alisson will be injured soon enough.

[Giggles]

I'm sure Alisson will be injured soon enough.

Did they not buy some lad for big enough money to back up Alisson now and then replace him next summer?

[niko_cee]

That guy is staying at Valencia for this year.

[Waffdon]

Oshimen not selected In Napoli’s squad for the year. Suppose he can still fuck off to Suadi

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Well not to Al-Ahli who signed Toney.

[randomlegend]

Chelsea paying >50% of Sterling's wages for him to play for Arsenal is truly special. No loan fee either.

Reportedly only offered Osimhen like £100k a week at the same time. Clearly not as desperate as you thought he was to play for the mighty Chelsea hey Wafflez.

[niko_cee]

It's good to see there is still some normality in the world with Di Laurentis not going soft at Napoli and Osimhen evidently being monumentally poorly advised.

[niko_cee]

What's the Sancho wages situation? Be quite funny if Chelsea end up having to pick up the bulk of that from next season when they are obliged to buy him and also get Raheem back for the bomb squad.

I see they may have a sneaky get out if they finish bottom 6 though.

Everton loaning Broja when he is out for 2 months is a bit lol/desperate.

[Spikey M]

It's a shame he wouldn't have the minerals to do this:


https://youtu.be/hV8iw5zvy1k?si=A902hNzf2T08lQPd

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Greatest celebration of all time that.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea paying >50% of Sterling's wages for him to play for Arsenal is truly special. No loan fee either.

Reportedly only offered Osimhen like £100k a week at the same time. Clearly not as desperate as you thought he was to play for the mighty Chelsea hey Wafflez.

You’d have to be properly mad to accept half your current wage.

Felix and Sancho both dropped their wages but not sure by how much. Can’t see either being on over 150k.

Chelsea aren’t half creating a team of road men and mandem

[John Arne]

Watching the video of Chiesa's medical and photo day, it's hard not to like the fella. Seems chuffed to bits to be here.

[Lewis]

It's good to see there is still some normality in the world with Di Laurentis not going soft at Napoli and Osimhen evidently being monumentally poorly advised.

Some Nigerian with fake qualifications shouting at him on video call (probably in public), dismissing his worries that an Italian film producer might be somebody to hold a grudge. The Global Game.

[Shindig]

Jamal Lewis to Sao Paulo. Apparently that's happening. Unless someone's winding up Michael O'Neill.

[Gray Fox]

Saudi deadline day today and generic Saudi team #5 have apparently put a bid in for Trossard of around £30m.

[-james-]

That's got to be an easy no thank you for Arsenal. I don't know when his contract is up but would probably rather lose him on a free in a year than for 30 mil right now.

[niko_cee]

They'd be mad to sell him.

Can't have many financial concerns after shifting Smith-Rowe and Nketiah for the best part of £60m.

Apparently Liverpool looked into a deal for Osimhen but were put off by his wages. He's mad to think anyone outside of Saudi Arabia are going to give him mega mad wages on the back of a couple of decent seasons.

[Lofty]

Yeah Arsenal brought in Sterling due to being light in attack so why would they sell Trossard now with no way to bring in a replacement.

[Gray Fox]

I can see Trossard wanting the payday but it does make no sense for Arsenal. They've told the Saudis to jog on anyway.

[randomlegend]

Osimhen to Galatasaray is absolutely mental.

[Raoul Duke]

This might be almost as bonkers: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/02/brad-young-leaves-the-new-saints-to-join-al-orobah-in-record-deal

[Baz]

This might be almost as bonkers: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/02/brad-young-leaves-the-new-saints-to-join-al-orobah-in-record-deal

21 years old :drool: shame he’s translucent.

[Shindig]

Well, it wasn't a wind up. Jamal Lewis to Sao Paulo on loan. Amazing. :D

[randomlegend]

Casemiro to Galatasaray being mooted, with Rabiot then joining United.

My knowledge of Turkish journalists is of course non-existent, but the guy reporting it is apparently reliable for Galatasaray.

[niko_cee]

1st XI to out of the club in 45 minutes. Some going.

Is Rabiot a free agent? Literally no one wanting him tells you you should stick with Collyer until January. No point getting one expensive waste of space out of the club only to replace him with another.

[randomlegend]

Rabiot is good, he just seems to be a massive bellend. That's before you even get to his mum.

He would definitely be on much lower wages than Casemiro, even if they'd still be high.

If Casemiro goes we probably could do with another body. Don't hate it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd rather take a cheese grater to my balls than have Rabiot.

[Pepe]

When is Pogba's ban over? Could be an option.

[niko_cee]

Rabiot is good, he just seems to be a massive bellend. That's before you even get to his mum.


Being a massive bellend, unwanted by all and sundry means he isn't good.

Virtually all elite level professional footballers are obviously 'good' at football. That sort of player is absolutely not what United need to turn around whatever malaise needs sorting. Being a body short until January is better than having him and his mum stinking up the place and draining inordinate amounts of money out of it for 3 or 4 years, which is what will happen. Has he ever had a contract renewal? Feels like he's left everywhere on a free. Another massive red flag if true.

Selling McTominay, binning Casemiro on the back of one horror performance, and then bringing in Rabiot would be an interesting move from the proper football men who are in charge now.

[niko_cee]

Rabiot got me thinking about Verratti, who I always assumed from afar/without really bothering to pay attention, was the actually good midfielder that Rabiot often featured with and I wondered what had happened to him and how old he was. 31 and in The Kingdom. Chelsea might actually be on to something as good player's useful lifespans in the actual footballing world are going to be a lot shorter going forward.

Edit, not even Saudi, but some Qatar operation, which I guess makes sense.

[Lofty]

Steve Bruce managing Blackpool now.

[Shindig]

Priming himself for the United job. I'll say this until he dies. I need help.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I might journey up there to watch them. Just fancy watching some really solid 6/10 football and hopefully programme notes to match.

[niko_cee]

You don't need to travel to Blackpool if you want to watch some absolute dross. Aren't Bromley now a football league club?

Whatever happened to Phil Brown?

Fucking hell, level 6 with Kidderminster?

[Danny]

https://i.redd.it/zrl3wbp5psmd1.jpeg

Martial walking away working out as well as it did for De Gea

[Jimmy Floyd]

These are all lads who have been on huge contracts and no one wants to pay that money again when they can get the cheaper, younger model.

Brandon Williams, 65 grand a week at United. No thanks.

[Shindig]

Good to see Karius get some recognition. Naturally, this has led me to read Balotelli's Wikipedia article.


On 1 December 2014, Balotelli was accused of racism and antisemitism for posting an image on Instagram of the video game character Mario. The image promoted anti-racism by telling others to be like the character, attributing him qualities stereotypically associated with different ethnicities, ending the idea that he "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a jew". In response to criticisms, he wrote, "My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please."

[Kikó]

These are all lads who have been on huge contracts and no one wants to pay that money again when they can get the cheaper, younger model.

Brandon Williams, 65 grand a week at United. No thanks.

Brandon has an addiction to laughing gas allegedly.

[SincereTheRebel]

De Gea sat out for a year, hoping for a something big but in the end, he passed all opportunities and had to settle for Florence. Sounds alright

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

De Gea sat out for a year, hoping for a something big but in the end, he passed all opportunities and had to settle for Florence. Sounds alright

To be their second choice.

[Lewis]

It was always going to be retirement or some low-pressure jolly in Spain/Italy/Portugal. He seems like the type of person who barely likes football.

[Lofty]

I wonder how many of them have got the idea of 'one last big move' ingrained in their thinking that they have nobbled their own chances of playing. As annoying as it must be taking a pay cut surely 'only' getting 80k a week and actually playing is better than sitting at home hoping for offers that never come.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's probably as simple as their agent makes all the decisions for them and won't accept a lesser deal.

[Ben]

It's probably as simple as their agent makes all the decisions for them and won't accept a lesser deal.

This is it. There was an article a few years ago about this kind of thing and it all boiled down to agents refusing to drop below what they gauged to be the market value.

[niko_cee]

lol if Rabiot is genuinely after £300k-a-week, no wonder no one wants him.

[Danny]

I get why he is asking for it, free transfer and all that, but its clear if no one has touched you by September you need to have a word with yourself.

[Giggles]

Apparently Chelsea want to add Kelleher to their hareem of goalkeepers, Christ.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd take it just so the prick never plays against us again. Lev Yashin impersonations whenever he sees a Chelsea shirt.

[Shindig]

That'll make scoring in training impossible. :D