Summer 2022 Transfer Window

[mcbendy]

I'm so glad I started the January thread. It gave us all a chance to discuss who we might sign and who might leave. A 16-year-old defender from Cheltenham, and no-one...

I really do think we are keeping our powder dry for the summer though. I expect some pretty big changes.

• New goalkeeper, for sure
• Bye bye Shane Long
• Centreback changes?
• Will Broja sign?

I also wonder if (hope that?) we might do quite a bit of our business early, or perhaps even quietly and secretly over the next few months. I'd love for us to have a pre-season will lots of new players to get excited about, and time for Ralph to work with them

 

[hypochondriac]

A gk 

A tadic replacement (finally) 

A striker if Broja leaves 

A dm to compete with the three we have 

A CB replacement for bednarek. 

Edited 31 January, 2022 by hypochondriac

[S-Clarke]

I'm actually quite happy we didn't rush in and get a goalie in this window, I had an inkling we may try to get Johnstone now rather than the summer...but the fact we didn't is kind of suggestive to me that he's not really on our list anymore. So, I expect a first choice keeper in the summer - we've got to get this one right, a decent GK is worth so many points.

Certainly an attacking number 10 and additional depth up top to replace Long, but also a first choice striker signing. I very much doubt it will be Broja, I'll happily be surprised...but I think that ship has sailed now. Just need to make the most of him these next 6 months and let him get us as many points as he can for us.

So we need...

New GK.

New No. 10

New Striker (+ another for Depth and to replace Long)

A new DM in the Romeu mould, we don't have that at the mo.

Maybe CB, unsure - depends if Bednarek goes.

[mcbendy]

28 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm actually quite happy we didn't rush in and get a goalie in this window, I had an inkling we may try to get Johnstone now rather than the summer...but the fact we didn't is kind of suggestive to me that he's not really on our list anymore. So, I expect a first choice keeper in the summer - we've got to get this one right, a decent GK is worth so many points.

Certainly an attacking number 10 and additional depth up top to replace Long, but also a first choice striker signing. I very much doubt it will be Broja, I'll happily be surprised...but I think that ship has sailed now. Just need to make the most of him these next 6 months and let him get us as many points as he can for us.

So we need...

New GK.

New No. 10

New Striker (+ another for Depth and to replace Long)

A new DM in the Romeu mould, we don't have that at the mo.

Maybe CB, unsure - depends if Bednarek goes.

I largely agree with this. We're pretty strong at fullback now, and Small is still coming through. At CB, I could see us upgrading on Bednarek and/or Stephens, though neither are as terrible as some would have you believe. I agree, we need another solid DM in the Romeo mould. I like Diallo, but he's a different kind of player.  The position that I think we most need to strengthen at is our so-called 'Number 10'. We have a lot of players but I don't think many of them are particularly good... Wallcott, Redmond, Djenopo all leave something to be desired. I really rate Stuart Armstrong when he's fully fit, but he isn't often fully fit... Of our strikers, I think Che has something at this level and will improve. I think Adam Armstrong probably needs to drop back down to the Championship - I can't see him cutting it at this level. Too lightweight and needs too many chances. I agree, sadly I doubt Broja will stay, simply because I doubt we will be able to afford him. Chelsea will probably decide they want to see him there, and then he will sit on the bench...

Edited 31 January, 2022 by mcbendy
Muddled my Armstrongs

[Toadhall Saint]

8 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

A gk 

A tadic replacement (finally) 

A striker if Broja leaves 

A dm to compete with the three we have 

A CB replacement for bednarek. 

Think that about sums it up for me. Priority wise I’d swap 2 & 3 around.

[SuperSAINT]

Good lists & don’t disagree.

We might have to factor in a JWP or Salisu kind of sale because the big guns may flex their financial muscles.

* MLG notes - yes we don’t know about how the ownership works etc, but it’s not going to suddenly make players not ask to leave if top 4 come calling.

[saint1977]

8 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm actually quite happy we didn't rush in and get a goalie in this window, I had an inkling we may try to get Johnstone now rather than the summer...but the fact we didn't is kind of suggestive to me that he's not really on our list anymore. So, I expect a first choice keeper in the summer - we've got to get this one right, a decent GK is worth so many points.

Certainly an attacking number 10 and additional depth up top to replace Long, but also a first choice striker signing. I very much doubt it will be Broja, I'll happily be surprised...but I think that ship has sailed now. Just need to make the most of him these next 6 months and let him get us as many points as he can for us.

So we need...

New GK.

New No. 10

New Striker (+ another for Depth and to replace Long)

A new DM in the Romeu mould, we don't have that at the mo.

Maybe CB, unsure - depends if Bednarek goes.

Agree with all of that, but that the GK, 10, striker all have to be starter quality or at least potential to be, not the grow in players we’ve had to buy under Gao. The DM can be grow in as mileage still left in Oriol. I think we’ve established that Diallo is a box to box CM, not a DMC, and expect to see him build on this season’s development. CB depends really on Salisu signing a new deal and also if the interest in Jan materialises or was January panic. Ideally a new first choice CB to go with Salisu but that’s too much on the budget. JWP may or may not fancy a CL move but it would have to be City, Liverpool maybe Utd if they finish top 4. You won’t see him going to Villa with the takeover or Newcastle unless they offer Saints and him seriously OTT ££. Salisu will be in demand but he has plenty of potential but also more growth before he is ready for first choice CL. Sign a new deal with a release clause. 

Plenty to move on. Forster will help us on FFP, Long leaving, Djenepo will be on loan/perm, Fenerbache have fancied him for a while. Theo who knows. Stephens has had injuries this term but might ponder how much game time he will get going forward. Could do a job for a promoted side. Happy to keep him as a squad player if not. Moi moving on I would say, shown glimpses this term at least so not a total write off as we feared, but with a year to go similar to Djenepo but with better options and a bigger earner like Fraser going. I do think at least one of the CBs will go as well for more game time but as I say some variables as to who it is. Redmond might fancy a change of scenery if the new 10 is a major signing. 

With a DM we would look well stocked in midfield, full backs and CBs, albeit Salisu is by far the best CB as it stands. 

Edited 1 February, 2022 by saint1977

[ErwinK1961]

10 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

A gk 

A tadic replacement (finally) 

A striker if Broja leaves 

A dm to compete with the three we have 

A CB replacement for bednarek. 

Yep, we’ll said that man.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by ErwinK1961

[qwertyell]

1 hour ago, saint1977 said:

Djenepo will be on loan/perm, Fenerbache have fancied him for a while.

They've got a very talented young keeper, Bayindir. Not that swaps ever happen these days, but anyway...

[Give it to Ron]

10 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

A gk 

A tadic replacement (finally) 

A striker if Broja leaves 

A dm to compete with the three we have 

A CB replacement for bednarek. 

Yep exactly what I think too, Long, Djenepro and Elynoussi can go for me Walcott will just be on fringe if ever fit.

S Armstrong is fine but think we need better as made of glass and another option.

We won’t be able to compete with West Ham or Newcastle for Broja so need to start looking which am sure we are.

[Dusic]

I reckon Chelsea will at least look at Broja in pre season, which would put us in a difficult position as how long do we wait whilst other targets go elsewhere?

Otherwise, as stated by others its pretty clear GK and no10 are the key areas to improve.

Imagine Djenepo and Moi will go as no chance we give either an extension.

Harry Lewis must be crapping himself that he might actually have to go and play football.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by Dusic

[Roo1976]

9 hours ago, mcbendy said:

I largely agree with this. We're pretty strong at fullback now, and Small is still coming through. At CB, I could see us upgrading on Bednarek and/or Stephens, though neither are as terrible as some would have you believe. I agree, we need another solid DM in the Romeo mould. I like Diallo, but he's a different kind of player.  The position that I think we most need to strengthen at is our so-called 'Number 10'. We have a lot of players but I don't think many of them are particularly good... Wallcott, Redmond, Djenopo all leave something to be desired. I really rate Stuart Armstrong when he's fully fit, but he isn't often fully fit... Of our strikers, I think Che has something at this level and will improve. I think Adam Armstrong probably needs to drop back down to the Championship - I can't see him cutting it at this level. Too lightweight and needs too many chances. I agree, sadly I doubt Broja will stay, simply because I doubt we will be able to afford him. Chelsea will probably decide they want to see him there, and then he will sit on the bench...

Chelsea will probably decide they want to see him there, and then he will sit on the bench... or ditch LUKAKU.........stranger things have happend and he dosent seem to

fit with what Tuchel has in mind.

[igsey]

It will be interesting to see how much we end up spending, we've obviously got the MSD loan to pay off but who knows if that will be in one year or across a number of years. We also had a £15m profit from last summer that should be available.

[Dusic]

Just as important as signings, and obviously not restricted by the transfer window, are contracts.

The following will have two years left and we should be looking to preserve their value with an extension to avoid a cheap sale:

Adams - solid & robust PL striker

Diallo - need to find a way of giving him more game time

Salisu - expect we will get offers this summer and if he won't extend then its optimal sale time value wise

We would also have Romeu and Redmond with just a year left.

KWP, whilst having 3 years left has probably earned a new deal.

Wonder how much Tino is on and whether we may also give him a pay rise, or whether its just accepted that he won't be here long so no real point.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by Dusic

[S-Clarke]

22 minutes ago, Dusic said:

I reckon Chelsea will at least look at Broja in pre season, which would put us in a difficult position as how long do we wait whilst other targets go elsewhere?

Otherwise, as stated by others its pretty clear GK and no10 are the key areas to improve.

Imagine Djenepo and Moi will go as no chance we give either an extension.

Harry Lewis must be crapping himself that he might actually have to go and play football.

My hunch with Broja is that you'll get clubs like Newcastle flashing around their Saudi money in the summer even more so, as they didn't get their striker this window. Plus clubs like Villa and West Ham can go bigger than us in the market, West Ham in particular need a Broja type profile of player which they couldn't get in January.

We know Chelsea are tempted when clubs bid high for their young players, and sadly I think a couple of clubs could bid higher than we're able to get to. Who knows, it may all be down to the player and he'll choose...but to not get my hopes up I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that we've missed the boat on getting him for longer than 6 months.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by S-Clarke

[Sarisbury Saint]

We also need to move players on.

Walcott , Long and Djenopo to start with.

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, saint1977 said:

Agree with all of that, but that the GK, 10, striker all have to be starter quality or at least potential to be, not the grow in players we’ve had to buy under Gao. The DM can be grow in as mileage still left in Oriol. I think we’ve established that Diallo is a box to box CM, not a DMC, and expect to see him build on this season’s development. CB depends really on Salisu signing a new deal and also if the interest in Jan materialises or was January panic. Ideally a new first choice CB to go with Salisu but that’s too much on the budget. JWP may or may not fancy a CL move but it would have to be City, Liverpool maybe Utd if they finish top 4. You won’t see him going to Villa with the takeover or Newcastle unless they offer Saints and him seriously OTT ££. Salisu will be in demand but he has plenty of potential but also more growth before he is ready for first choice CL. Sign a new deal with a release clause. 

Plenty to move on. Forster will help us on FFP, Long leaving, Djenepo will be on loan/perm, Fenerbache have fancied him for a while. Theo who knows. Stephens has had injuries this term but might ponder how much game time he will get going forward. Could do a job for a promoted side. Happy to keep him as a squad player if not. Moi moving on I would say, shown glimpses this term at least so not a total write off as we feared, but with a year to go similar to Djenepo but with better options and a bigger earner like Fraser going. I do think at least one of the CBs will go as well for more game time but as I say some variables as to who it is. Redmond might fancy a change of scenery if the new 10 is a major signing. 

With a DM we would look well stocked in midfield, full backs and CBs, albeit Salisu is by far the best CB as it stands. 

Absolutley agree, as you said those 3 signings (if we're not keeping Broja) need to be starters from day 1. If we sign young outfield players then they need to be in the Tino mould and ready to start from day 1. 

Redmond hasn't been awful this year, but we really need to stop flogging Redmond, Moussa, Elyonoussi, Theo as our 10's as we need so much better there. GK is a no brainer, needs to be an experienced starter. We can't go for an exciting up and coming kid in that position and I hope the club recognise that!

Contracts are important to factor in as well - Salisu needs to be signed up, arguably need a new one for Romeu and KWP too. Those will take a chunk of the budget.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by S-Clarke

[manji]

As I’ve mentioned before it’s not just about signings. A good sign of our owners intent is hanging onto players that we would have normally had to sell i.e. Salisu etc. Going to be an interesting summer.

[Dman]

11 minutes ago, manji said:

As I’ve mentioned before it’s not just about signings. A good sign of our owners intent is hanging onto players that we would have normally had to sell i.e. Salisu etc. Going to be an interesting summer.

Agreed. Salisu will be key to how I rate our summer window. If he has no intention to sign a new deal, I could see him being sold… it’s a bit of a worry, if I’m honest. 

[SuperSAINT]

Just now, Dman said:

Agreed. Salisu will be key to how I rate our summer window. If he has no intention to sign a new deal, I could see him being sold… it’s a bit of a worry, if I’m honest. 

I remember reading an article in the athletic (maybe in the summer we signed him) how sought after left-sided centre-backs are becoming.  Proven premier league ones even more so. 

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

I remember reading an article in the athletic (maybe in the summer we signed him) how sought after left-sided centre-backs are becoming.  Proven premier league ones even more so. 

It’s only since it’s become fashionable to want a left footed left sided centre back. 

[Dman]

7 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

I remember reading an article in the athletic (maybe in the summer we signed him) how sought after left-sided centre-backs are becoming.  Proven premier league ones even more so. 

If I were him, I’d hold off signing a new deal. 
 

1 - because another season like this one, he’ll have some decent sized clubs sniffing around. Especially if he’s got 6months or less on his contract. 
 

2 - the longer he waits, the less time he has on his contract, the more desperate we’ll become and will result in a larger ££ for him. 
 

It seems like more and more players are letting their contracts dwindle and becoming free agents. Even at the highest level (Pogba, Mbappe etc..). I could see this becoming the norm (players hold all the power), which isn’t great for a model like ours. 

Edited 1 February, 2022 by Dman

[Saint_clark]

This is the big window for us moving forward. All of the terrible signings and expensive overvalued players finally off the wage bill. Carillo, Boufal, Lemina, Hoedt, Bertrand, Vestergaard, Forster, McCarthy (maybe) all gone in the last year or so. I know a couple will have been "replaced" but all told that's almost £500,000 a week in wages saved and available for new signings. 

Something I always remember from the excellent book Soccernomics is that amount spent on transfer fees doesn't correspond to where teams finish in the league, but that amount spent on wages corresponds almost exactly. If we think about saints since promotion this is pretty evident - the amount we spent on the players I listed above did us no good. But if we'd instead spent that money on larger contracts for players like Van Dijk, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Lallana, and given Koeman the contract he'd wanted, we'd have undoubtedly finished higher than we have been, perhaps even pushed on and established a place in the top 6. These players may still have wanted to leave but being able to offer contracts of £150,000 a week instead of selling and gambling on replacements would have helped.

I think that should be our strategy moving forward. Get the key players tied down to longer, larger contracts and make a couple of additions a season rather than needing to rebuild the squad after cashing in and we'll be better off, on the pitch and financially. 

[The Left Back]

Top priority for me is a first choice goal keeper.  Someone comfortable on the ball as well as doing all the things a top keeper can do.  

Second priority is the hardest to find - a goal making, goal-taking number 10.  People talk about Tadic but he's not really a Ralph type player as he doesn't do enough off the ball.  So a Tadic-type with team work ethic.  It's a shame because it could/should be Redmond - he's occasionally shown it but just not often enough - such a frustration.

Third priority is a striker to replace Long.  If Broja stays then I think we can go for a young undiscovered talent.  If Broja goes I think we need someone more established. On the topic of Broja, I imagine we'll be communicating with Chelsea and his agent regularly over the coming months so will know the lie of the land well before the window opens. I don't think we'll get a repeat of the Toby drama - one way or the other it will be done as the window opens and known about before.

After that it all gets more nuanced and depends on who's leaving.  A back up for Romeu perhaps?  Decisions to be made on Jack/Moi/Moussa - but not major ones, either they stay as squad players for the last year or get sold for smallish money.

One thing not mentioned on here yet is the impact of our new ownership.  Firstly it might just feel a more ambitious place to stay; there's sometimes a buzz in a club that we don't really get to see but that keeps players from looking elsewhere.  Secondly, if we are going to be the head of a pyramid of clubs then talks may already be happening with other clubs and player movement might be one of the early signs of progress. 

[TWar]

I'd like to see us spend on a Romeu replacement. I really like the guy but he is going to drop away in the coming years and bedding someone in before we need them tends to yield better results, like Salisu. Shame we didn't get Sangare as he has apparently been immense this season.

I also think we need to see the back of two to three attacking midfielders. As it stands we have 7 options in Stu, Redmond, Tella, Djenepo, Walcott, Elyounoussi, and Smallbone. I would like to see us bring in a starting quality option so that would bring us to 8 when we really need maximum of 5-6. Ideal world we see the back of Walcott and Djenepo but might also be a good time to sell Redmond while his stock is slightly higher from a better season by his standards. Also will need to assess what is going on with Stus injury as if it is going to stop him starting regularly going forward maybe worth selling while he has value too.

Obvious first priority is GK but that goes without saying.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by TWar

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Broja is now a double edged sword. If he continues to impress no way will we be able to compete for him so he will either stay with Chelski or go to the nouveau riche clubs like Villa or West Ham.

If he bombs from here on in then we suffer as a team and will we want him?

One of the drawbacks of loan deals is you can get stung. Toby Alderwerield was a previous example.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by Fitzhugh Fella

[notnowcato]

57 minutes ago, Turkish said:

It’s only since it’s become fashionable to want a left footed left sided centre back. 

Which also aligns with an increase in use of a back 3 or the flex in system to switch to a back 3. 

[notnowcato]

9 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Broja is now a double edged sword. If he continues to impress no way will we be able to compete for him so he will either stay with Chelski or go to the nouveau riche clubs like Villa or West Ham.

If he bombs from here on in then we suffer as a team and will we want him?

One of the drawbacks of loan deals is you can get stung. Toby Alderwerield was a previous example.

I’d be surprised if Broja’s form doesn’t dip given his age, experience and the levels he’s hit in a short amount of time. Looks a top quality prospect though. 

[Pwoite]

I cannot disagree with the sentiments posted or the priorities highlighted. Indeed, even those who are told where the door is, if not yet actually shown it, but the one thing missing from the debate is who might emerge from our junior ranks into potential first team players. Also, no one ever mentions Smallbone. Admittedly, Will has had  wretched time with sickness and injuries, but does he have a future role?

Equally, with the exception of Small, no 'prospects' get mentioned. Clearly the next few months are potentially huge for Simeu, but there are some youngsters starting to get rave reviews, and if this is genuine talent, we must ensure their paths aren't blocked. But, if this real talent, or just short term hype?

So, looking at our 'best' eleven, if we could agree one, we have three camps:

Broja, Salisu - secure or replace like for like

Romeu, JWP, Tino/KWP, Lyanco, Adams - maintain, ensuring a good, probably young, player is covering

Keeper, right back, No 10 - upgrade

I know that's only ten positions, but it leaves that flexibility to play Diallo, Armstrong S, Tella, third central defender, Redmond, depending on the opposition, which has actually been working well for us over the last few weeks.

 

 

[Ldnsaint]

With Elyounoussi, Forster, Long and hopefully Walcott off that should free up some wages

 

A new no1 keeper. 

Sign Broja or another striker. 

Competition for Stu, someone that can balance out the 4222 and cover defensively. 

First choice left sided 10. 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

1 hour ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Broja is now a double edged sword. If he continues to impress no way will we be able to compete for him so he will either stay with Chelski or go to the nouveau riche clubs like Villa or West Ham.

If he bombs from here on in then we suffer as a team and will we want him?

One of the drawbacks of loan deals is you can get stung. Toby Alderwerield was a previous example.

Or just enjoy him for as long as we have him

[SNSUN]

I think we’re mostly in agreement. For us to improve, our team next season should be:

 

New No 1 GK/McCarthy

 

Livramento/KWP

New No 1 CB/ Bednarek/ Stephens

Salisu/Lyanco

Perraud/Small

 

JWP/Diallo

New No 1 or decent challenging DM/Romeu

 

New No 1 AM/SArmstrong 

Redmond/Tella/Smallbone

 

New No 1 Str/AArmstrong 

Adams/New back up striker.

 

Without going in to too much depth in the squad, we’re looking at 5 key, probably first choice signings across the whole of our spine. Doable? Who knows what the new owners can provide. We hope so. Of course this doesn’t account for any key players sold, as we all know Some of our players have their admirers. 

 

A fair amount of work ahead. But still we have quite a few games left this season for the likes of Smallbone to show they should be first choice next season.

Edited 1 February, 2022 by SNSUN

[Toadhall Saint]

2 hours ago, Dman said:

If I were him, I’d hold off signing a new deal. 
 

1 - because another season like this one, he’ll have some decent sized clubs sniffing around. Especially if he’s got 6months or less on his contract. 
 

2 - the longer he waits, the less time he has on his contract, the more desperate we’ll become and will result in a larger ££ for him. 
 

It seems like more and more players are letting their contracts dwindle and becoming free agents. Even at the highest level (Pogba, Mbappe etc..). I could see this becoming the norm (players hold all the power), which isn’t great for a model like ours. 

I’m surprised it’s taken this long after Bosman tbh.

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Broja is now a double edged sword. If he continues to impress no way will we be able to compete for him so he will either stay with Chelski or go to the nouveau riche clubs like Villa or West Ham.

If he bombs from here on in then we suffer as a team and will we want him?

One of the drawbacks of loan deals is you can get stung. Toby Alderwerield was a previous example.

If we don’t get Broja - who? I’d go for Origi- always look useful when I’ve seen him play.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

7 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

If we don’t get Broja - who? I’d go for Origi- always look useful when I’ve seen him play.

I'd like someone I've never heard of but who's really good

[HarvSFC]

Think I’m echoing everyone here.

We saved money over the summer and didn’t spend any last month, obviously, so hopefully that gives us added flexibility to manoeuvre with the takeover/we’re saving money for Broja, even if Chelsea don’t budge at the end of the day.

So, with that in mind:

A starting Premier League Boruc/Niemi/Fabianski/Martinez type goalkeeper, which with the right scouting should be obtainable. If we look at Brentford as an example now, given the takeover, they picked up Raya for £3m from Blackburn in the Championship and he was their key player at the beginning of this season before his injury. There are still good goalkeepers out there at a good price, just our scouting has seemed a bit narrow sighted in the goalkeeping department in recent years.

A striker - Be it Broja, or somebody else. The max I would go for Broja is £30m. If we are looking to sign Broja as per the rumours, it is likely to be a fee around that figure. Therefore, IF we are willing to spend £30m on Broja and IF he can’t be got then I hope we would put £30m down on another goal scoring striker, rather than replacing him with a budget option. 

An AM. I’m undecided on this one. Yesterday I said an up and comer like Anjorin. But, Elyounoussi, Djenepo, Armstrong, Redmond and Walcott are all nearing the end of their current contracts. Only Armstrong and Redmond deserve to stay on that list and I would even say they would have to go on reduced terms. Therefore, with so many likely to leave, we do need a more senior first team ready one again.

Then, finally, a new contract for Salisu. Becoming free agents is the new thing for footballers and it is the smart thing for them to do, as they then pocket the transfer fee. So, this isn’t going to be straight forward. But, if we can, it needs to happen. He’s a potential £50m+ signing, which we won’t get this summer. Therefore, it’s not selling him at his peak value, which we will be looking to do and he will have his suitors in the future should he continue. 
 

At most, I really hope we’re not the net spend champions. Keep the philosophy of buying young and selling high. Fantastic! Leicester do that well. We weren’t. We were selling high and then buying cheap and using the rest of the incoming to fill various over positions in the squad for a pittance because we had no investment. E.g. selling Vestergaard and Ings and replacing them with players who don’t make our starting eleven in their respective positions. (I know we got Broja, but the club would have been hoping Armstrong could be the Ings replacement).

So, yeah, hopefully this summer we can start acting like every other Premier League club that’s around us at the moment. Your Palace’s, Brighton’s, Wolves, etc. who have outspent us for years and somehow we’ve maintained a pace with them. 

[Saint Garrett]

Got no issue with Elyounoussi staying as a squad player, but pretty much agree with everyone else. It seems pretty obvious that we probably need atleast 3 starting XI players, which is likely to be £50-60m.  Will be really interesting to see how the new owners go about things.

WIth the logic in mind that we're likely to go after young players with big sell on value in a few years time, ala Tino, wouldnt surprise me if we start next season without the 3 first XI starters but by the end of the season, they will be.

[Cartman]

Summer shopping list:

Goalkeepers:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013233

Defensive Midfielders:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013256

Attacking Midfielders:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013282

Brojas:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013171

[Charlie Wayman]

4 hours ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Broja is now a double edged sword. If he continues to impress no way will we be able to compete for him so he will either stay with Chelski or go to the nouveau riche clubs like Villa or West Ham.

If he bombs from here on in then we suffer as a team and will we want him?

One of the drawbacks of loan deals is you can get stung. Toby Alderwerield was a previous example.

That was always understood to be part of these loan deals. We should stop kidding ourselves that these players would end up staying here.

[Saint Matty 76]

I'd love for us to head into next season with something along these lines -

This puts our incomings at -

GK: Inevitable. It just needs to be something better than what we've currently got. It seems McCarthy has signed a deal so Forster will be off. (Sam Johnstone, Bartłomiej Drągowski)

CB: I don't personally think Lyanco is, or was brought in to be a main man. This leads to the ongoing question of do we/can we improve on Bednarek. I personally don't rate him too highly, and consider him one of the weak spots if we're to try and push up the league. (Duje Ćaleta-Car, Joe Gomez) 

DM: It's a little bit of a tricky one as I think Romeu is having a good season, but we definitely need another DM in the squad. I'd like to think this would be one to push Romeu and phase him out at some point in the near future. (Boubacar Kamara, Sander Berge, Ibrahim Sangaré)

AM: We've got lots of them and most of them are probably a 5/10. If we suddenly had a 10 goal winger in the mould of Mane again then we'd be a completely different team. I like Tella but I don't think he's the answer. (Mikkel Damsgaard, Noni Madueke) 

ST: I hope it can happen. It reads like it's going to be down to the player in the Summer and I'm honestly just hoping that Lukaku has a really strong end to the season. (Armando Broja)

 

Fraser Forster, Willy Caballero, Yan Valery, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Shane Long all to leave. I wouldn't have any issue losing any of those mentioned. 

[saintrich]

Just see it mentioned by Fabrizio Romano that Chelsea have a buy back clause of 80m euros on Tammy Abraham starting July 2023. 

Could perhaps be used a yardstick given he went to Roma for a similar amount that we are likely to be offering for Broja (£34m). 

 

[Saint86]

7 hours ago, Roo1976 said:

Chelsea will probably decide they want to see him there, and then he will sit on the bench... or ditch LUKAKU.........stranger things have happend and he dosent seem to

fit with what Tuchel has in mind.

Two things on this. Tuchel has had dressing room problems at all his clubs. 

Lukaku is a dressing room problem. 

🤣

I'd love is to sign broja as this great prospect for a future great prem striker - but it won't happen. If he does well for the rest of the season we'll either be priced out or Chelsea just won't sell him. If he doesn't do great then we'll probably look elsewhere...

[FarehamSaintJames]

On 01/02/2022 at 16:14, Saint Matty 76 said:

I'd love for us to head into next season with something along these lines -

This puts our incomings at -

GK: Inevitable. It just needs to be something better than what we've currently got. It seems McCarthy has signed a deal so Forster will be off. (Sam Johnstone, Bartłomiej Drągowski)

CB: I don't personally think Lyanco is, or was brought in to be a main man. This leads to the ongoing question of do we/can we improve on Bednarek. I personally don't rate him too highly, and consider him one of the weak spots if we're to try and push up the league. (Duje Ćaleta-Car, Joe Gomez) 

DM: It's a little bit of a tricky one as I think Romeu is having a good season, but we definitely need another DM in the squad. I'd like to think this would be one to push Romeu and phase him out at some point in the near future. (Boubacar Kamara, Sander Berge, Ibrahim Sangaré)

AM: We've got lots of them and most of them are probably a 5/10. If we suddenly had a 10 goal winger in the mould of Mane again then we'd be a completely different team. I like Tella but I don't think he's the answer. (Mikkel Damsgaard, Noni Madueke) 

ST: I hope it can happen. It reads like it's going to be down to the player in the Summer and I'm honestly just hoping that Lukaku has a really strong end to the season. (Armando Broja)

 

Fraser Forster, Willy Caballero, Yan Valery, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Shane Long all to leave. I wouldn't have any issue losing any of those mentioned. 

Huge fan of this breakdown and couldn’t agree more position wise; players are probably a little ambitious though especially higher up the pitch.

Would love Noni Madueke and Boubacar Kamara. And naturally Armando Broja on a permanent. 😊

[Warriorsaint]

Must say like the look of this Aribo lad at Rangers we were rumoured to be after. As close a merger of Wanyama and Schneiderlin in one player I’ve ever seen. Hope we go back in fo him

[Turkish]

On 01/02/2022 at 15:07, Cartman said:

Summer shopping list:

Goalkeepers:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013233

Defensive Midfielders:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013256

Attacking Midfielders:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013282

Brojas:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/33013171

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-chelsea-u21/kader/verein/9250
 

this is our scouting list 

[Give it to Ron]

11 minutes ago, Turkish said:

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-chelsea-u21/kader/verein/9250
 

this is our scouting list 

As we like a double barrel Soonsup-Bell is standout from that list.

[Chez]

It tends to be a one in, one out type deal these days. So, four keepers, a centre back and two strikers to replace:

Willy Caballero, Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster, Harry Lewis

Jack Stephens

Shane Long, Armando Broja

...unless we somehow sell a player we don't want or lose someone we do.

[maysie]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

It tends to be a one in, one out type deal these days. So, four keepers, a centre back and two strikers to replace:

Willy Caballero, Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster, Harry Lewis

Jack Stephens

Shane Long, Armando Broja

...unless we somehow sell a player we don't want or lose someone we do.

I don't think we'll be buying 4 keepers mate

[HarvSFC]

 

There was a small link to him in January.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

 

1 hour ago, Chez said:

It tends to be a one in, one out type deal these days. So, four keepers, a centre back and two strikers to replace:

Willy Caballero, Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster, Harry Lewis

Jack Stephens

Shane Long, Armando Broja

...unless we somehow sell a player we don't want or lose someone we do.

That's the way I look at it too. It might be a little more flexible going forward, for certain deals, following the takeover (for example another bright other team's academy prospect, just on the verge of the first squad). I doubt we'll have a bloated squad, which I'm fine with. 

If McCarthy and Stephens have penned new deals, there may be even less movement.

A quick peek at the contract thread:-

2022 - McCarthy (?), Stephens (?), Long, Caballero, Broja, Lewis, Forster, Chauke
2023 - Romeu, Redmond, Djenepo, Elyounoussi, Walcott, Valery, Ramsey, Watts,
2024 - Adams, Small, S Armstrong, Smallbone, Salisu, Diallo, Vokins, Ferry, Nlundulu, Simeu
2025 - Walker Peters, Lynaco, A Armstrong, Perraud, Tella, Bednarek
2026 - Ward-Prowse, Livramento

New Keeper: A  McCarthy/ new Caballero contract duo doesn't fill me with huge confidence and since Forster will undoubtedly be on his way (I like him and think we could have done a lot worse.)

New Striker - A Broja replacement really, whether another loan or a buy (easier said than done). Ideally Broja himself for at least another year's loan.

I'd like to see extensions for Romeu, Salisu and on current levels... Redmond (ducks behind bunker). Wages being freed up on the other 22/23 expirees leaving, to help bring in a number 10.

Someone to provide extra midfield cover would be super too (if smallbone isn't ready to make the step up). But with the wages of Premier League players, we may well have  Elyounoussi,Walcott and the others expiring in 2023 for the next year anyway.