13 Nov 2025 10:40:12
So who do we sign in January to push us up a level?

1.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 13:10:23
Guehi, Haaland and Anderson.

2.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 14:40:02
Bill, you’ve forgotten Courtois and Bastoni.

3.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 16:20:22
I didn't want to be too ambitious Jimbo, I will save other signings for the summer.

That being said, i would not go anywhere near the traitor that is Courtois.

4.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 16:56:17
Bill, it was always on the cards that Courtois would end up at Madrid just like Hazard. Don’t be surprised if we lose Palmer, Caecido and Enzo within the next couple of seasons.

5.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 17:40:21
I think PSG will make a massive offer for Palmer in the summer. I think Enzo will leave if a good offer comes in from Real Madrid but only Real Madrid. Caicedo will definitely stay.

6.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 18:07:47
Tom, wouldn’t be surprised if City tried to get Palmer back and I agree Enzo seems destined for Madrid. I don’t agree that Caecido will stay long term: he is world class and unless we up our level he may well want to be seriously challenging for big trophies. We would get huge fees for them but I worry about how it would be invested. It’s about time we brought in players to up our level and become serious contenders at home and in Europe.

The current strategy of buying young players with potential will not bring us back to the top table. I am still not convinced about Maresca but I think he is aware of where we need to strengthen and the profile of players to take us to a higher level but I fear his influence is limited.

7.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 18:08:37
Tom

I think if hoid money is offered for Caicedo, he will go as well.

If those three players went, the owners might as well go as well as they will become the Chelsea Hlaziers and the fans will let them know where the door is and on the way out they can also take their lack of sponsorship and lake of SB decisions with them.

8.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 18:45:33
Bill, the hierarchy are stuck in a self obsessed philosophy of bringing in young players: they have no idea how to build a squad to compete at the highest level. Frankly, it doesn’t really matter who our coach is- so despite my reservations about Maresca he can stay as long as he wants, it won’t make any difference.

9.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 18:56:19
Think we are near the top table now World club champions in with an outside chance of the prem in the champions league.

Buying young players work Palmer Estevao great finds

Money talks but they are all on long contracts we pay quite well.

Am in a v small minority but if we had a half decent offer for Fernandez I would take it.

10.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 19:29:29
I think we are competing at the highest level. I also believe will be at the top table for years to come.

11.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 19:31:52
I agree with you Seymns2, we are very close to being at that top table and out of all the above much appreciated replies to my original post I think Bills comment that Haaland would be the player to take us to the next level is spot on, add Haaland to our side and not only would we be in with a great chance of sweeping up every trophy it would also mean all our top stars would stay.

Over to you Blueco. sign Haaland (or, realistically, a top striker to convert all the chances we create (highest XG in the prem) . Great thread guy's, thankyou for responding.

12.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 19:50:19
Seymns, absolutely agree about Palmer and Estavou top players and bargains. However, we have lots of young players on loan, Sarr and Aselmino- CBs who will probably get further loans but Emegha and Paez are likely to initially join first team squad.

So please buy some experienced players in the summer. Forget, the Club World Cup, it was great to win and a fantastic performance but it doesn’t change the level we are at.

13.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 20:34:22
Seymns, forgot to mention Quenda signed for £47 million due to join next summer.
Tom, we are not competing at the top level we are are scraping for top four. If we get within 5 points of whichever team wins the title and get to the Champions League semi finals, I will agree with you.

14.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 20:40:16
I agree Tom, we are already a top table team. I also can't really understand this "experience" agenda. Are we talking "age" or "experience". If you want "age" and "experience" then just put Sterling back in the squad.

If you want "experience" then surely we have a fair bit of that? Reece James, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Marc Curcurella, I could go but these boys do have experience.

15.) 13 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 22:19:47
RPD, we are not a top level team, we haven’t seriously challenged for the title for years and scraped into top 4 last season after failing to qualify for CL for two consecutive seasons which used to be a given. The point I was making is that we have brought in a lot of young players and some are parked on loan and others at their clubs who are coming in next season and whose fees with come into play in in the summer Particularly in defence, which we have ignored, you need proven players, in our case, to move up a level.

16.) 14 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 22:22:51
Jimbo, my opinion is we are competing at the so called “top table. ” We are in a Champions league spot this season having after finishing in the top four last season. We are also still in the League Cup and will almost certainly get through to the knockout out stage of the Champions League having won the conference cup and club world champions last season.
If some people/fans are not happy with our achievements and progress that’s up to them but I’m happy enough.

RBD, I agree about the lack of experience idea being a load of tosh. I also believe that age isn’t a barrier to being a leader.
I have said in the past that we need “more” leaders but I’m gradually seeing that happening with more players. In my opinion Josh is a classic example of a young lad being given time by the manager, who is now showing himself to be not only a quality player but a future leader.

17.) 14 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 22:58:22
Jimbo, you are welcome to your opinion but I think you are totally wrong. These young players are very talented, trust them mate, enjoy the ride, we are back. The winners of The Club World Cup, the only team to ever win every European trophy and now above the likes of the current league winners and chasing down Arsenal. Add a striker and we dominate mate.

18.) 14 Nov 2025
13 Nov 2025 23:03:33
RBD, I should have also added that I liked it when “our” club was given a “unique” achievement award. “We’ve won it all” is a chant I enjoy hearing at the bridge. I think it’s very likely that we will be the only club who can legitimately sing that song in my lifetime.

19.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 08:34:48
RPD, you are entitled to your opinion that I am totally wrong; however, I equally believe that your perception of where we are lacks objectivity. I do agree that we have a core of top players to build on.

However, I believe there are still several issues that prevent us moving up a level. Hopefully, the team will prove me wrong in the coming months of the season.

20.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 09:22:06
I beleive that if we sell any of our top players it will stop us from becoming a top team.

You only see the city's and Liverpool's selling their top players when they are coming to the end of their careers and even then with the likes of more Salad and VVD, they fight to keep hold of them.

The constant revolving door model does not work, just ask Southampton and Wolves.

21.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 09:59:21
I didn't realise Cole Palmer was at the end of his career Bill when Man City sold him?
Also, why are you saying we are selling all our top players when that is not the case?

22.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 13:18:04
Greenaway,

I don't beleive that City thought that CP would make such an impact in his first season, second season so far not so much.

My post was in response to Tom's earlier post where he thought PSG would come in for CP and RM for Enzo.

I also beleive that Tom is correct, if good money comes in, players will be sold as we are now a business and not a football club.

23.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 13:48:29
Bill, let me just clarify one thing.

The early years of the RA ownership in my opinion we were run as if the club was a rich man’s toy. In the latter years of his ownership I personally believed that attempts were being made to run the club as a business.

There is in my opinion “nothing” wrong with any club being run as a business. It does not make us “less” of a club.
I think all clubs who are owned by business people should expect there club to be run as a going concern.

24.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 18:07:34
sorry RPD and Tom - massively disagree, top table is not challenging for top 4 its challenging for the league- if we're going to do that likes of sanchex and chalobah have to be upgraded - we need a top class GK and Cb to go for titles which should always be the aim, can sign as many 14 year olds from kazakhstan dagestan or timbuktu for all i care.

It has to be matched with signings to win here and now i. e haaland, rice, eze, vvd, alisson- we are close and i hope the club have it in them to take the final step and go for it.

25.) 14 Nov 2025
14 Nov 2025 19:07:11
Kazblue, I have no problems with posters disagreeing with my opinions.
What happens at the end of the season will indicate if we are a club that continues to challenge for trophies.

Also, I personally don’t think we will be signing many players in this winter window or the summer window. I believe the club is happy with its longer term (loan) investments.