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JBS's rumours posts with other poster's replies to JBS's rumours posts
09 Feb 2026 17:40:42
Reports from ESPN Argentina suggesting that Chelsea is leading the race for Julian Alvarez. I would think he would be a great addition but not sure what others think? Could be great in combo with EF if EF stays -- and to be challengers for EPL surely we need him to?
Point though is that at 26 he may be seen as far too old by BlueCo plus on roughly same wages as Reece,
Would probably mean Jackson sold and Guiu or/and Delap sold or loaned?
1.) 09 Feb 2026 21:39:07
Dont think we’d pay the fee or the wages for him tbh and he's 10 years too old for BlueCo-
i would love him at the club tho think he's top class.
2.) 10 Feb 2026 00:55:49
Tris’ memory may be better on this but didn’t Alvarez say himself that he was hesitant on a return to England last year when Liverpool was reportedly interested? I was of the impression he didn’t settle very well when with Citeh.
Top class player so would be an awesome addition if he has warmed to the idea. Maybe the capital would be a better fit.
{Ed001's Note - it is his gf, she hated the weather and wanted to leave.}
3.) 10 Feb 2026 07:34:19
I honestly can’t remember seeing him play.
I can’t see us doing much business in the forward area in the summer, with the lad coming from Strasbourg. Anyway signing at centre half will probably depend on how Sarr and the lad now at Strasbourg do for the remainder of the season. I can see at least two CH’s being sold.
If they can get Lavia fit then I can only see us signing a midfielder if one of our current squad leaves.
4.) 10 Feb 2026 09:57:11
Tom
We can always get Kavia fit. The problem is he plays one game and then disappears for 6 months.
I agree some if the CH's need replacing but we also need to see how Colwill comes back first.
Like you, I think Guiu will leave which in my opinion will be a shame.
5.) 10 Feb 2026 12:07:45
Bill, I haven’t said that Guiu will leave but my guess is he will go on loan, maybe to Strasbourg.
6.) 10 Feb 2026 13:14:01
Tom
He might decide that he wants a permanent move to another club rather than a loan.
7.) 10 Feb 2026 14:29:47
Maybe Bill.
8.) 10 Feb 2026 17:04:43
Looking out of my window at the moment I can see where Alvarez' s girlfroend is coming from in terms of the weather! But London a bit better in this respect than the N/W of England perhaps.
9.) 10 Feb 2026 21:57:50
I'm in the north west of england and i really don't understand the weather thing. I got more rainfall a year in Brisbane Australia. Plus when it rained in aus, it actually rained. Here I can walk to work in the 'rain' and ill be dry. Makes no sense to me lol.
10.) 11 Feb 2026 16:33:21
Perhaps just a wee bit warmer in Brisbane even in heavy rain than in the N/W of England in light drizzle at this time of year Standard?! . Lol.
11.) 11 Feb 2026 17:02:28
Too hot, atleast for me JBS :)
12.) 12 Feb 2026 22:21:16
Statistically there is more rainfall in Paris than London; so that rules out a move to PSG for Alveraz. If I was him I would buy the girlfriend an umbrella and a raincoat and tell her to get a job.
11 Feb 2025 17:12:45
Does anyone - perghaps one of the Eds? - know whether there is any truth in the rumour that CFC may be wanting/ willing to sell Santos in the summer to the highest bidder for 'pure profit?
I hope it isn't true - and that is just paper news stiirring things up - given AS's great performances for Strasbourg and of course for Brazil youth teams. He seems to have worldy potential. Also because one fears that Lavia may never be fit for very long.
{Ed001's Note - I don't know about wanting, but they will sell him if the right offer comes along. You could probably say the same about any of the players to be honest, from what I have heard.}
1.) 11 Feb 2025 17:41:48
JBS, there was a rumour pre January window that a club (no name given) was prepared to offer £160m for Palmer.
I personally don’t like the term commodities to describe a person but that’s how I think they are considered.
2.) 11 Feb 2025 18:30:50
And that's why Tom, we will not be successful. We needed a settled squad to grow together.
If we wanted to sell players, I would put the ones who are forever injured, first.
3.) 11 Feb 2025 19:42:42
Bill, you may well be correct but it’s not as if we didn’t buy and sell players under the RA ownership.
All clubs get injuries but it’s when the same players keep getting injured it becomes a concern. As I said a few weeks ago, it’s a tough decision to draw stumps on a players Chelsea career but making those decisions is why they get paid the big bucks.
4.) 11 Feb 2025 20:46:50
Tom yes players have been commodities for a long time now in terms of being traded by clubs. What worries me with new owners is that this trading has not only been surcharged in terms of volume but also that it does not seem to have prioritised creating a winning side any time soon. Instead it's become as much if not more about trading for for bottom line accounting sake. We sell Gallagher and buy Felix to then loan him out. Maresca belatedly says he wanted to keep him and perhaps he did but then why give him so little EPL game time? We buy Veiga then sideline Chilwell then loan out Veiga removing cover for Cucurella at LB then spend money on bringing in a 16 yr old striker from Kazakhstan. An investment in the future? Vision 2030 again? Who knows but how about 2025?
I can just see so little logic in far too much of our transfer business.
Was loaning out Santos in CFC interest or other owners' club Strasbourg?
Is Sanchez who Poch didn't particularly rate better than Petrovich who he did but then gets loaned to Strasbourg where he shines?
Bottom line is do the new owners care as much about success on the pitch as Roman A. Or more about success with the bottom line in accounting terms itself
Yes but do they not know that GETTING ECL football would likely do more for bottom. line playersvhan tradingng in kids?
5.) 11 Feb 2025 21:16:08
Really good points JBS.
6.) 11 Feb 2025 22:07:58
JBS, I have said many times that in my opinion the owners have gone too quickly in taking on what is a complete rebuild of not only the first team squad but also the supporting structure but I will maintain that the club was overdue that restructuring.
I am absolutely convinced that our current owners not only care about success but also crave it. I cannot for one moment believe that they don’t want to increase the value of there investment and the best way to do that is to be consistent winners and habitual champions league qualifiers.
I’m not sure I like the idea of buying/ investing in 16 year old kids but that is a different subject. In the last window I think the spuds signed three (one from us) academy players from other clubs. As is often the case clubs act like sheep and it would appear that a significant percentage of clubs are looking more and more at youth as the way forward. Maybe it’s a PSR thing but as I said in a recent post how many premiership clubs have paid a transfer fee for a player over the age of 25 in this last window? I’m struggling to think of any!
Time will tell if the owners approach pays dividends but generally in the world of football ownership these are early days and remember they made a complete horlicks of virtually everything at the beginning of there tenure.
7.) 12 Feb 2025 10:05:38
Tom
I agree that we have sold youngsters in the past. However, we had a large number of experienced players as a nucleus of our first team.
Likewise, other teams are bringing in youth as you say., However, they have a number of experience in their first team squad, that is the difference.
8.) 12 Feb 2025 10:55:38
Bill. I’m not saying that the current trend is correct or that having a mixture of youth and experience wouldn’t be a better way to go. I’m just pointing out what appears to be a pattern.
9.) 12 Feb 2025 11:59:18
Spot on Bill we have got rid of all our experienced players bar James - and some sidelined on loan.
Belayted thanks Ed001 for your comment and Tom I am sure the owners want the club to succeed as they have made a huge investment in it but one is questioning whether they've got the right ideas about achieving this in last few seasons where we crying out to have experience in key -spine of team of you like - positions alongside youth. Look, with right decisions in the summer - and if we have qualified for ECL so we can attract the best we need eg top striker and retain the best we have - we could move faster in right direction.
Right now and with ECL v far from guaranteed my feeling is our medium term fate in the balance. It could all go well with ECL qualification and good summer transfer dealings. But if we don't get ECL qualification perhaps we will have to sell the likes of Santos or - as you have suggested - even Palmer and it will feel like a struggle all obver again to get back to chgallenging for big trophies and to have really got 'our Chelsea back' that we were singing lustily in the Southampton away game.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome JBS. I do think I should point out that you might have different ideas about what success is than the owners though. They are looking at it as an investment to make money, I am not so sure they see success on the pitch as all that vital. Which I disagree with personally, but it does seem that it is about trading players to make a profitable enterprise, rather than about putting the best players possible on the pitch to win trophies.}
10.) 12 Feb 2025 12:15:59
Good point to emphasise Ed001 and thanks for it. Yes if owners care more about trading to gain profit rather than success on the pitch - though you would think that they should realise success on the pitch would help with profits and dealings - then we have to be very worried as fans.
{Ed001's Note - these are not football people though JBS, they are investors who are new to the sport and see it from an American sports perspective. US sports franchises are money-making machines regardless of results.}
11.) 12 Feb 2025 12:16:55
JBS, I haven’t suggested we will sell Palmer, I have said there was “rumoured interest. ”
I keep saying and this is only my view that the players are a commodity and I believe we have to get used to our favourite players being available for sale.
I also assume that the club will make more revenue if it wins trophies and that’s why I think our current owners would also like to win competitions.
12.) 12 Feb 2025 14:14:17
Tom I think we all hope you are right. But what do you think of ED001's additional point - one it is hard to disagree with from myn perspective - that our woners are not footballing people ie so may not have the passion that owners who are have for success on the pitch above all?
13.) 12 Feb 2025 15:31:10
JBS, as usual us fans are only guessing but they are a very rich group of people who seem to have a passion for sports investments and making money.
I have no idea if they are truly in love with “soccer” but my guess is they are truly in love with money. Again just me guessing but if they win trophies with Chelsea for example the potential increases in revenues are huge. The club also becomes globally more appealing if it wins trophies and that again brings in more revenue.
14.) 15 Feb 2025 07:01:24
I have been screaming on here that boely and Co are not working to make Chelsea great again on the pitch winning games. I said that the club had been hijacked and might never be the same again but tomb and likes were there deceiving themselves with plenty talks.
The policy of buying only young players is just the profits from the sale and not to get the club back on top boely and Co were the worst possible owners from the bidders but the enemies of the club who taken the political advantage of the war in Ukraine chose them to Bury the club overtime. Roman was targeted and I still think he might return to the club again.
15.) 04 Mar 2025 11:43:24
Tussle, I have always assumed that if there is football success then the value of the owners investment will improve.
I have also assumed that any investment has been made to achieve a profit and that includes the buying and selling of players.
Pre our present owners I have also referred to players (same at most clubs) as commodities.
03 Feb 2025 17:12:48
Seems as though we may still be paying half of Chilly's wages at Palace (ie 100, 000 of the 200, 000 pounds per week) .
1.) 03 Feb 2025 17:54:04
I suppose the alternative was to pay him full wages and get splinters. Personally I would have kept him in the squad as Cucarella cover.
2.) 03 Feb 2025 18:13:03
Tom
Maresca would not have played him even if we only had nine players to choose from, that's how stubborn the man is.
3.) 03 Feb 2025 19:21:25
I'd have kept him in the squad and played him Tom. His experience surely useful to youngsters.
4.) 03 Feb 2025 20:15:23
It's just bad business imo. Surely at that point you'd just keep him? This is another thing that annoys me with the 7 year contracts. What happens when this happens and the player still has 5 years remaining on x wage? The bomb squad didn't work, just had adverse affects imo.
Sad to see chilly go, injury prone but when fit the best left back in the epl imo.
5.) 03 Feb 2025 23:16:16
I would have kept Chilly as cover only for Cucarella. I think fans should remember how bad Cucarella was when he joined our club and for whatever reason it took him time to find his feet. In my opinion he is now one of the best left sided defenders in Europe and a long way in front of Chilly.
6.) 04 Feb 2025 08:41:08
I agree tom. I think he put in some of the worst chelsea performances ever, worse than bakayoko. He's fantastic now.
7.) 04 Feb 2025 09:15:47
He is a very good example (me included) of why its beat not to rush to judge.
8.) 04 Feb 2025 17:55:58
Absolutely tom. And I do think you told me that when I was criticising his performances. Very glad he was able to find some performances, and he's exceeding my expectations.
9.) 06 Feb 2025 08:38:59
Cucurella was always a good player but did put in some bad performances as did many of the squad. However, I am a great believer in the saying “ You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”.
10.) 06 Feb 2025 09:07:40
But you can make a sows ear out of a silk purse!
11.) 11 Feb 2025 09:09:09
I disagree that cucurella is a long way in front of Chilwell. Chilwell is better in offensive position, final third.
03 Feb 2025 15:24:14
Is Felix likely to be sold or loaned to AC Milan? Is Disasi likely now to stay at the Bridge?
1.) 03 Feb 2025 15:45:23
Loan with no buy option for Felix.
2.) 03 Feb 2025 16:52:22
While i liked felix, every man and his dog knew it wasn't going to work. A favour for his agent, I suspect.
3.) 03 Feb 2025 16:53:06
So with Felix and Veiga going to Italy on straight loans, if they do well, come the end of the season it will be 'they want to stay in Italy and play for us but we can't afford to buy them, how about another loan'.
Before we know it we have more littke Lukaku's running across Italy.
We never learn with Italian clubs, we are their charity organisation.
4.) 03 Feb 2025 17:09:43
The reports I’m reading on Felix seem to be so different. One is saying straight loan with full wages paid plus €6.5m loan fee. I would be happy with that.
5.) 03 Feb 2025 18:13:59
And another loan next year Tom?
6.) 03 Feb 2025 19:28:47
Talksport reporting 5 million loan fee for Felix but Milan paying his wages. I enjoyed watching him and wonder if we really gave him a chance. Suppose if he does well at Milan we will just sell him or indeed loan him out again.
7.) 03 Feb 2025 20:17:54
Unfortunately I don't think there's a way back for felix. There wasn't a spot for him 6 months ago and there won't be one 6 months from now. Great player on his day and I hope he reaches atleast half what his potential was.
8.) 03 Feb 2025 23:18:20
I think it depends what happens to Palmer. If a ridiculous offer comes in for CP, Felix would be a reasonable replacement.
9.) 04 Feb 2025 15:24:30
Bill, they’re paying £5m as a loan fee for 6 months so if they want a loan for the whole season next year it’s £10m. Easy money and would count as a profit for the year in the accounts as his amortisation fee is around £7-8m I believe.
With Veiga Chelsea only paid £12m for him and are getting £4m as a loan fee. Any Italian club could afford to buy him at the end of the season easily, but I’m sure the club would love to keep farming him out on loan if that’s the fee they’ll get for just 6 months given the massive profit.
10.) 04 Feb 2025 18:18:36
fuser, good point and good economics.
03 Feb 2025 10:10:40
We are alsa said to be pusihing for 19 yr old Turkish striker Kenan Yildz of Juventus for c 75 million who is described as a forward (mainly left winger) and attacking midfielder and one of the most promising talent in then world.
Any legs in this one? Do any of the Eds have any info on CFC likely dealings today (we are all thinking of ED02 of course at this time, bless him) .
1.) 03 Feb 2025 10:25:45
JBS, I think if that amount of money was available in this window we would have signed Tel. We apparently offered BM a loan with an “obligation” to buy. That for me tells a story.
2.) 03 Feb 2025 10:36:49
Interesting Tom, if not very encouraging in terms of our fortunes right now and how we might be seen by talented players with options like Tel. If we want success in terms fe being genuine EPL challengers and really competitive in ECL any time soon we clearly need to qualify for ECL this season as we all thought we would come emnd of last one.
Hugely hope we can and will as you think we will Tom. But am sticking with my miserable 5th to 9th position at the moment and just praying its 5th and that will be enough! Mind you a hammering of the Hammers tonight plus trabsfer window uncertainties over tomorrow might just set us on right course again for last fourteen games after this one.
3.) 03 Feb 2025 12:21:48
JBS, as I said in a previous post, I’m not very optimistic about getting a result tonight.
I would rather the club get the right player than do what it has been doing and from the outside it’s like doing transfers because we can.
I think we may well sign a midfielder in the last mins of this window but for me that in some ways is crazy when we could just have brought back Santos.
Anyway only a few more hours of transfer rumours. Hooray!
4.) 03 Feb 2025 12:43:45
Couldn't agree more Tom. Almost every reported transfer seems to hinge on, or at least involve, a Chelsea player going the other way. We can read between the lines.
Despite what Maresca might say, Champions League qualification is an absolute necessity this season.
JBS's banter posts with other poster's replies to JBS's banter posts
11 Mar 2026 21:49:44
Final thought is that our squad/bench weaker than theirs.
1.) 12 Mar 2026 09:29:17
JBS, PSG also have a top-class coach.
2.) 12 Mar 2026 15:06:39
True, Jimbo!
04 Mar 2026 22:46:12
Great comeback and some of the best we've played over 90.mins this season. albeit still some individual errors though not as badly punished as in. many other games.
1.) 05 Mar 2026 09:00:02
We were superb, JBS. Pedro is the answer to our striker issue, possibly the best signing of the summer, and a proper 20-goal-a-season forward. Enzo just gets better and better, and you can see why Real Madrid want him, but we will not sell him for less than quarter of billion.
?
I also think young Hato is looking very good, and Garnacho deserves to be given a run in the side after last night's performance. It just goes to show that these young players are very high quality, and patience is needed as they settle into life at the home of the Champions of The World.
2.) 05 Mar 2026 09:55:53
Some very positive signs last night of quality in our squad, Greenaway, and let's just hope we/they can now find greater consistency in intensity, better discipline and accuracy of execution. And for the full 90 mins.
I do think there's quite a player in young Hato, though he had a shaky start last night and made a couple of errors.
But no doubt that the lad has skill. Thought TC was excellent again and better than Fofana last night. TC was really in the role of leading by example and saved us numerous times.
3.) 05 Mar 2026 10:32:46
Pedro is quality. Second half, Enzo was great, though it was his poor pass when in a good position, after an interception, that led to their early goal, and he still seems unable to play longer-range passes accurately or with power (his short passing is often great, as shown by the clever assist for Pedro's second). He picked up a stupid booking for applauding the ref (stupid in both the sense that the ref carded him, thinking it was sarcastic, but also, as with so many of these bookings, there is just absolutely no need to do it). I'm still on the fence as to whether I see him as the truly world-class player we need in there. He's no Modric, I'll say that - very few players are, but that's the level we need to be aiming at.
Is anyone else a bit worried about Palmer? If Estevao is fit, he takes Palmer's place in the team immediately at the moment, in my view. He took his goal well, but that shouldn't paper over what was, by his standards, a really poor performance (and not the first since his return from injury).
Clearly suffering from a loss of confidence, and for his sake as much as the team's, I hope he gets it back sooner rather than later. He is an otherworldly player when he's on form.
Question also - Gusto? When he first arrived, he looked tidy and technical, but to my eyes is going backwards rather than forwards. I'm hoping it's a case of form, because he's looked below the level we need defensively and, for the most part, in an attacking sense for a good while now. He is too often trying something fancy rather than getting the basics right, and goes down too easily, looking for a foul for minimal contact. Dangerous. I'd put Reece back there immediately as soon as any of our other midfielders are consistently fit (if they ever are!).
4.) 05 Mar 2026 13:20:09
JBS, I agree with you, TC is having a good season and is much valued by me as a squad player, and Hato is going to be a top player.
EdW, Gusto put in a great cross for the goal, but Reece is better suited in that position. Palmer will be fine when he gets more minutes in his legs, but great to have competition in Estevao.
I honestly think if Levi had been available all season, or if the SD's had backed Maresca when he called for a top CH, we would now be close to Set Piece Wrestler FC leading the table.
5.) 05 Mar 2026 15:05:41
Like your 'Set Piece Wrestler FC' way of referring to that north London club!
6.) 05 Mar 2026 17:00:45
I have been surprised by some of the criticisms of Liam & the comparisons with EM. I accept that there have been some hellish results at SB, but imo Chelsea are as good a watch as they have been in a couple of seasons.
There is a purpose and a cleverness to Chelsea's play that we have not witnessed for quite a few years, and, for me, all the lads need now is a wee bit of "devilment" in their play. & a GK.. ?
04 Mar 2026 20:42:50
But we have got better though a tad lucky that their goal ruled offside by a fraction and ours to take the lead onside by a fractipn.
Enzo F, Jaoa Pedro, Caicedo and TC outstanding in comeback.
Now to keep a lead for once!
1.) 04 Mar 2026 22:47:20
And we not only kept but extended that lead.
01 Mar 2026 18:03:57
Sanchez may be a good shot stopper but today's performance confirms why we need a better GK as well as additional CB RS almost gifted Arsenal a goal early on and looks terrified in crowded box.
Then we puck up another red card.
6th position finish thus season? Could still hope for 5th if Villa collaps i guess and there may be twists and turns but we really do shoot ourselves in the foot.
1.) 01 Mar 2026 22:06:20
Jbs, Ten games to go, mate. I will stick with 2nd - 4th. Keep the faith.
27 Feb 2026 13:52:13
So we play PSG in knockout stage of Champions League. If we beat them we play winners of Liverpool v Galatasaray and if we get thgrough that in the semis we play who ever has got through from City v Madrid and Bayern v Atalanta.
1.) 27 Feb 2026 15:56:03
I'm pleased we got PSG rather than Newcastle. So, after stuffing them again, we then have only Madrid and Atalanta to beat before we play the Gooners in yet another Champions League final.
2.) 27 Feb 2026 16:45:35
Nice one, Tom!
3.) 27 Feb 2026 17:04:52
? Looking forward to it.
05 Mar 2026 09:51:42
Interesting info, RPD, thanks for it.
11 Feb 2026 16:33:21
Perhaps just a wee bit warmer in Brisbane even in heavy rain than in the N/W of England in light drizzle at this time of year Standard?! . Lol.
10 Feb 2026 17:04:43
Looking out of my window at the moment I can see where Alvarez' s girlfroend is coming from in terms of the weather! But London a bit better in this respect than the N/W of England perhaps.
01 Feb 2026 22:31:26
Agree that LR opting for Sarr makes sense. and he impressed me in torrid Afcon final v Egypt . so hope he will when plating for us.
01 Feb 2026 17:02:30
Fabrizio Roamno has talked about Liverpool joining the race for JJ signature but also that Liverpool were looking at another wonderful CH whose name I forget! I think FR has reported in the past that the player has wanted CFC and that there is some understanding between player and CFC re personal terms - again I may have misheard but think that's correct - and that CFC reps have been working very hard for a deal but yes that Rennes want fim to stay for the rest of the season and so if we get him it would be in the summer.
This explains Sarr being brought back from Strasbourg and Anselmino now going on loan to Strasbourg having been v happy at Dortmund. I feel sorry for AA being used as a pawn in this merry-go-round plus Strasbourg fans must be pretty livid with being at mercy of CFC demands though they should also see that they can benefit from loans to them by us of excellent young players.
16 Mar 2026 09:25:59
Nice one Ed001!
{Ed001's Note - lucky they did get out as the airport is shut down again after another drone hit.}
15 Mar 2026 22:29:11
Glad to hear this and well done.
{Ed001's Note - not as glad as I was to get peace Hahaha.}
15 Mar 2026 22:05:19
I'd say that makes your uncle both successful and very interesting Ed!
Oh and much hope your parents got safely home
{Ed001's Note - they got home fine mate thanks.}
15 Mar 2026 21:07:27
Nice info on Bob Monkhouse Tom and Ed001. Ed001 can"t help asking - but you don't need to answer of course ot with his name - but did your uncle become a well known comedian?
{Ed001's Note - I suppose it depends on what you mean by well known. He did well enough to be neighbours with Michael Owen and Gary Speed, the Speeds were his best friends. He is also a historian and was an advisor on Anthropoid, so swung himself a named extra role in it by way of payment. He and his wife have a showbiz agency now.}
15 Mar 2026 21:02:48
They played v well indeed, and thoroughly deserved the win... So, congratulations and thanks again to Chelsea Women for winning yet more silverware and giving us something to cheer.