Has been agreed and just ironing out the details.
205M for both is good business.
As well as Willian linked with Barça.
Fascinating times in the transfer window.
It will just be Courtois heading to RM at this point.
Chelsea aren't moving off their valuation.
when you look at the players Real has on the roster. I would rather play Isco and Asensio.
I still contend that the focus is misplaced on the club. Ramos will soon retire and Marcelo will turn 30 this year. While I love Nacho as a super sub I do not think he can be your starting left or center back and Vallejo has not proven he is good enough to move Varane over to Ramos' slot. As a Madrista I love my galacticos but I love winning more and the backline will need to be addressed soon.
when he gives a shit and isn't busy killing coaches.
-Ronaldo is irreplaceable, but at the same time it was also a whole-scale changing of the guard with Lopetegui taking over from Zidane, and IMO moving toward more of a balanced team vs. a team built around one of the all-time greats. As a small digression, I think RM is up for a very rude awakening next year - CL 16's, 3rd in La Liga (Barca, Atleti) at best, with the potential to fall further before rebounding - and I wouldn't shed a tear if Rubiales was eaten alive by fire ants for what he did to La Furia Roja by unfairly firing Lope when they were red-hot coming in - but at the same time I could see the latter being the one person who could transition the team *over the long run* given what he did with the national team's transition from tiki-taka (which was admittedly a joy in '06-13 but you & I could literally have done better since)
-Courtois for 35 is a steal. To cross sports, I don't think this is like Kahwi Leonard to Toronto at all given that TC has family in Madrid, and I do see him being Navas' heir.
-Hazard is the big discussion one! I'd personally prefer a pure poacher like Lewa as a 1-2 year rental given RM's midfield strength (I wouldn't trade Luka & Cyborg for any other midfield on the planet, and there are major political issues with Isco, IMO), but Eden is the sort of talent you bring in at a low price and figure out how to work them in after.
-As for Chelsea, I was shocked by Conte's early firing. While I had Sarri on my RM shortlist once Zidane retired, I still thought Conte would rampaged through the EPL like he did post-Middling One. I still think Sarri is a decent fit, and I would love to have Kante as a USMNT or RM engine, but if y'all lose Courtois & Hazard due to the CL miss, all bets may be off.
This is what happens when you wait to the final year.
He has all the leverage. If he doesn’t get transferred this summer, he can play out the contract and negotiate a move to RM for free in January in advance of next season.
Chelsea’s only hope was a bidding war.
That’s why Hazard will either be moved or sign this summer.
They can’t afford a repeat of this and lose all his value.
I will do backflips for Curtois at 35M given we were about to dole out 100M for DeGea and 60-70M for Allison (who I like very much btw). I do think Keylor is underappreciated by my fellow Madristas but if we can get Curtois at that price it is a no brainer.
Rubiales can eat a bag of dicks. His ego basically ruined Spain's World Cup. There was no reason to fire Julien at that time.
I am against the Hazard signing. I do believe he is a special talent but not at that price. I would prefer to give Marco Asensio the time and let the chips fall where they may while we await Vinicius to take the #9.
In the short term, see if Carlito will take Benzema at Napoli for 35-40M. Run the show through Isco and Modric with excellent support from Kroos and Casemiro and start looking for replacements for Ramos and Marcelo. Finally, I am in full support of getting James back from Bayern which I thought would be impossible but now is on the radar.
I completely forgot to mention that in my first reply as he would be the perfect guy to blend back in the post-Ronaldo - it hurts me typing that - and IMO fits so much better then Eden (I agree with you; love the guy & want to make it work, but it's at best a 2-4 year rental) as another guy who can link the midfield, hit free kicks, and chip in a few dozen goals. As HTown mentioned above, we kinda poached both Courtois from Chelsea & Cyborg from Munchen for free, and while Flo objectively (2 year loan with buy back on *our* end was a deal ND's "leadership" could make) really, really messed up James, I think we'll survive after an ugly transition year in 18-19. My other major elephant in the room is Qatar - Barca tried to swipe Verratti from them and they instead ante'd up a ridiculous amount for Neymar, and given that Kylian is the one player I'd drop money for but he is also at his hometown (albeit second tier vs EPL/La Liga/Serie A) club and has owners who make Flo look like a vagrant, I think we may have to wait a little. With that said, I'll take the 2 best CM's in the world, Bale, 2 of the best 5 GK's, Isco, the most fun wingback (R. Carlos had a cannonn of a shot but Marcelo is much craftier) ever, and a bunch of young talent against the world. HMyNM.
OK
A coach who doesn't speak English and hasn't coached outside Italy likely losing Hazard and Courtois with Barcelona working to turn Willian's and Kante's heads, lots of new players coming in, and an owner and management team with a short fuse and already out of the Champions League this year.
Compound that with City returning from 100 points, Liverpool substantially upgrading, and a more than solid Tottenham and I think you are hoping for the very possible Mourinho implosion to crack the top 4.
Who the hell knows what will happen.
at least coming in and maybe that's with the benefit of hindsight.
You're right as to who knows, though.
Conte started poorly, and got trashed by Arsenal in September, when he changed things up.
While he had been successful with the Italy national team and in Serie A, he was a question mark coming in.
As was Chelsea, who had just finished 10th during the disaster of Mou's final season, which was infinitely worse than last year.
but you also said you were confident in Chelsea advancing in the CL and finishing in the top four in the PL. Neither of which happened.
I've long since given up trying to make predictions.
None of us know.
I also didn’t think Conte would win it all year 1 either.
I suck at predicting.
So does Irish01
if the recent ESPN piece on Chelsea is accurate.
That being said, I think 200MM is a good deal for them.
now maybe Alisson to shore up the keeper spot (finally). I don't want to be a selling club but everyone has a price.
Selling Phil let them "overpay" for their positions of need.
Keita, Ox, Fabinho and Shaquiri were all good buys from TV and ucl money. Oh, and that Salah guy. I'd say they are investing wisely. Keita will be a steal too.
To close out the summer.
Better give it a real go at winning the league though.
They have wages they need to clear and would want to bring in some transfer fees to offset and keep their net spend close to zero.
Ings, Origi/Sturridge, Mignolet and Marko. They could possibly sell Gini to do it, but he's a nice squad player.
I thought about going but won’t go back to that hell hole for any reason at all, so I’m catching them at MetLife next week instead.
We'll see. I doubt it. The first time I see them will be at Anfield. I hope.
And some other really really good players.
and you'll get nowhere near the quality for the dough once you decide to spend it, lest not forget you shouldn't be a feeder club.
Fuck Madrid. Stand your ground is what I think.
Named pulisic. And he'll be worth exponentially more than the sale price.
And the rest of us will be sad.
If you think Chelsea is selling Hazard for 100M, you're dreaming, and so is Madrid.
Lots of reports out there that they are willing to go to 200M to get both. I'd do it at 180M too. Below that, I'd have to think about it, but they won't both be sold and only bring in 140M, there's no way Hazard goes for 100M, no chance.
It's one thing if players don't want to leave and it is out of the blue, but they want to leave and everybody knows it. Turning that deal down would make this season tough to accomplish big goals. Take the cash and restock.
this reads exactly like a reluctant Arsenal fan during the Cesc Fabregas summer.
Welcome to the party West Enders!