HTown
by wcnitz (2019-01-30 19:45:21)

What's the strategy here?

I get not wanting to give up Odoi because Hazard may leave, but they continue to start Willian/Pedro. They bring in Pulisic who would only play RW unless Hazard leaves - but then you have Pedro, Willian, CHO and Pulisic for as wingers. And for as much as Sarri has talked about getting CHO minutes, he's not getting real PL time. Something like 60 minutes this season.

Is this hedging against the possibility of the transfer ban actually happening prior to the summer window starting? If it does, though, they're going to have 5 wingers. Hazard has made it clear he does not want to play centrally.


Pedro and Willian
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 11:00:09)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Aren't getting younger, and yes, Hazard might leave. So they want to see how it shakes out.

That's about it.



That said, I'm sort of amazed that anyone thinks that trading Chelsea for Bayern will increase playing time, although if Bayern hadn't been tapping him up and making promises, we probably wouldn't be here.

But it appears Chelsea just decided they aren't going to capitulate to Bayern, which is fine by me. If he leaves, he leaves, but he'll do so on the club's terms, not his or Bayern's.


Transfer Ban
by alleghenyirish  (2019-02-04 13:58:00)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I know there are some rumors about Chelsea getting a transfer ban, wonder if this plays into it at all as well


Chelsea is fairly confident that won't happen
by HTownND  (2019-02-06 12:26:16)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I also think that if EH decides to go to Madrid, that's what is driving this decision more than anything.

If EH leaves, they will want CHO to help fill the giant gaping hole left behind.


He would start at Bayern next year
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 12:14:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

For all intents and purposes. Coman, Gnabry and him in a rotation.

I think 'tapping up' is a little exaggerated here. This isn't Jose having dinner with Ashley Cole. As long as they went to the agent, it's technically on the up and up.

The real issue was Brazzo discussing it publicly. That was dumb.


That last part
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 12:20:48)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Is part of tapping up, right?

And surely, promises of playing time were made. Sarri was right in that case, Bayern got out in front of their skis, and their public statements of interest were bullshit. I know I have blue colored glasses on, but it didn't seem right at the time, and doesn't seem right now.

I get it, Bayern wants him, but Bayern doesn't always get what someone just because they want them.

I also think Chelsea are willing to wait, because Bayern will apparently need someone for next season, and will have to make a signing one way or the other.

So it's August of 2019, Bayern needs cover for the aging stars who are leaving. Chelsea still won't sell and CHO can't leave on a free yet.

Is Bayern going to start the season without a signing? Probably not. And whomever they do sign, will probably block CHO as well.

Sure he could start negotiating in January of 2020 for his free transfer that summer, but I suspect Chelsea would rather wait it out and make Bayern sign someone else first, rather than just acquiesce to them (which goes back to, Bayern should have kept their mouths closed, because Chelsea would have been much more likely to play ball without the public statements, but now, are digging in).


As a general term, agreed
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 12:37:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

It's 'tapping up', but nothing that violates any rules (at least any rules that are enforced anymore). Blame Barcelona, Madrid and a few others for that, though. Bayern didn't used to be that way, and trust me when I say that few Bayern supporters are in favor of Brazzo talking publicly about transfers.


In regards to what happens with the kid, I think it may be up to him more than anyone. Chelsea can absolutely hold firm and refuse to sell him, but a) he's going to get to decide where he ends up if they do transfer him, it's his contract and b) the optics of it in the view of the other players coming out of their academy. Will be interesting to see what happens.


I think Chelsea have decided
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 12:41:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They are going to stand their ground on this one.

CHO isn't the only academy starlet (see RLC, Mason Mount and others), so digging in with him won't poison the well with others per se.


I will say this, from the Chelsea side, CHO was the one they didn't send out on loan, who they kept with the first team for training (even if he's not seeing a ton of time on the pitch in PL games). And I think they are pissed for giving CHO that chance that they didn't give to other academy folks that went out on loan first (RLC, Mount, etc), because now he wants to leave because Bayern started whispering in his ear.

Like I said, I think they've decided to say F it, we're holding firm here. It's why Sarri said the board said we weren't going to sell him this summer either. It was a shot back at CHO and Bayern to say he's not for sale this summer, we're prepared to wait it out. I'm fine with that stance at this point.


42 players on loan
by wcnitz  (2019-02-01 08:33:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

RLC is 23, too. He played more for CP than he will this year for Chelsea. Could you blame him if he wants to leave, too?


He doesn't want to leave
by HTownND  (2019-02-01 14:36:06)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Also, he's been hurt.


I don't think you'll go broke sending Willian packing.
by Porpoiseboy  (2019-01-31 11:43:51)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I haven't seen that guy do a thing all season.


Brazzo running his mouth...
by iudomer  (2019-01-31 08:11:29)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

did alot of good this January. Add in the Hernandez bit, Bayern normally would go about their business and make the signing shocking everyone.

Still want CHO, but Bayern screwed this up.


I don't put that one all on Brazzo
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 08:17:28)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Yeah, he should have kept his mouth shut, but Chelsea made their own bed with CHO.

Kid is probably going to leave on a free now.


He probably will leave for free
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 11:04:10)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Which is, I believe, a result that everyone at Chelsea is willing to live with.


I suppose it depends on if he wants to play.
by NDMike2001  (2019-01-31 12:05:46)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I know that all contracts and players are different, but it seems that agents have every incentive to encourage a transfer. They usually get paid as a percentage of the contract as well as the transfer fee. It's hard to believe that CHO would get any more meaningful playing time at Bayern than he would at Chelsea. And yet he seems convinced of that. Meanwhile, the club will leverage his current playing time as he tries to force a transfer.

He won't want to sit out next year. My guess is that Chelsea will get their asking price this summer or he'll sign an extension and go on loan.


I think he feels like he's been fed some BS
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 12:13:10)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Not sure I blame him. Sarri calls him the 'future of English football', yet he isn't getting PL time. Starts last week...against Sheffield Wednesday. Chelsea gets smoked yesterday and he's not even in the 18. Buying Pulisic didn't help.


I do think this comes down to Chelsea protecting their roster in case of a transfer ban. Has to be related to it.


He handed in a transfer request.
by NDMike2001  (2019-01-31 12:28:33)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

You don't see a lot of players in the lineup after that. Especially a young/fringe player.

The future doesn't mean the present. Teams fighting to secure champions league do not have the luxury to put a player onto the bench just to make a young player happy.

Tottenham essentially loaned Kane out until he was a starter. But if a player isn't going to commit to to the future of a club, then he shouldn't expect opportunities handed to him.


He did
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 12:38:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

And then Chelsea said they weren't going to sell him, so the transfer request doesn't matter. After which, Sarri said he was going to be playing substantially more. Put yourself in the kid's shoes.


Of course it matters.
by NDMike2001  (2019-01-31 12:51:57)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Almost every request is met with opposition and public statements of "not selling." Translation: they haven't met the asking price.

If he's good enough to walk into Bayern's match day squad today, then he's worth a hell of a lot more than 35M. And an English club has a premium on their homegrown players.

And the same 35M (if not more) will be there this summer.

Putting myself into the kids shoes...I essentially see that I have no leverage. I can sign a new contract and hope to play or get loaned out. Or I can hope that a team meets Chelsea's asking price.


I appreciate
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 12:53:01)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Your take on things. I know I am biased.


Which brings me back to my original point...
by NDMike2001  (2019-01-31 13:01:19)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I think the agent is pushing CHO's move here. It's hard to believe that he's going to walk into Bayern's starting lineup. And Chelsea's lineup is aging like Bayern's. So an English kid wants to play in the Bundesliga more than EPL?

Don't get me wrong, Chelsea is a shit club with no fans (ha ha!), but I don't really see the motivation of a player pushing for a move to a similar situation on foreign soil. But for the agent's payday with a transfer fee.


I also think
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 13:29:09)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Jadon Sancho's experience is playing a role. They have been teammates on the England youth squads forever.

But going to Dortmund and going to Bayern are two different things.

Also, I'd be curious if Bayern/Chelsea could work out a sign and loan deal with Bayern (with chances to buy later/sell-on type clauses). At this point I would think no, but if things hadn't become public, I wonder if that could have been something before it all became public.


Yeah, who knows re: that last point
by wcnitz  (2019-01-31 14:12:39)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Maybe a James-style deal could have been done, maybe not.


We will find out
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 15:12:19)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

But it appears Chelsea are sticking to their guns on this one


As they should.
by NDMike2001  (2019-01-31 16:09:55)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They essentially hold all of the cards.

A deal for James is one for a popular player that has performed on (arguably) the highest level. But he was also surplus to his club and on wages that needed to be moved along.

I can only assume that CHO is on wages that are relatively insignificant to a club like Chelsea. They have the player under contract for the peak period of his development.

Loan with the option to buy doesn't really make sense (unless the player extends his contract) because he is a free agent in 18 months. You can't really buy someone that's no longer for sale.

There's most certainly an asking price that Chelsea are willing to accept. Only they really know what that is. But having an asking price or letting him walk for free after sitting a year is a move you can make when you hold all the cards.


It's also cover
by HTownND  (2019-01-31 12:25:01)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

For what Hazard is going to do.

If Hazard leaves for RM, CHO would feature prominently next year.

And the kid is 18 at this point, should he be starting every match in the PL? It's a fine line, but he wouldn't start every match at Bayern either at this point.

The key word Sarri used was "future", he's moving that direction. Not every kid is thrown to the wolves and starts every match to get their feet wet in the PL.