flobaba wrote:

I’d actually be happy with that. That would be what I’ve been banging about all this time, if you’re going to go young, then do it. Especially if your top quality guys are on the decline. We are just always a season or two behind the curve. But better late than never I guess. It also underscores why we might want to keep Xhaka considering his influence in the dressing room and professionalism. And of course the lack of serious interest from other parties.

If that's the reason to keep Xhaka, when his professionalism the last 2 seasons has seen him have a strop at the Home supporters and then say in the media the team isn't good enough to match his efforts, then we're basically fucked.

Xhaka and Abraham in the same team would be too much. You can't have this many players who are capable of complete donkey moments in your first XI.

Flying to Italy tomorrow to join Roma

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Flying to Italy tomorrow to join Roma

Good. The only thing I like about this guy is he's apparently a gooner.

Would just affirm how low our standards have slipped is if we signed him, and the price quoted is a joke.

Famous no 10 wrote:

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Flying to Italy tomorrow to join Roma

Good. The only thing I like about this guy is he's apparently a gooner.

Would just affirm how low our standards have slipped is if we signed him, and the price quoted is a joke.

He's reportedly better in and around the area than any of our current options, but is very much a final 3rd player who doesn't get much involved in build up play, nor is he a big header of the ball so far as crossing goes.

Famous no 10 wrote:

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Flying to Italy tomorrow to join Roma

Good. The only thing I like about this guy is he's apparently a gooner.

Would just affirm how low our standards have slipped is if we signed him, and the price quoted is a joke.

spending 50m on benny blanco didn't do that for you?

'couldn't move lacazette on in time' I smell a 4 contract renewal brewing

Anzac wrote:

nor is he a big header of the ball so far as crossing goes.

I've seen this written a lot but I've always seen him win stuff in the air and score a few headed goals. I also seen a stat recently that backed it up with him having better aerial battles won than Giroud, DCL, etc

Seriously though how did Chelsea get 40m euros for someone that's mostly on the bench last year, not selected for euros and still manage to insert and buy back clause?

And all that from a club that's supposedly broke

Players who score goals always command a big fee. Abraham has pretty much always scored a lot of goals. I'd be surprised if he doesn't score close to 20 this season.

Qwiss! wrote:

Anzac wrote:

nor is he a big header of the ball so far as crossing goes.

I've seen this written a lot but I've always seen him win stuff in the air and score a few headed goals. I also seen a stat recently that backed it up with him having better aerial battles won than Giroud, DCL, etc

He's reportedly statistically good in defensive headers at set pieces or in general play, but not in front of goal. He uses his natural height but does not have any significant leap.

He should be good for 15 goals in Serie A. Lukaku was a literal god in that league. His strengths will mean he can dominate that league in a way he wouldn't be able to in England.

Just shows up Xhaka's reputation if Roma were willing to offer 35M + addons for Tammy A but didn't want to go beyond 12M for Xhaka.

Or that they needed a Dzeko alternative more than Xhaka and made their call accordingly.

There's also resale value. Xhaka is a sunk cost, they probably think they can shift Tammy for a profit if he does well enough.

goon wrote:

There's also resale value. Xhaka is a sunk cost, they probably think they can shift Tammy for a profit if he does well enough.

I'd say thats definitely it. You can see it all across Europe. We are doing it too.

Qwiss! wrote:

Players who score goals always command a big fee. Abraham has pretty much always scored a lot of goals. I'd be surprised if he doesn't score close to 20 this season.

Yeah but then you look at all the other Chelsea sales this window, and all these fees are excluding those other clauses.

Lukaku basically came back for free. It's ridiculous how every club can sell so well every window and our highest rated prospects is going for peanuts with little or no sell on fees and crap.

I think it has a lot to do with our mentality regarding player sales, and it is still a hang-over from AW's days in that he didn't look to sell for anything more than his player valuation, and/or so they could have one last transfer to be a starting player. He didn't look to sell as anything other than a necessity, as opposed to either keeping the squad fresh or raising revenues = the old no one available to improve the squad etc.

Chelsea are a competently run club unlike us.