Summer 2024 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Gareth]

There’s a very big difference betw bringing unwanted media attention ie J.Grealish / M.Rashford and openly undermining the club and manager in a calculated press statement on the cusp of a game ie R.Sterling which is a massive step up from Duran and his crossed arms did that offended so many

It's not the best way to deal with the situation, but he's still more sinned against than sinner here.

He's spend the whole summer as part of the squad, played every single pre-season match, been built up in the press as "one of our important players" by Maresca and then on the day the season starts is told that he's not being considered for the squad and his shirt number is being given to somebody else with only a week left of the transfer window?

It's an unhelpful reaction from Sterling, but it's also a pretty shabby way to treat someone.

I don’t doubt it’s not a great way to treat someone but two wrongs don’t make a right - the timing and content of that statement were pretty toxic and undermined the new manager hugely. 

Chelsea’s squad is thoroughly ridiculous in size but the nature of any squad is that a coach has to select from that squad…he wasn’t selected, suck it up and put a transfer request in if not happy…timing a statement from your ‘team’ when you haven’t exactly ripped up trees for the club isn’t the way to garner sympathy

[Dave]

It's an unhelpful reaction from Sterling, but it's also a pretty shabby way to treat someone.

But then you've got their manager basically admitting that their 'bomb squad' consists of about 15 people, so it's not like he's been singled out. I mean, if you'd asked Unai specifically about Alex Moreno in pre-season, he'd have probably said "great guy, important player" but then didn't pick him, or new guy Barrenechea for the squad.

I'm don't think it's quite the same.

Presumably the likes of Lukaku and Chalobah (and Gallagher before them) were fully aware of their places in the squad (or lack thereof) at the start of the summer. If at the start of the summer or after a couple of pre-season games, Sterling had been told that there are were too many wingers in the squad, he's not made the cut and his agent should start exploring other options for him - cool, no issues.

Likewise with Moreno, if Emery had spent the whole summer playing him and telling him he was going to be an important part of the first team and then just ditched him - I'd think that would be pretty poor form as well. But Emery's clearly a far better manager and person than Maresca is, so obviously won't have done that.

Ultimately what Maresca has done isn't *that* big a deal. It's nothing worse that cackhandedly managing a bunch of overpaid* footballers (*Gallagher aside). I just think that there's mitigating context for how Sterling has dealt with it.

[Ger Regan]

I very much doubt that we'd even consider Sterling as an option, but anything that even mildly inconveniences a club like chelsea should be celebrated by all.

[Dogtanian]

I don't know how I feel about Sterling joining us, to be honest.

But as far as being disruptive, look what he's done to us already! And we don't even know if there's anything in it, yet!

For the love of fictitious god, this used to be a place of peace and respectful agreement!

 :'(

[PeterWithe]

I don’t believe in talent, God given or otherwise. The best players have mental fortitude, discipline and work harder than weaker ones on their strengths and weaknesses.

You think Messi is as good as he is because he worked harder? 

In short yes. He started young, was focussed to the detriment of pretty much everything else in his life and worked harder than anyone else around him.

Like Beethoven, not the dog.

[Monty]

Talent is so real.

[LeeB]

Talent is so real.

Yes, but it's talent plus environment and oppotunity.

There's a kid sat somehwere in an inner city school who would be the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen but he'll never get the opportunity.

[Dave]

I don’t believe in talent, God given or otherwise. The best players have mental fortitude, discipline and work harder than weaker ones on their strengths and weaknesses.

You think Messi is as good as he is because he worked harder? 

In short yes. He started young, was focussed to the detriment of pretty much everything else in his life and worked harder than anyone else around him.

Like Beethoven, not the dog.

As someone who watches far more under-6s football than I would like, how does that square with the fact that even at that age there are huge gaps in ability levels?

Presumably some of them haven't been up late doing passing drills when they were three years old?

[Clark W Griswold]

You never know, some of these parents like to put the pressure on !

[Rigadon]

Talent is so real.

Yes, but it's talent plus environment and oppotunity.

There's a kid sat somehwere in an inner city school who would be the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen but he'll never get the opportunity.

Indeed.  I think it's quite obviously a mix of talent, dedication and opportunity (often described, wrongly on my opinion, as 'luck').

[Clark W Griswold]

Anyway, despite Sterling running like he's just been fisted by Mike Tyson wearing a massive Sovereign ring, if we did sign him i wouldn't be too upset. He had a good career up to Chelsea, he's still under 30, and i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that his drop off is most likely due to being at Chelsea. Obviously it won't happen though because he'd probably have to accept less than half his current salary.

[Dave]

Obviously it won't happen though because he'd probably have to accept less than half his current salary.

Nah, whereever he goes will be a loan. He'll keep getting his £325,000 per week whether he chooses to sit out of football for a year, or whether a chunk of it is picked up by us / Liverpool / PSG / Juventus / some Saudi club / etc.

[LeeB]

I'm pretty certain even halving his current salary would make his the best paid player at the club.

[pauliewalnuts]

Yes, but it's talent plus environment and oppotunity.

There's a kid sat somehwere in an inner city school who would be the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen but he'll never get the opportunity.

Somewhere in a run down underfunded school in Aston, there's a girl who would be an Olympic gold medalist at that horse dancing thing, but similarly won't get the chance.

We need to give people better access to horses, especially ones that can dance.

[LeeB]

Yes, but it's talent plus environment and oppotunity.

There's a kid sat somehwere in an inner city school who would be the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen but he'll never get the opportunity.

Somewhere in a run down underfunded school in Aston, there's a girl who would be an Olympic gold medalist at that horse dancing thing, but similarly won't get the chance.

We need to give people better access to horses, especially ones that can dance.

Also drop the 'Dressage' label and call it what it is, 'Horse Crip Walking', which will appeal more to da yoof.