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I've been thinking about how this fanbase treats transfer rumours and I have made an interesting observation.
Here is a list of the players the media has linked us to the most over the past 6 months (It's a long list):
- Andre Onana
- Gigio Donnarumma
- Nick Pope
I've been thinking about how this fanbase treats transfer rumours and I have made an interesting observation.
Here is a list of the players the media has linked us to the most over the past 6 months (It's a long list):
- Andre Onana
- Gigio Donnarumma
- Nick Pope
- Dean Henderson
- Nathan Aké
- Gabriel Magalhães
- Samuel Umtiti
- David Alaba
- Ben Chilwell
- Alex Telles
- Nicola Tagliafico
- Youcef Atal
- Achraf Hakimi
- Boubakary Soumaré
- Declan Rice
- Wilfred Ndidi
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
- Philippe Coutinho
- Nathan Aké
- Gabriel Magalhães
- Samuel Umtiti
- David Alaba
- Ben Chilwell
- Alex Telles
- Nicola Tagliafico
- Youcef Atal
- Achraf Hakimi
- Boubakary Soumaré
- Declan Rice
- Wilfred Ndidi
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
- Philippe Coutinho
- Jadon Sancho
- Samuel Chukwueze
- Hakim Ziyech*
- Leon Bailey
- Wilfried Zaha
- Jeremie Boga
- Moussa Dembélé
- Timo Werner
- Dries Mertens
- Edinson Cavani
- Luka Jovic
- Lautaro Martinez
- Samuel Chukwueze
- Hakim Ziyech*
- Leon Bailey
- Wilfried Zaha
- Jeremie Boga
- Moussa Dembélé
- Timo Werner
- Dries Mertens
- Edinson Cavani
- Luka Jovic
- Lautaro Martinez
Now this is when it gets interesting. Out of these 31 players, only 4 of them has been pretty much unanimously agreed by the fanbase to not be good enough. Care to take a guess? Nick Pope, Nathan Aké, Declan Rice and Wilfried Zaha. EVERYONE ELSE the fanbase has been open to.
Now what does those 4 have in common? All of them plays for mid/lower-table english clubs. All of them comes from english academies, 2 of them from Chelsea's.
Now, I can understand people being worried about the price-tag that would have to be paid for Rice and Zaha.
Now, I can understand people being worried about the price-tag that would have to be paid for Rice and Zaha.
However, why are people so interested in Ndidi and so against Rice? Price-tag would probably be the same, their defensive stats are pretty similar and Rice is technically slightly stronger, statistically. Ndidi, however, plays for a top-half Premier League team.
He's also not english and didn't come from our academy.
Regarding Zaha, I would not touch him for £80m because I don't think he suits our playing style. However, put him into say Leicester's team where it's not unrealistic to assume that his numbers could get a 50% increase...
Regarding Zaha, I would not touch him for £80m because I don't think he suits our playing style. However, put him into say Leicester's team where it's not unrealistic to assume that his numbers could get a 50% increase...
because of playing with better players in a more attacking system, I would be shocked if the fanbase wouldn't treat him the same as they did Mahrez, as an £80m player (Note: I'm not saying he's on Mahrez's level).
The one that's really interesting to me is our fans' disinterest in Nathan Aké. You don't think he's good enough? Fair but what I can't understand for the life of me is why the same people who don't want Aké are creaming their pants for Gabriel?
Majority of them has probably never even seen him play! His price tag is at most £10m cheaper than Aké's, which is next to nothing. He has played regularly for less than a season. His defensive stats, as talented as they are, are nowhere close to Aké's.
On top of that we all know Aké will do well in the Premier League, we know he's a good player because he has been for years, we know he can score goals, we know his presence is strong. The only thing Gabriel has on him is aerial strength...
and of course the fact that he would be an international signing not originating from an english academy. How can it be so simple? Why is that the deciding factor for us to be/not be interested in a player?
And before you say this is not the case, it clearly is.
And before you say this is not the case, it clearly is.
None of the other players I mentioned fulfills these demands and the fanbase as a whole wants all of them and none of the ones who does fulfill them. I have even seen people on here say that 'Chelsea shouldn't be signing players from f*cking West-Ham'.
This is quite clearly a thing and I don't know why people are this simplistic but it has to stop. This isn't right.
Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mané, Andrew Robertson...
Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mané, Andrew Robertson...
John Stones, Dele Alli, Gary Cahill, Nicolas Anelka, Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Harry Maguire are just some examples out of MANY more that was once bought by mid/low-table clubs, some of them even from lower divisions...
who have all gone on to be a big success. Why? Because they were given a chance, because of scouts doing an amazing job, because believe it or not, there are some seriously good players playing for these clubs. They need only be given a chance.
