Polarboy

I don't know you at all really, so we're not at the gippo banter stage yet I'm afraid. Give me another thousand comments at least. If there was no real animus behind it I'll take this as an apology and accept it.

I'm fine. I just don't appreciate people I don't know implying that me or any Irish person, including travellers, are 'gippos'. I thought this was the peace and love, quasi socialist message board, judging by some of the comments on here 😉

Replying to a comment that wasn't for him, and then implying McGregor is a gippo, is a very roundabout way of doing it. Bit like you now. If you're going to be a keyboard warrior you may as well be up front about it.

Are you and Monkeys Fist one in the same? 🤔 If not, not only is it a shit joke it doesn't make any sense.

Nah, he's just going to snap his leg again over your head 😉👍

For this crime against the Irish and comedy the punishment is Conor McGregor coming round your gaff in a coke fuelled rage.

Your tone appeared a bit condescending. If you didn't mean anything by it fair enough, and I'll take the comment in the spirit it was intended.

😂 Are you actually from NI? Belfast?

Backing your own opinion when it's challenged is hardly an example of pugnaciousness. It would be an example of timidness if I didn't. But I can imagine which stereotypes you are alluding to. If that kind of thing amuses you knock yourself out 👍 Where are you from again 🧐

If he was already better than Schar and Botman he wouldn't be coming as cover, which it seems is what we're looking for. As for sitting on the bench, he might end up fourth or fifth choice at Chelsea, so being a second choice right sided CB and RB would see him closer to the first team if he was signed. As for price I don't think Chelsea could legitimately ask for much more then 25m. When you see that Guehi is valued at 60m he's a decent option for cover who Howe can work with and improve. As I said he has all the attributes, even he's still understandably a bit raw.

No, my argument was clear it's your reading comprehension and general knowledge of football that isn't. Lascelles was a decent centre back in his prime for us. He generally kept the team together through some tough times as captain, was phenomenal in the air at clearing crosses for example, got a big stat bump in our championship winning season he played, but is well past that peak now. If you can't see the difference between him and someone who's just turned 24 as cover, but has all attributes, physical and otherwise, to be a top defender, I can't help you. I mean Tuchel promoted him to the first team and played him in Champions League games, but I'm sure you know better than him that he's in fact gash. And the profile that we're looking for seems to be someone with a bit yet to learn who won't mind being Schar's understudy for 18 months or so. It will depend on the price but anything around 20m will be value in this market. And Chalobah's stats are good for a young centre back. For comparison, Guehi at Palace, a solid defensive team, has an average rating of 6.79, and there's talk of him going for 60m maybe more. Don't get me wrong you need to pass the eye test as well, but I clearly I don't concur with your eye test that he's gash. Chalobah is someone Howe could coach into a very good player.

I seen some analyst for transfermarkt say that he's not a replacement for him, but who knows.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12263965/Livramento-prefers-join-Newcastle-Chelsea-Southampton-loan-holding-little-appeal.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailsport

A lot it is shite put out by agents etc, but there was an Italian journalist, or at least he wasn't British, who mooted the Tonali move a day or two before it happened I think. I can't recall his name off the top of my head. He was pretty much the only one iirc, and everyone else assumed that Tonali would never leave, so that's why it wasn't widely circulated. I generally agree with your point though. Whether it's agents, news of who teams have been seen scouting, which is then used as guess work etc.

😂 I was well within my rights to call your opinion absurd when you're saying Lascelles is better cover than Chalobah potentially would be. What is Lascelles if not a total liability at this stage of his career. He's probably just about good enough to start for a promoted team, if even that. Lascelles' biggest contribution last season was to get a yellow card as sub on the side of the pitch, for stopping the opposition taking a quick throw in. And I've seen more than enough of Chalobah to form an opinion on him. And if you can't remember a match where he didn't have a howler maybe watch his debut against Palace where he got man of the match, or his man of the match performance against Juve in the Champions League. His stats if you want to compare them to Lascelles over their career's so far, has Chalobah on an average rating of 6.75 and Lascelles on 6.85. Chalobah still has the prime of his career as a centre back ahead of him, mistakes tend to be cut out when they reach around 27, so if he keeps developing he will easily put up numbers that overtake the peak of Lascelles' career. And lets not forget the abomination that was Chelsea's last season. His numbers will have taken a major hit in a year where Chelsea barely played as a team.

You're entitled to your opinion, but you're talking nonsense. Lascelles may as well be running in treacle as compared to Chalobah for a start, he can actually pass the ball, and is even comfortable enough on the ball to play in midfield, whereas Lascelles' first instinct is to hoof it as far as possible. And if you're basing your opinion on games from last season it was basically a write off for the entire Chelsea squad. I mean even if you just took it as Chalobah having just turned 24, with plenty of room to develop and learn, it's absurd to say that Lascelles is a better option as back up.

Chalobah off Chelsea is an interesting link for competition for Schar, if there's anything in it. 23, 6'4, quick, athletic, good on the ball, and can play right back as well so would be the cover we need for Trippier, given the Livramento bid has gone quiet. The big snag is that Chelsea aren't likely to do us any favours, and his contract isn't up until 2028, so there'll be no discounts on the price. But supposedly he's been told he can leave, and is aware that he won't get many minutes in the upcoming season. Guler, the Turkish 18 year old wonderkid attacking mid, is off to Madrid. Not sure how serious our interest ever was, or indeed if we had any, but he'd surely have gotten more minutes at a team like us.

Can't see us paying 40m for him if that's what Palace will insist on. He is quite similar to Schar in that he's very comfortable on the ball with accurate long passing, and he's four years younger of course, so he makes sense as a younger alternative/competition for Schar. Ed Aarons writes for the Guardian for those who don't know. It seems twitter has changed something whereby you can't embed tweets anymore.

I see we've been linked with that attacking mid/winger Jesper Lindstrom lad who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt. There's German reports that he wants to leave the club to play champions league football. The only other teams seriously linked with him are Liverpool and Chelsea. Liverpool are very unlikely to go after him now they have Szoboszlai obviously. From what little I've seen of him he looks like a bit of an improvement on the likes of Almiron and Murphy, but that's not all that inspiring. It could easily just be his agent trying to drum up interest. I also read, can't remember where, that Chiesa is very unlikely given what his wage demands will be, and that all the stories in the Italian press have been driven by his agent. I'm pretty sure it was in one of the mainstream publications and not an ITK.

OK, fair enough you were talking about bottom half of the PL and Leeds obviously got relegated, but I still think he's better than bottom half of the PL. In terms of value for money for good defensive mids I don't see that many better options, unless you could unearth a gem outside the PL. And I also want us to spend big on RW, LB etc, but again I think Adams would be the value for money option. As for not needing him I saw a quite convincing tactical analysis of the team last season, he had graphs, clips and everything 😉👍 , and he was basically saying that not having a specialist six who can just sit, and having hybrid players like Bruno back there makes us more flexible going forward but leaves us vulnerable on the counter. I think it was pretty obvious to everyone on here that we got found out a little bit in the second half of the season, and found it tough to keep those clean sheets we were getting for fun previously. All the top teams have at least one player who can play that role in front of the defence, and it's not as simple as being a runner and an athlete. We don't have that type so getting one will definitely improve the squad.

He was their best player before he got injured toward the end of the season. When your defensive mid is your best player, that says something about the level he's at compared to the team he's playing for. Palhinha at Fulham is probably the only other player at his level or a bit higher playing as a six outside of the "top six". Although I suppose Onana at Everton deserves a shout as well. So no, I don't subscribe to the notion that just because he plays for Leeds he's found his level. He's still quite young at 24 for a start, and was playing champions league football with Leipzig before he joined Leeds.

I'd take him all day long for 25m, but I can't see it. I'd be shocked if he didn't go for north of 30m. There are other more reputable sources such as the Mail who say we're back in for him, but again that price seems low.

I see Leeds are one of the teams who are interested in Darlow along with Bournemouth. Seen an article saying it might be worth sweetening a deal for Adams off Leeds with Darlow as part of the bid. Adams isn't the most exciting signing, but he's a very competent defensive mid who's far too good for the championship.

I presume it's Tchouameni? And sure if they could get him they'd likely drop out of the Lavia race as well, but I think basically every top team would like Tchouaméeni.