Seems here in Oz we get the rumour sheets during the night while you're asleep. Heres this mornings. Lamps about to sign on the dotted for another season , 125 G a week + bonus' and image rights. Ramires off to either Real or Juve for 20 mill. Luiz to Barca for 40mill JT still not sorted a contract for next year Cole gone for sure, though where is a mystery. Some lesser ones, we are not after Luke Shaw not @ 30 mill anyway, All 3 strikers to go, Young Serb striker from Benfica to us for 15mill. Azpi to get new deal @70G per week. Courtois to Chelsea next season as No 1. What caught my eye is the difference reportedly offered to Lamps and Azpi. If these figures are accurate, and its a big IF, if I was Azpi I wouldn't accept 70. He is at least as valuable as ,if not more so than Lamps now. Pay him or lose him Jose. Good fun rumours, one day I will write them down all season long and find out how many come true !. My guess 1 in 50.
Not sure why we want Lamps for another year although our lack of English players might have something to do with it.
CP I reckon Azpilicueta will be delighted with £70k a week. Lampard will get his year and maybe one more based on his influence on the training field as much as the pitch...remember the lengths abramovich went to to try and keep Zola? Shergar - Sellers market pal. See Mata to Utd.
As long as we don't go silly over Costa I'm not arsed. One good season a striker does not make. See James Beattie.... Cavani please...
Agree SW6, would be somewhat wary of Costa's one good season. I said at the start of the seaon we should have gone in heavy for Cavani. Proven goalscorer over a number of seasons and got them where it's hardest to get them, in Italy.
I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever heard anything about RA wanting to keep Zola. I hadn't even heard that he watched us much before he bought us.
You will never in a million years get anywhere near 40 million for Luiz, and comparing him to Mata is fairly laughable , Mata was the guy who had won your player of the season the last 2 seasons. Voted by you guys. Luiz is a good footballer, but he lacks a footballing brain, and I don't think he'll ever learn it, as he'd of shown signs of improvement by now. His positional play is terrible, he gets caught out time and time again. He may be better suited to Barca as they play a higher line, so his pace could bale him out more, but I still don't see them being prepared to pay anywhere near 40 million for a defender, who id say can't defend properly
CP--If this speculation is true , I will be a happy man! Lamps has still more to offer, even as a bench warmer! Ramires is only interested in setting a world record for red and yellow cards. Luiz can stay or go--we dont really seem to have decided what his real role is on the pitch! Coutois must return for next season (but what happens to Petr). Important to settle JT;'s contract! An interesting close season ahead!
Azpilicueta is worth 70k a week. Wages are calculated on what players offer off the field as well as on: selling shirts etc
Happily get rid of Ramires and Luiz. Lampard clearly doesn't have the ability to cut it with us anymore but as an influence to have around and the occasional appearance would be good to keep hold of. Cole showed the other evening he can still play. I'd much rather keep him and Bertrand than go and spunk £30m on an 18 year old, regardless of how good people think he could be. Terry - no brainer, keep at all cost.
Keep Rambo as squad player? Had a poor season but worked his socks off v Koke and Filipe Luis on Tuesday
Wouldn't particularly care if we did. He's been awful this season aswell as being a viscous cheat. How many bans is it now? Speaking of Koke, he looks like the type of player we could use!
CP ofL, RA tried everything to keep Zola, who would have stayed except he'd previously given his word to join Cagliari, I think. When RA could not get Zola to break his word, he even looked at buying Cagliari so Zola would be with us. Thats partly why so many fans love Zola, great player, total gentleman who's word is his bond.
Pretty much agree with this. I know Cech is still a good keeper but Courtois really is better. Looks like it's been decided though that he will sign a new deal as long as he's loaned out again. We might as well sell him if we're not going to play him. Players shouldn't be picking and choosing like this. They have far too much power these days. Needs a few more owners to stand up against them.
On the LB front been hearing a lot about Alberto Moreno of Sevilla, might get a better look at him if they make the Europa League final. I heard 15m being bandied around plus they may want to take Marin in part-exchange
Yep I'd go along with Drogs suggestion esp Ramires; he has irritated me by the way he has imploded in key games and he's become an embarrassing liability. As for Luiz, well it's already been said - if we can get that striker monkey off our backs we can look forward to the next campaign with a bit more optimism.
