Chelsea's January Wrapup - All The Moves From This Window
by Graham MacAree on Jan 31, 2012 11:50 PM GMT
in Chelsea FC: Transfer Rumours & News
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Compared to summer and last year, this January was a relatively quiet one. That said, the Blues still got plenty of business done, so let's review.
IN: Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers, £7M), Kevin de Bruyne (Genk, £6.7-£8M), Kenneth Omeruo (Standard Liege, unknown), Patrick Bamford (Nottingham Forest, £1.5M).
OUT: Nicolas Anelka (Shanghai Shenhua, undisclosed), Alex (Paris Saint-Germain, £4.2M) Kevin de Bruyne (Genk, season loan), Josh McEachran (Swansea City, season loan), Gael Kakuta (Dijon, season loan), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse, season loan), Milan Lalkovic (ADO den Haag, season loan), Kenneth Omeruo (ADO den Haag, 18 month loan), Phillip Prosenik (AC Milan, undisclosed), Rhys Taylor (Rotherham, season loan), Kaby Djalo (AEL Lissamol, undisclosed).
That's a lot of outs and only one first-teamer in. Chelsea essentially swapped Alex for slightly-more-expensive British equivalent Gary Cahill and let Anelka - a player who would have been immensely helpful while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are off at the Africa Cup of Nations - walk. One can only assume that Shanghai offered lots of money.
The big non-Cahill acquisition is of course Kevin de Bruyne, who was bought from and then immediately loaned back to Genk for the rest of the season. There were a number of interesting loan deals made, with Josh McEachran's clearly the most important. Hopefully the young midfielder can see some pitch time with the Swans and that the rest of the kids who were sent out do well as well*.
*This was a terrible sentence. Sorry.
Finally, we had a couple of departures from the reserve setup, with Kaby Djalo and Phillip Prosenik leaving. If you care about these, you're weird.
In summary, then, we didn't do much. The most important deals were the sales of Alex and Anelka, which should clear some of the deadwood off the roster, the signing of Kevin de Bruyne and the loaning deals. All of these are geared towards making Chelsea better in the future, which is worrying considering that the club appears to be facing a very tough fight to even finish in the top four this season, and we're not getting any better. it's an interesting, ballsy, gamble, and I sure hope it turns out ok.
On the plus side, we'll have a lot of cash to go after our major targets this summer, which supposedly include the likes of Eden Hazard, Lucas Moura and God.
How do you feel about the January window? Have your say in the comments and vote on the patented We Ain't Got No History Smiley Scale.
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:-| describes how i feel perfectly
just have to sit back and trust in AVB on this one. will be a defining moment in his young career
by marc.nicholls1 on Jan 31, 2012 11:56 PM GMT reply actions
3 out of 4 were probably not AVB signings
AVB will generally be more involved in first team players. It’s pretty unusual now for the manager to have much say in the recruitment for the youth and reserve levels
by Stephen Schmidt on Jan 31, 2012 11:59 PM GMT up reply actions
He didn't push for a first teamer though
That’s where the trust is needed
It sounds like he just pushed for really good ones (Hazard and Moura)
With FFP coming into play I have to assume he’s got some sort of budget. I’d much rather see him wait and sign one of those guys in the summer than settling for a guy like Junior Hoilett now.
by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 1, 2012 12:22 AM GMT up reply actions
That's what I'm thinking
He must think we can get both Moura and Hazard in the summer which is why he didn’t try again for Jovetic or WIllian. The I’m trusting him that he made the right decision to wait and see in the summer rather than try and secure top 4 with a purchase.
AVB has a hell of a job to do. No replacement for Anelka, and the team looks out ideas
all over the pitch (except maybe defense). Top 4 will be a struggle I feel.
Forgot to mention that, it won;t matter how much money we got to spend in the summer, if
we dont have CL football to go along with it.
Definitely
I think we’re going to struggle. But we’re definitely capable.
KDB is the only I don't go all the way to a >:-o
And AVB definitely gets a super angry frowny. Our first team is clearly lacking.
I’m unreasonably excited about KDB.
by FootieFromAfar on Feb 1, 2012 12:07 AM GMT via mobile reply actions
I must be weird
Because I like kaby alot
by Bmoney556 on Feb 1, 2012 12:08 AM GMT via iPhone app reply actions
Chelsea are still the club who has spent most this window with £14-15m...
Now, that’s weird!
by msreya on Feb 1, 2012 12:40 AM GMT via mobile reply actions
i wish we did more
but im happy with what we did in bringing in KDB
That's where I'm at as well.
Fingers crossed Arsenal and Liverpool don’t get their act together and/or that Spurs fall to a congested schedule again.
Spurs are out of Europe and in only one cup competition, fixture congestion shouldn't be a problem for them!
They also have a better squad and 1st team that Chelsea at the moment, add in the 7 point lead they have over us and it looks like Chelsea have much more chance of finishing 6th than 3rd!With Liverpool looking like they may go on a run I think top 4 will be tough for Chelsea to achieve!Why did we get Torres and not Aguero last January?
I'm just happy.
We got De Bruyne. We won’t have him till summer but he will be a starter come next season. AVB will be surprised by his ability and play.
Still blatantly obvious that we need midfielders. Luckily KDB can play either wing and midfield.
I'll be surprised if KDB is not sent out on loan next year!
Unless we fail to make top 4 and can’t the players we want in the summer.I’d expect Lukaku to go out on loan also at least until January.
It's probably premature to assume that either of them will head out on loan
Torres, Malouda, Lukaku, Mata, and Sturridge are the only attackers we’ve used this year that are still under contract beyond June. Malouda is almost certainly departing this summer, so until we bring in reinforcements it’s hard to see Lukaku not being an important part of the squad next season.
by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 1, 2012 4:26 PM GMT up reply actions
I think its safe to say...
Emenalo is the BOMB!
I thought it was an extremely :-| transfer window
I’m hoping it sets up for a :-D window though. In my opinion january transfers should be :-|. Its hard for anyone to join a team in the middle of the year, selling dead weight, and buying a small amount of replacements. Hopefully I’m wrong, but Cahill seems like all he will add is chemistry, and not do much on the field. KDB was a great buy, and his loan back to Genk was a genius move, as it will keep him locked as a Chelsea player, but not force him into the team at an awkward time.
From Stamford Bridge to Wembley, KTBFFH
2nd sentence is supposed to say
“Its hard for anyone to join a team in the middle of the year, so it should be used for selling dead weight, and buying a small amount of replacements”
From Stamford Bridge to Wembley, KTBFFH
why
Are we trying to sign Robbie Fowler along with Hazard over the summer?
by Groy on Feb 1, 2012 3:45 AM GMT via iPhone app reply actions
I don't know
what’s better or worse – our team in that current state (which looks certainly worrying) … or a last minute panic buy that we’re gonna possibly regret … on a more rational note the panic buy is probably always the worse option
Tor ilisar'thera'nal!
Agree on that panic buy stuff..
but we are in horrible state to say the least…the team has no clue whats going on, we lack creativity (usual cry) and we have been dropping points lately yet there has been no reinforcements. And on top of that we buy players who are not going to start playing immediately.
Definitely :(
Don't really see any reason to be disappointed
last season we spent a lot of money bringing Luiz and Torres in January and neither have justified their price tags. I like Luiz and I think he’ll mature and improve with time.
Teams are usually reluctant to let go of players mid season which is why we got taken to the cleaners for Torres. If we’d had waited in the summer, he’d probably have cost £30 mil at most or we wouldn’t have bought him.
KDB is a great signing and I like his attitude. He already expressed a willingness to go on loan to an English club to help acclimatise himself to the different style of play.
Expect more of a clear out in the summer and a lot of player evaluations for some of the reserves at cobham and on loan.
I have faith that we’ll finish in a champions league spot come seasons end.
Who all do you think will be cleared out in the summer?
I think Malouda, Kalou, Drogba, Ferriera and Bosingwa will go. If the club receives a good offer of about £25m for Torres I think they will cut their losses and let him go, I just can’t see anybody being willing to gamble that amount and pay the huge wages on a player who has been off form for 2 years now!
this tells me 1 important thing
summer is gonna be awesome! :)
by blue_is_the_colour on Feb 1, 2012 3:24 PM GMT reply actions
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