16 Apr 2026 11:55:50
It looks like Marcos Senesi has agreed to join Liverpool, I didn't think we would sign a 29-year-old, as it totally goes against the project.
16 Apr 2026 12:12:55
I was told he would be joining us but ho hum!!
16 Apr 2026 14:45:17
Doesn't mean we didn't try, just means we weren't successful. A tag line for most of Chelsea's season, except the bits where we didn't try - second half vs Man City, 75% of the PSG games, etc.
16 Apr 2026 18:18:48
Tom and J, I think at 29 he is way outside the club's parameters, hence why we didn't move for him. I have heard we are all in for Jan Paul Van Hecke from Brighton; he is 22 and fits the profile well, a very good player.
We will face competition to snap him up, but I guess the Winstanley connection might swing it, and TBF, we have picked up 3 of our best players from them in Moises Caceido, Marc Curcurella and Joao Pedro.
16 Apr 2026 21:30:10
Greenaway, if Van Hecke is sought after by top clubs, we will be unlikely to sign him. Personally, I would go for two Sunderland players: Roefs and Ballard, who would shore up our weak defence, which would be a start, with much more work to do depending on who leaves.
16 Apr 2026 21:50:57
Yes, I'm with you on that, Jimbo. He is highly rated, and it will be difficult to sign him, but Winstanley has a good track record of taking top players from Brighton, so we have a chance.
Would you take Roefs from Sunderland with Penders going the other way, because I'm told that is a very strong possibility being put forward by one of our sporting directors.
16 Apr 2026 22:06:52
Greenaway, yes, I would take Roefs. Penders is 21, playing in the French League. I doubt that anyone on this site has watched him play a full game. I would bring him in as No 2 and bin Sanchez and Jorgensen.
We can't afford to go into next season with a rookie keeper who has never played in the Premier League, or, alternatively, have Sanchez as No 1 choice.
17 Apr 2026 07:57:58
I have seen Penders play, but it was on TV and he looked ok.
I have no problem with him being our first choice keeper next season, and I'm not that fussed about him being 21.
Having said that, I would prefer Costa as our No1 but that would be very unlikely to happen.
17 Apr 2026 08:23:55
How old was Cech when he joined?
17 Apr 2026 08:30:38
Bill, good point, and I can't remember his age, but he was a Premiership rookie.
17 Apr 2026 08:38:42
I should also say, I doubt many fans knew anything about big Pete before he joined.
17 Apr 2026 09:59:54
I'm sure you're right about Cech, Tom, and perhaps because there wasn't as much info so easily accessible on players joining in 2004 as there is today. But we did know that he had already been the valued Czechoslovakian GK for 2 years and had played for both Sparta Prague - for which he still holds the Cech record of 903 league minutes without conceding a goal - and Rennes.
In other words, he was far more experienced at higher levels than Penders is as yet - which is not to say Penders might not become another world class goalie.
But it does seem that Chelsea under RA and JM, building on who was already at the club, focused on building a simply superb spine to the team and one suited to the physicality of the EPL. I just don't think the current SDs have focused enough on overall squad building to that kind of level - or not to get there before 2030? - rather than trading large numbers of young 'potential' plus some old hacks (early strategy) before the youth-only one in and out every season, and we are not yet anywhere near the strength we need to be in all departments.
Yet again, a key transfer window coming shortly and a key moment also in terms of whether, if we were to part ways with yet another manager in LR, we could this time replace him with someone who can gel all the constituent parts of what we already have together - and we do have some very good players as others have listed - plus have enough own knowledge and clout with the club to help pick missing ingredients in key positions, plus ensuring strength in depth.
17 Apr 2026 21:50:32
Cech was 23 years old when he joined us. However, he was clearly world class from the start. I hope, if Penders comes, he lives up to expectations. However, the expectations are coming from a hierarchy that have generally failed miserably.