03 Jul 2026 21:07:21
Players who the club apparently want to keep in the squad next season.
18 players.
Adarabioyo, Acheampong, Caicedo, Colwill, Derry, Essugo, Estevao, Fernandez, Gittens, Hato, James, Lavia, Palestra, Palmer, Pedro, Penders, Quenda, Sarr.
03 Jul 2026 23:56:23
They seem to like Tosin, but he's sadly just not good enough even as backup. We got him on a free, so would look to make something back whilst we can.
Huge questions on Lavia - can't see him magically finding fitness, and it's a shame.
Gittens, Essugo, Penders, Sarr, Derry need to show us something to get behind, or they could find their stays at the club come to an end.
Lot of work needed, as I don't yet see the quality in the squad to get us back towards the top.
04 Jul 2026 08:59:17
Chelsea report for pre-season training next Thursday. The academy is already in, and new pre-signing players Dastan Satpayev and Geovany Quenda have started training early. It will give Alonso three weeks with the players before the overseas pre-season tour of Asia begins.
04 Jul 2026 09:28:55
Tosin is, by all accounts, a fundamental part of the leadership group. Some may have seen my feelings on his defending. The elevator pitch would revolve around passiveness and lack of speed, but he is good on the ball, only bettered by Colwill. I see why they wouldn't want to lose him.
04 Jul 2026 13:17:02
J, I have read he is seen as a leader in the dressing room, but he needs a sat nav; his positional sense is dreadful. A bit like Rudiger, he can get away with it in a three, but in a back four he just looks lost.
04 Jul 2026 15:05:01
Fully agreed, but at least Rudiger had pace to get out of some of his self-created problems. Once a player is goal side of Tosin, the goalkeeper is guaranteed to have work to do. His lack of pace makes him stand off, he's so passive, but he's a good leader.
04 Jul 2026 17:57:50
I'll have to take your word that Tosin is a good leader, but that doesn't make up for the fact he is a bang average player at best. If we are serious about becoming contenders for trophies, he needs to go.
04 Jul 2026 19:56:37
Can't compare Rudiger to Tosin. Tosin is levels and levels below, not even close. Don't care about him being a dressing room leader. He's not good enough to be at the club.
04 Jul 2026 21:29:21
I see Bastoni is under investigation for soliciting sexual services from a 17 year old girl. Obviously, only an investigation but he's definitely off my wish list.
06 Jul 2026 11:23:42
I believe, though, Jimbo, that Bastoni may be moving to a house on the Sandringham Estate?!
06 Jul 2026 11:39:24
I am worried that with both Lavia, especially, and James we have two fine players when fit but who are far too often injured. I would also want to keep Santos, given Lavia's frailty, and have not seen much yet in Gittens to want to keep him. But I suppose that with both Lavia and Gittens, who may yet turn out to be ok, one can only hope, if kept, at the moment no other club would probably pay much for them and certainly a lot less than we paid for them.
Looking at that list of who we supposedly want to keep makes me feel we still have a long way to go in terms of adding the quality, and frankly the physical robustness, we need to make the top 4, let alone compete for the league or ECL. Xhaka would have helped add both robustness - to put it mildly! - and experience, and has been playing well, though yes, it is a question of price, not being exorbitant. But then it usually is when other clubs see CFC coming...?!
I would keep Santos, Neto, and perhaps Jackson, too, if we are not sure we can replace each of them with significant upgrades.
I would have probably kept Trevor C ahead of Tosin, too. I had thought Delap would give us some of the physicality needed in attack, but as yet he has proved to be very disappointing. We do need striker back up for Pedro, as all could see, despite his v good form for us most of last season - he can get injured but also needs someone we can bring off the bench or occasionally play alongside him to give us more of a goal threat. Apart from his 20 goals, I would think that Enso and Cucurella had the next most goals and perhaps assists. And both may be gone before the Fulham game.
Anyway, there is still a long way to go in the transfer window, and we obviously hope Alonso has good input in getting the rebuild right this time.