Chelsea Banter 3

10 Jun 2026 22:23:58
Morgan Gibbs White, Arda Guler or Morgan Rogers? Who we going for?

11 Jun 2026 02:27:23
1. Morgan Gibbs-White
2. Morgan Rogers
3. Arda Guler

That would be my order of preference. Guler marked down because of lack of Prem experience, but I'd be reasonably happy with any of them as a signing.

11 Jun 2026 09:17:50
None, just they would all cost too much, indeed. I can see transfer fees really shooting up this summer.

11 Jun 2026 10:01:00
I agree with Bill, none of them. Alonso likes to play with two number 10's, so let's play Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao in those positions. Joao Pedro can also play in there as well. If Palmer or Fernandez were to leave, then that becomes a different conversation.


Also, as Bill rightly says, transfer fees are becoming utterly ridiculous, I mean, £115 million being quoted for Elliot Anderson?

11 Jun 2026 10:26:59
I would love Gibbs White in our squad.

I like Anderson as a player, but I'm not overwhelmed.

11 Jun 2026 14:30:41
I agree. Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers are overhyped and will be overpriced, mainly because they are English. Those two along with Anderson being touted around for £80 to £110 million is ridiculous. None of them have proved themselves at the highest level.

11 Jun 2026 18:36:43
I think there is already a bid on the table for Anderson at around £110m. I think Forest will sell at £120m.

Surely the authorities have to announce the City judgement before the window opens?

11 Jun 2026 19:30:26
Tom, £120 million for Anderson? A player who has had a season and a bit in the PL. That makes our asking price for Enzo look reasonable. As for the City verdict, it doesn't matter really. City will appeal if it goes against them, and if it doesn't, the Premier League will lose credibility and probably appeal as well.

11 Jun 2026 19:55:39
Yep, £120m for Anderson. It's madness but it's what happens when a club has no need to sell and the other club is desperate to buy.

I think City will get a 60pts deduction, so it does matter to players, fans, and maybe other clubs. The clearer the picture, the better the decision making process for all concerned.



I am sure they will appeal, but I think there is more chance the penalty gets increased. I also think there could be a recruitment ban, plus a heavy fine. That's my real reason for thinking any punishment should happen before the window opens.

11 Jun 2026 22:01:39
Tom, even if City are found guilty there will be a separate trial regarding sanctions. If found guilty, City will no doubt appeal either to CAS or domestic courts, and then later, if necessary, they will appeal against any sanctions. This will go on well beyond next season. 🥱

12 Jun 2026 12:42:01
Of course, they will appeal, and it may well be that any sports appeal will be heard very quickly, given the impact these decisions have on a season.
City may well choose to go to domestic courts, but I can't remember any precedent for that following a regulatory ruling. I think they would be doomed to fail, and may well be thrown out very quickly.


From all we know, City have not cooperated with the process. My guess is this will influence the judgment, and any appeal.
I think they will get a points deduction (not enough), a transfer ban, and a heavy fine. Also, when the findings are made public, I would be surprised if HMRC didn't start an investigation.

12 Jun 2026 15:52:30
Tom, these proceedings are extremely complex. I doubt whether a sports tribunal would be able to determine the matter quickly. As far as domestic appeals, it would have to be a Judicial Review of the process rather than the findings. The inordinate delay in publishing a decision is often used to quash decisions. Trust me, this will go on and on.

12 Jun 2026 16:05:57
Jimbo, most recent sports appeals have been heard very quickly (if needed), and, as this will affect the whole league, I can see this being pushed through very promptly.

I just can't see how a domestic case would stand initial scrutiny by any UK court. I see it as a non starter, but I'm not a lawyer.

13 Jun 2026 08:24:12
Tom, which sports appeals are you referring to? TBH, I don't care about the City case. I am only concerned about the conclusion of the FA investigation regarding our charges.

13 Jun 2026 09:59:31
All of the appeals that have involved a points deduction as a penalty. Because they affect the outcome of a league, they are generally heard quickly.

I think most fans care about the City penalty on lots of fronts. If you're not, ho hum.

13 Jun 2026 11:12:02
Tom, that's very vague. The City case is unprecedented and extremely complex.

13 Jun 2026 12:32:20
No, it's not. It's very clear. Penalties that included points deductions and were appealed have been heard very quickly.

13 Jun 2026 17:18:19
Tom, for instance? As I stated, even if City were found guilty there would be a separate hearing for sanctions. However, it would be unlikely to get to that stage, as City would challenge the findings. The idea that it will be over before the transfer window is over is laughable.

There are other scenarios. City might be cleared. Alternatively, some of the charges might be proved and others dismissed. In that case, a settlement might be negotiated.

13 Jun 2026 21:38:38
Jimbo, I suggested that if they are to get a transfer ban then punishment should be "before" the window opens. Any appeal for that part of the sanction could well take more than the term of this transfer window, but if it did I would suggest City again run the risk of that particular sanction being extended.


My point about any points deduction remains. When clubs have appealed about the severity of a points deduction, those appeals have generally been heard quickly, for obvious reasons.

10 Jun 2026 13:24:01
With so much transfer conjecture about both on here, myself included, and in the press oh how much I miss those lists the much loved and much missed ED02 used to provide us with.

10 Jun 2026 14:38:15
Totally agree Greenaway and it's a pity we don't have our own ED to assist us, no offence ED001.

10 Jun 2026 19:39:45
TBF, Ed001 always answers our questions and he has his hands full on the Liverpool site especially lately with the Slot saga.

10 Jun 2026 20:19:41
Jimbo

I agree, ED001 really trys to assist our site but I believe he is more knowledgeable on the Merseyside teams as is ED025 but i'm happy to be corrected.

10 Jun 2026 21:41:50
ED02 was a Chelsea fan Jimbo and his knowledge was fantastic, we miss that a lot. as Bill correctly says ED01 is a Liverpool fan and I think ED25 is Everton.

11 Jun 2026 14:39:44
Greenaway, I know all that. Yes, it would be great to have a Chelsea lead, but if one isn't available, we should be grateful. That's all I meant. The Liverpool site appears to have ITKs we don't, but we do have some know it alls. For the avoidance of doubt, that was a joke. :look 😂

10 Jun 2026 13:09:54
I have just renewed my ST for next season. It’s that time of year when I go into super optimistic mode. Sadly, in recent years reality hits home early.
Anyway, we will obviously win all the domestic competitions.

Come on my mighty Blues.

10 Jun 2026 19:32:02
Tom, I will be renewing my ST. Despite winning two trophies, I was not optimistic about the season gone. I felt the squad was unbalanced and lacked quality in key positions. I think I predicted 6th to 8th. I feel slightly more optimistic about next season. I believe Alonso was a good appointment, but I hope he is allowed to influence comings and goings to suit his style of play.

The squad needs to be substantially trimmed. We have a few academy players bubbling under, who will need some game time. As for signings, quality not quantity. No predictions from me until I see who goes and who comes in.

09 Jun 2026 16:34:21
With the women's team playing at the Bridge next season, and it's now been announced that they will play their cup games at Wimbledon, has anybody heard what the owners are doing with our King's Meadow ground?

09 Jun 2026 17:54:02
Bill, I seem to remember reading that Kingsmeadow will now be our academy venue.
To me, that is a good idea.

09 Jun 2026 18:15:10
That's good news, Tom, glad we are keeping the ground as a venue for our academy.

08 Jun 2026 18:20:13
Latest on Maresca compo.

What is holding up the appointment?
Maresca's final six months at Chelsea were marked by a fractured relationship with the club's ownership.

Compensation negotiations have been made more complex as Chelsea became aware of City's potential interest early in October and December.

Chelsea sources also claim they were aware of complaints from Maresca about the transfer policy at Stamford Bridge.

It is not known whether this played any role in Maresca's departure, but the relationship continued to further deteriorate over a number of issues, including medical staff and team selections.

Despite the tension, Chelsea sources say the hierarchy still respected much of Maresca's work with the players and he remained popular with the majority of the dressing room.

The club feel the upheaval played a major role in the club's drop in form after his exit, with them not ending up qualifying for Europe.

Maresca had been open to renewing his contract early in the season amid interest from Serie A side Juventus.

£10 million please.

08 Jun 2026 20:45:52
RPD, maybe just me, but given the reported circumstances and upheaval, I would want more than £10m.

09 Jun 2026 08:25:12
Personally, Tom,

I would take the £10mil if they also threw in Haaland, Rodri, Doku, Donnarumma and Cherki.

10 Jun 2026 09:22:18
So RM have paid £13mil for Mourhino. That should be our starting point, but then add a tapping up premium on top of the baseline.

08 Jun 2026 07:39:18
{Ed's Note - Davey Sulls has posted a new article entitled, Iraola Expectations and Liverpool Squad Priorities

07 Jun 2026 21:44:30
Todd Boehly has made it clear that his preference would be to move Chelsea from their current site into a new multi-purpose stadium.

Clearlake has not made their position on the stadium public, but it is believed to broadly align with that of Boehly.

This comes amid ongoing discussions about Stamford Bridge's future — the historic ground's constraints, expansion challenges, and the owners' ambition to create a modern, revenue-generating venue that could host more than just football.

Chelsea fans have been split on the stadium debate for years — some want to stay and renovate the Bridge, others are excited by the idea of a state-of-the-art new home. This update suggests the ownership group is leaning heavily toward the "new build" option.

@Matt_Law_DT is reporting this and is normally on the ball with all things Chelsea so I wonder if something is in the pipeline?

08 Jun 2026 06:18:40
RPD

The owners can't even get a permanent FOS, so a SB project is totally beyond them.

08 Jun 2026 07:43:19
RPD, Thanks for the information and it is good to know that all the ownership is broadly in agreement.

I personally would welcome a move away from the SB site and the development of a new ground.

I assume this would be dependent on land being available. I would also have no problems with a SB rebuild on the current site. The desire may well be there, but I don't see either option happening in my lifetime.

08 Jun 2026 09:30:55
Tom, I fully agree with you that it is good news that the ownership are in general agreement about the best way to proceed. For Matt Law to write that article does potentially imply that a suitable piece of land has been identified.


It will obviously take many, many years to complete the process, but would mean we continue to play football at our spiritual home in the meantime, so a win win from my viewpoint.

08 Jun 2026 13:46:29
I read in the last day or so that the owners think the only realistic venue would be Earls Court if we were to move.

09 Jun 2026 10:55:24
There's a massive lack of available & suitable land nearby. Earls Court is one option, but I don't really see that happening. If there was gonna be a move, I imagine it'll have to be slightly further out than most fans would be happy with.

09 Jun 2026 23:24:05
Fuser, you raise a good point about fans not being happy if a new stadium was built too far away from Stamford Bridge or the general Chelsea area.
I think Chelsea, the club, should remain in the Chelsea area. The only way I can see that happening is staying on our current site.

I think Earls Court is a non-starter.
From a commuter standpoint, a move to a better transport and railway link would be good. My gooner and spuds mates tell me their respective clubs' transport links are atrocious.

06 Jun 2026 17:49:50
Left field option for Fernandez to Real Madrid, although very unrealistic, with lots of moving parts. Real use their recall option to bring Paz back from Como, before immediately selling him to us for a profit. We then sell Fernandez to Real at a reduced fee, but still above £75m, so we don't make a book loss.

Paz would be perfect for the inside left attacker in Alonso's system. I'm not sure there's a better player in Europe for that role right now, plus it's a position we need to fill.

06 Jun 2026 19:13:18
J, I had never heard of Paz. His stats for last season are impressive; looks like a better option on that side than we have.

08 Jun 2026 12:09:04
Would bite your hand off for this swap. Think Nico has unbelievable ability and a very high ceiling. Has shown under Cesc how coachable he is and would certainly replace Enzo's goals, as he similarly arrives in the box at the right time. Personally, can't imagine that Real will let him leave and I think a swap for Fernandez is incredibly unlikely.

08 Jun 2026 13:42:38
Only looked at clips, and as I understand, Real Madrid have a reasonably low buy back clause. So, I suppose, if we wanted him, we would have to indirectly deal with Real Madrid.
My guess is he stays for another season under Cesc, and gets CL experience. He then only has one year left on his current contract.

10 Jun 2026 04:18:53
I watched quite a few Como games, and although Nico had a couple of games that he drifted through, on the whole he was very consistent and showed up during big games (Inter and Juve especially). He was the player that a lot of attacks went through, and seems to play far beyond his years.



In this market, I'd expect Real could quite easily get EUR80m+ already for him, and are unlikely to let him enter the last year of his contract. Jose isn't the best with youth, so we would likely have a chance this summer. No CL would hurt us.

06 Jun 2026 08:54:04
So Rio Ngumoha is possibly going to Bayern Munich. The 17 year old came through the Chelsea academy and John Terry said he had all the ability to go on and be a world superstar. Rumour has it that Klopp tapped him up and off he went to Liverpool despite the club doing all they could to keep him, it now appears Kompany wants him to replace another former Chelsea academy player Olise at Bayern.

That could be Chelsea, Liverpool and now Bayern Munich in just 2 years for young Rio.
Is he that good?

06 Jun 2026 10:10:21
Rpd

I watched a few Liverpool games, and when I saw him play, he was the stand out in a very poor team.

He wanted to take on players, had pace, and looked to test the opposing team at every opportunity.

06 Jun 2026 10:54:01
thanks Bill, ED01, is there any truth on this rumour?

{Ed001's Note - he is not for sale. I think it is more about them being annoyed at Liverpool showing interest in Olise.}

06 Jun 2026 11:25:06
Looks like Olise will be RM bound.

06 Jun 2026 17:42:35
Ed may or may not be able to confirm this, but I believe Liverpool broke a longstanding wage structure to sign Ngumoha, not to mention the previously brought up guarantee of playing time. Nowhere near justifying that so far, but still very early days. Chelsea were left less than impressed with his camp and Liverpool regarding the manor of his exit.

{Ed001's Note - yes they did, stupidly imo. It is never a good way to go. Young players getting too much too early is always going to end in trouble.}

07 Jun 2026 08:57:50
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has made a bold statement about Chelsea's next generation, and it directly fuels the debate between Chelsea and Liverpool fans.

Ferdinand labelled Jesse Derry as the best English U20 player right now, putting him ahead of Liverpool's Nguhoma, who left Chelsea to join the Reds.

Derry has been rapidly rising through the ranks at Cobham since arriving from Crystal Palace, showing why Chelsea internally rate him so highly.

The 18-year-old has registered 6 goals and 3 assists in Premier League 2, followed by a senior debut in the FA Cup against Hull City, before earning his first Premier League start against Nottingham Forest.

Speaking on The Long Ball Podcast, Ferdinand said:

Jesse Derry is the best U20 in the UK.

Level-headed. This kid is a killer.

This has only intensified the debate between Chelsea and Liverpool supporters, especially after Nguhoma's departure from Cobham.

From Chelsea's side, the pathway is now opening up even more, with potential wide-area exits giving Derry a clearer route into Xabi Alonso's plans.

For me, there's no debate, if you're talking pure ceiling and impact at this level, Jesse Derry is the one. Nguhoma can do his thing at Liverpool, but Chelsea have their own star cooking.

If Alonso trusts him, this kid doesn't just play... he takes over.

Interesting debate.

07 Jun 2026 12:48:57
I'm with you, Rpd. Rio decided to move on, Jesse is here, so let's support the lad and get him into the first-team squad. Let's give him and Josh a proper chance to break through.

In fairness to Liverpool, they have played Rio on a number of occasions. We have not done the same with Josh.

06 Jun 2026 07:39:19
{Ed's Note - Seano_ has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool Squad Assessment and Summer Priorities