Chelsea Banter 4

05 Jun 2026 18:57:51
Hi guys,

Could Ed or fellow posters give me any updates on Leao, leaving Milan, could we be interested and is he still as good as he was a few seasons ago?

{Ed001's Note - I don't know who is after him but from what I saw of him, he was only ever potential which has never been realised.}

05 Jun 2026 20:48:01
Thank you. He seemed like the next big thing, but I don't know if he's had injuries or is just out of form.

{Ed001's Note - I just don't think he has the brains or the inclination to be worth anything much.}

05 Jun 2026 21:29:41
Ed001, sounds ideal considering last summer's window.

{Ed001's Note - I would think Alonso will want to change that.}

05 Jun 2026 23:18:09
Ed001, I hope you are right. Next season is going to be interesting with the new coaches at Chelsea, Man U, City and Liverpool.Looking forward to it.

{Ed001's Note - hopefully some better footie to watch!}

06 Jun 2026 11:28:25
I hope Leao is just a rumour and nothing more.

The lad was over hyped, and when we wanted him years ago, he was untouchable due to his potential.

Now Milan would be happy to let him go.

For me, the telling thing is that no big clubs are even being talked about when it comes to his potential transfer.

05 Jun 2026 12:44:50
Well done Chelsea FC and thank you on behalf of all match-going fans.


The Chelsea Supporters Trust welcomes Chelsea FC's decision to freeze all men's first team general admission season ticket and match-by-match ticket prices for the 2026/27 season.

This is a significant and positive decision.

Following a challenging season on and off the pitch, freezing general admission prices is a sensible and welcome step that will provide certainty for match-going supporters ahead of the season ticket renewal window.

The CST has consistently made clear to the club that affordability must remain central to any ticketing policy. We therefore appreciate that the club has listened to the clear representations made by the Chelsea Supporters Trust and the Fan Advisory Board before reaching this decision.

This announcement demonstrates why structured and meaningful engagement between the club and supporters matters.




When supporters' views are properly heard, they can help shape decisions that have a direct impact on match-going fans.

While the freeze in general admission pricing is very welcome, the CST will continue to engage with the club and scrutinise the wider 2026/27 ticketing policy changes. We would also welcome further clarity on the timetable for confirming remaining details, including membership pricing and access arrangements. Our focus remains on ensuring that any changes to ticket access, loyalty, away ticketing, ticket utilisation and the matchday experience are fair, transparent and in the best interests of Chelsea supporters.

The CST will continue to represent the views of our members and wider match-going supporters, and work constructively with the club to ensure supporters remain at the heart of all decision making.

05 Jun 2026 14:28:51
I choose not to engage with the CST, but last week I sent a detailed BP to FAB suggesting a minimum 50% cut in season ticket prices.

I obviously expected the immediate financial loss, but also pointed out what I consider to be the financial and promotional benefits.

If things run their normal course, I will not get an acknowledgment/reply.

06 Jun 2026 20:13:41
I went out for a few beers with my oldest mates last night. One of them, a Spurs fan who has a senior concession on his ST, told me that they are incrementally increasing the price each season going forward until it reaches the full price.

06 Jun 2026 21:25:21
I see concessions as an important reward for long standing loyalty and a way of getting young supporters through the door.

I think the first club to substantially drop ticket prices will make money from other sources. Obviously EPL clubs don't agree with my theory.

05 Jun 2026 11:13:59
John Obi Mikel.

I actually agree with what he says.

John Obi Mikel reacts on what needs to be done at Chelsea in order to compete at the top level.

I keep hearing people say Chelsea needs five or six new signings.

I don't agree with that. For me, three players are enough.

Number one is an elite centre forward. Victor Osimhen would be my choice. He guarantees goals. He can decide big games on his own.

Number two is a proven centre-back. Alessandro Bastoni is exactly the type of player Chelsea needs. He would bring leadership, quality, and stability to the back line.

Number three is a top winger. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has everything. Pace. Creativity. Goals. He can change a game in a moment.

I genuinely believe these three signings would be enough.

The squad already has a lot of talent. What Chelsea needs now is the right direction.

With proper tactics, which I believe Xabi Alonso could offer, this team can compete for the Premier League title next season.

05 Jun 2026 13:14:27
I agree, three high level starters could elevate this squad to challenging straight away. I just don't think we're shopping in the same places, Rpd.

Osimhen might be convinced by our project. I'd think he'd swap Galatasaray for Chelsea, if not for the wages. They will be extortionate and likely rule him out. Igor Thiago may well be a more realistic option, or maybe Vlahovic on a free, after he left Juventus, but wage demands will be high for him too.

If you sign a top striker, to start, I believe Joao Pedro moves into the left attacking space behind the striker. As much as it pains me to say this, Kvaratskhelia will have zero interest in signing for Chelsea this summer.

A repeat UCL winner, MOTM in the last final, signing for a club without UCL - just not going to happen. Morgan Rogers would be more realistic, and I don't think he'll sign for us either. Gibbs-White would be a good option, 19 G/A in the EPL last season, for a largely poor Forest team.

Similarly to Kvaratskhelia, and similarly paining me to say, I don't think Bastoni will have any interest in us, not this summer, at least. Lacroix would be a really good signing. I will also go out on a limb and say Alonso will fall head over heels for Acheampong - he'll be starting regularly next season, especially if Alonso opts for a three at the back system.

05 Jun 2026 14:45:16
I rate Gibbs White, and would take him all day long, but I can't see Forest letting him leave in the same window as Anderson.

05 Jun 2026 16:24:02
Yes, I agree that we probably need just three really top players to strengthen the spine of the team to be competitive near the top again. But we have moved ourselves out of contention for many top players by not being in Europe, and perhaps Osimhen is the only possibility - if remote, cos of wage demands that we seem no longer willing to pay even for top players.

We will see.

05 Jun 2026 06:28:51
Very interesting press conference for Perez. Obviously there’s a big presidential vote coming up in a few days. Perez said he will be making a 150m bid if he is successful for a world-class player. When asked, he said it would not be Enzo.

Madrid are not in the strongest financial position, so I would assume if they do make this bid and it’s accepted, they won’t have much left over for someone like Enzo.



I can 100% see Enzo requested a transfer and digging his heels in; however, there’s not a lot of clubs that could afford the fee we would want. Maybe if the player Perez is talking about is Vitinha, then we could see PSG step in. Personally I don’t see him as the type of player PSG would want, as most of their players seem to avoid drama.

05 Jun 2026 09:34:13
Perez won't win the presidential election, but you are correct in saying not many clubs can afford Enzo Fernandez. In my opinion, he may well follow Maresca to Man City. I also think a lot will depend on how he reacts with Alonso and his ideas. All conjecture at the moment.

05 Jun 2026 12:53:09
If Perez doesn't win the RM election, will that leave Jose high and dry?

I think Enzo leaves, and I personally don't care who he goes to.

05 Jun 2026 13:18:44
Tom,

It will come down to somebody paying a huge fee for EF, and not many clubs out there can afford his fee, then wages on top.

05 Jun 2026 11:38:13
What makes you think he won't win the election? He seems almost nailed on to win it with bookmakers and the majority reporting about it.

05 Jun 2026 15:14:22
Olise is the £150m man - apparently. Bayern said they wouldn't sell to £200m earlier in the year, so this'll be interesting to watch.

If they drop £150m on Olise, or anyone else, for that matter, then they won't be signing Fernandez too.

Rodri and a much reduced fee make more sense. Will we do a deal with City and Maresca? I can't see it.

Solid chance the domino effect of this is Fernandez staying.

05 Jun 2026 07:39:17
{Ed's Note - BlueNose1878 has posted a new article entitled, Everton Must Plan Properly If Ndiaye Goes

04 Jun 2026 07:44:01
Rip Bobby Tambling.
One of my favourite all time Chelsea legends.

04 Jun 2026 08:18:45
Absolutely Tom, this was the first goal I saw as I started supporting our club just before the cup final vs. Spurs.

RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 08:42:57
Before my time, as a player, but his exploits obviously came to light as Lampard approached and passed his goal record. A club legend.

RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 09:30:38
Rightly a Chelsea legend of the 1960s, and a modest and gentle man. A wonderful striker.

RIP Bobby, and condolences to the Tambling family.

04 Jun 2026 16:17:12
RIP Bobby.

04 Jun 2026 17:03:46
RIP, Bobby Tambling, a great player from a time when footballers were more connected to supporters, instead nowadays when they strut around like male models with £30 K man bags (a contradiction in terms).

03 Jun 2026 21:43:23
So strong rumours than ever that Enzo F to Madrid and we want Rogers. To my mind, this weakens us as Rogers not as good. But perhaps just a nasty rumour?

04 Jun 2026 05:53:15
Enzo F is neither a true 6 or a true 10, so he would not really fit in an Alonso system, who likes to play either 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1. He just isn't quick enough, or good enough in defence as a 6, and so often left Caicedo exposed. He is better as a 10, but again lacks that pace to beat a man, and whilst his goal and assist contributions were improving, I think we can do better. Importantly though, he wants to leave, and we don't want players who would rather be somewhere else.
Now, to Morgan Rogers, who is also wanted by Arsenal and Liverpool. He is one of the most complete attacking players in the Premier League. He can operate from the left wing, so would be more of a replacement for Garnacho or Gittens and not Enzo F. He can also play as a No.10, drift centrally alongside Cole Palmer, or even play further forward depending on the system Alonso decides to use.



His biggest strength is probably his ability to carry the ball through pressure. He's powerful, direct, quick, and incredibly difficult to stop once he starts driving forward. He combines the physicality of a midfielder with the creativity and goal threat of an attacker.

He is also great friends with Cole Palmer and an English home-grown.

This is about signing a Premier League-proven performer who wants to wear the badge, understands the league, and still has room to develop into one of the best attacking players in England.

He might well end up at one of our rivals, as the interest in him is huge, but if we could get him in to play in that position alongside Palmer, compete with Estevao (in a 3-4-2-1), or on the left of a 4-2-3-1 to replace Garnacho/Gittens, that would be some upgrade.

04 Jun 2026 07:56:31
I rate Rogers, so I would be happy. I do not see Enzo and Rogers being similar.

04 Jun 2026 08:59:57
Agree with what you say Rpd, I'm not convinced Fernandez fits into Alonso's system.

He needs to be in a three-man midfield, and in Alonso's system, I find myself saying he could do a job as one of the two sixes, or he could do a job as one of the tens, it all feels a bit square peg in round holes.

He is a quality player, so statistically, with goals and assists, he will still contribute. But, we need to sign players who fit Alonso's system, both in the pivot and on the left of the attack.

A fit and healthy Lavia would be amazing alongside Caicedo, sitting, getting in the ball and dictating play.

But we've been saying that for years, without a full 90mins completed by him. Wharton would, for me, be a good signing here.

Rogers would be a good signing, but I still think the valuation is crazy and expect him to end up at Arsenal. Yildiz, from Juventus, would be an excellent signing, although another hefty price tag. Another option would be to move Joao Pedro back into the left attacking space and spend the money on a top striker. Igor Thiago or - does anyone want back on the Osimhen train.

04 Jun 2026 15:05:33
Wharton is a player who has an eye for a forward pass, but in today's game he might just fall short for me.

I am a massive fan of Lavia, but he still looked miles away from the player I think he is at the end of this season.

We also have Santos, who would probably be given a good ten-match spell in the team; he only rarely seemed to find a rhythm in his play. If that makes sense?

04 Jun 2026 17:08:27
I think Rogers will go elsewhere but not concerned about that, he is massively overvalued. Frankly, I have given up on Lavia and Santos.

02 Jun 2026 13:33:25
End of season review. GK

A tale of two halves.

Robert Sánchez

49+1 games
13 clean sheets
1 red card

9/10 until New Year
5/10 after

What happened? From August to the end of December, Sánchez cut right down his decision making errors and distribution calamities, and with sensational saves and elite quality handling he was arguably Chelsea's best player and the Premier League's best goalkeeper. But then it all staggered to pieces. Two things happened. There were three games against Arsenal, two in the Carabao Cup semi-final, one away in the League, where he was constantly roughed up at set plays. And there was not only a change of head coach, but a change of goalkeeper coach, with Maresca's Michele de Bernardin leaving and former Brighton goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts returning to the job from head of goalkeeping. Did something specific unsettle him? Or did he just get tired and stale?
He was a big favourite of Maresca's who seemed to be getting the best out of him but really struggled for confidence under LR.

Keep or Leave?

Keep from first half of the season, leave from second half.

02 Jun 2026 15:37:58
Leave and take Ben Robeets with him.

02 Jun 2026 15:42:22
RPD, very interesting observations and question.

I think Sanchez will be at our club next season, and I certainly believe for most of last season he was our most improved player. Based on form.

The manager has a big call to make, and it reminds me of the Jose decision to pick Big Pete as the club's No1 in his first spell as manager.



I think I would start with Sanchez, but that opinion may change if Pinders gets a chance and plays well in the WC.

02 Jun 2026 17:05:09
I don't buy into the big improvement by Sanchez. Perhaps he made a few less blatant cock-ups. He is an awful keeper, poor with his feet, long and short: he has no positional sense and flaps around. If he is no 1, we will start the season with one hand tied behind our back.

02 Jun 2026 17:18:23
He only improved because we had to change our tactics to make him look decent.

02 Jun 2026 17:41:56
I think Sanchez's one quality - suggested by the list Jimbo has of his failings - is that he is a pretty decent shot stopper. Distribution of long ball improved somewhat. Now neither is to be sniffed at, but surely not enough in the modern game for a No 1 keeper at a side that has ambitions to challenge for top honours.

On the other hand, beware of getting even worse, which goes in terms of desire to change any player or manager.

02 Jun 2026 18:28:06
JBS, spot on mate. I well remember how some posters rated Mendy, who I consider to be one of our worst ever keepers, and how some wanted us to sign Onana.
Maresca, in my opinion, got improvement out of Sanchez just by asking him to do simple things well ish.

When that happened, his confidence grew and he looked much improved.
Of course, that improvement didn't make him a top keeper, it just made him a better keeper.

02 Jun 2026 20:32:07
A top shot stopper and pretty solid keeper, but questions will always remain about his distribution. Big Pete has said how highly he rates him, and he knows a bit more about goalkeeping arts than us lot on here. That said, I do think it is time to throw Mike Penders in and bring in an experienced backup.

03 Jun 2026 05:44:40
If you believe what's written, Sanchez wants to be undisputed first choice, which just isn't going to happen here for the long term. I suspect he'll do one more season, or at least till January, with Penders the backup / cup GK. But before long, Penders will get the starting job. At that point, Sanchez will move on.

03 Jun 2026 08:22:13
Greenaway, no one doubts Big Pete's ability as a keeper, but one wonders if he should go to SpecSavers: he was responsible for Mendy coming to Chelsea. I don't recall many posters rating Mendy, although I do remember one poster being shot down for suggesting Mendy was a top keeper. Leaving that aside, we still lack a top keeper, which is essential for our rebuild.

03 Jun 2026 11:30:36
Players, ex-players, scouts, and SDs can and do make recommendations. There is never any guarantee of success.
Sometimes players improve in different environments, and under different managers.
I certainly wasn't convinced about Dave, Iva, or Cucarella when they first joined our club.

02 Jun 2026 10:03:43
A few weeks ago I asked if anyone has seen Mike Gadt playing for Ajax. I am told we have asked about his availability and my son in law (Dutch) says he is a proper talent.

I have now looked at some of his performances and he looks just the player we need. Can go both ways, quick and goes past defenders as if they are standing still.

I suggest if you guys get a chance tou should have a look. I wonder if any of the Ed's have a view on his abilities?

{Ed001's Note - looks an excellent player Tom. Obviously he is playing in a lower level league, so it might take him a bit to adapt, but he looks a special talent.}

02 Jun 2026 10:30:16
I agree Ed. He looks a talent in a very poor Ajax team and league.

I'm sure lots of clubs must be after him but fingers crossed he signs for us.

01 Jun 2026 21:01:14
So pleased that the cub have so far shown no interest in selling Josh. It remains a mystery to me how Gusto was consistently picked over him. I suppose it could be argued that Josh is more of a CH.

02 Jun 2026 08:26:02
Tom, Greenaway,

Let's just hope we start playing him regularly now. Let's get rid of Gusto.

02 Jun 2026 09:15:28
I could never understand why Liam and Ginger did not give him a chance, Bill, but the reports are suggesting that Alonso sees him as a key player.