Anybody else in this mindset? We cannot let an elite player go on deadline day without a suitable replacement. I don’t want him to go anyway as we can’t replace his goals and involvements, but certainly not on deadline day, regardless of how much it is

I personally think it would prolly be smth like 5-4 loss or a 4-4 draw or even 4-3 loss to chelsea

Take yourself back to Deadline Day 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 and ask yourself if panic-buying Michael Hector, Papy Djilobodji, Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aubameyang, and panic-loaning Saúl and Denis Zakaria was reeeeeaaaalllllyyyyy worth it.

Yeah, we’ve got a midfield department that’s either injured, young, or on the brink of retirement. We’ve also won 3 matches with that same midfield plus guys who can manage in midfield, and it hasn’t even involved Caicedo yet. We have one league match a week and two long international breaks before the January window, which include friendlies for Ecuador that Caicedo doesn’t have to be called up for.

Do we need to improve? Yep. 25% possession isn’t going to cut it against better teams if our attack can’t get going or our defense is still in progress, and we need to find more control in the middle of the field. But is midfield possession the end all, be all? Nope, as evident by our win this weekend. Will we always come out of a match with 25% possession? Nope.

Deep breathe in, deep breathe out. Say it with me: we’ll be okay. If we get somebody in in the next 2 hours, great. If not, we’ll be okay. But these sensationalist head-losses have to be reigned in, what are we? Man united?

Got rid of Enzo Fernandez, Delap, Robert Sanchez, Garnacho, Tosin and Badiashile.

Brought in Xabi Alonso, Emiliano Martinez, Morgan Rogers, Camara and experienced players.

Made a record profit in sales. This is a 10/10 window.

How happy are you with Chelsea’s transfer window?

They did it last season by making Moresca resign early and derailed our season. Now they will take Enzo and we will not have enough time to get a suitable replacement - our midfield without Caicedo is non-existent........and this is not about Enzo being great....no player or manager is above the club....this transfer should have been done before the world cup or just immediately after so we have enough time to sign a suitable replacement.

Anybody got any insight into Camara? Never heard of him until a couple of days ago, heard Felipe Luis call him elite, but sceptical as ever always signed poorly from Monaco in recent years, Bakayoko, Badiashille & Disasi

Capology’s reported Chelsea salaries for 2026/27:

Reece James - £200k/week

Wesley Fofana - £200k

Moisés Caicedo - £180k

Enzo Fernández - £180k

Pedro Neto - £160k

Morgan Rogers - £150k

Marco Palestra - £150k

Cole Palmer - £130k

João Pedro - £125k

Tosin Adarabioyo - £120k

Jorrel Hato - £120k

Jamie Gittens - £108k

Liam Delap - £100k

Levi Colwill - £100k

Mykhailo Mudryk - £100k

Nicolas Jackson - £100k

Benoît Badiashile - £90k

Axel Disasi - £80k

Jordan Henderson - £75k

Robert Sánchez - £60k

Estêvão - £60k

Roméo Lavia - £45k

Malo Gusto - £45k

Dário Essugo - £40k

Gabriel Slonina - £40k

Aarón Anselmino - £35k

Mamadou Sarr - £35k

Danny Welbeck, Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda, Valentin Barco, Pep Chavarría, Dastan Satpayev and Harrison Bettoni are listed without a reported salary.

Total reported weekly wage bill: £2.8455m

Annual fixed wage bill: £147.966m

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Manchester City reach agreement with Chelsea to sign Enzo Fernandez. Package for 25yo midfielder work £125m so matches British transfer record. Argentina int’l granted permission by #CFC  to undergo medical & complete #MCFC move @TheAthleticFC

Notable incomings:

GK - Emi Martinez

RB - Palestra

LB - Pep Chavarria

CB - Lacroix

CM - Barco, Henderson

LW/RW/AM - Rogers, Quenda

ST - Welbeck

Notable outgoings:

GK - R. Sanchez (loaned to Como), Jorgensen (loaned to Strasbourg)

LB - Cucurella

CB - Tosin, Chalobah, Disasi (Loaned to Palace), Badiashile (loaned to Napoli), Sarr (loaned to Real Sociedad)

CM - Santos, Enzo

LW/RW/AM - Mudryk (loaned to Spurs), Garnacho, George

ST - Delap, Jackson, Guiu

Chelsea squad

Best XI?:

Martinez

James Lacroix Colwill

Palestra Caicedo Lavia Hato

Palmer Rogers

Pedro

2nd XI?:

Penders

Gusto Acheampong Fofana Pep

Camara Barco

Neto Estevao Gittens

Welbeck

Other notable reserves: Emegha, Quenda, Henderson, Anselmino, R. Watson.

Have I missed anyone???

We're not in Europe, so we get 1 game a week aside from Leeds (cup game) on the 10th of September, we'll likely rotate the starters a lot in the EFL Cup.

All of our PL fixtures are once per week until January, asides from midweek fixtures against Palace on the 2nd of December, and Ipswich on the 30th of December... Two teams we should be beating with a rotated side.

Let's bring someone in early in January (Hopefully Alex Scott, he fits Xabi's system really well), but I reckon our squad will be fine up until then. We've got 5 players that are capable of playing CM.

Feels like the ballot ended ages ago now , and me and my mate havent had an email back yet has anyone else been successful.

Monaco consider the offer too low, but talks are ongoing. One to watch if Enzo Fernández leaves the club, with Man City in talks with Chelsea since last night.

Camara is keen on a move to Chelsea. ✨💙

@Fabrizio Romano