Viktor

Chelsea through & through | Die-hard @ChelseaFC fan account | Daily news, stats & matchday energy | Let’s build the pride of London together | #CFC

[Viktor @VikCFC]

My bigger concern with Estevao is not the lack of minutes. It is whether he comes back from Brazil fully fit. After missing more than 100 days with a serious thigh injury, Chelsea have managed him carefully. Hopefully the international break does not undo that work.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Chelsea shouldn't chase Kone at €100m. That figure comes from Corriere dello Sport. Chelsea were linked at around €60m in the summer. Paying 40m more because they left it late would be the wrong decision.

[Transfer News Live @DeadlineDayLive]

🚨 Chelsea could be left regretting their decision not to sign Manu Koné this summer, with Roma now valuing the midfielder at up to €100M.

Koné was available for just over €50M only a few weeks ago, but his impressive start to the season has seen his value soar.

(Source: Corriere dello Sport)

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Reece James can play in midfield, but I still think Chelsea lose more than they gain there.

His best role is still in the defence, either at right back or RCB. The latter could also help manage his fitness without asking him to cover so much ground in games every week.👇

The Brentford game showed why midfield is different. When Caicedo is out, Chelsea need someone who reads that space naturally. James can help there in an emergency. I would rather preserve his legs and his influence by using him as part of the back line.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

I agree. Leeds actually showed it well. Estevao started in a system that suited him, didn't made much impact, and Chelsea were a goal down when he came off at half-time. Palmer came on, scored two and Chelsea won 6-3. I see Estevao's minutes more as fitness management than benching. Hopefully he returns from Brazil fit.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@Gooneroptimist I heard somewhere that small clubs are the ones who have never won the Champions League. Chelsea have won it twice, so that definition might be a problem for you.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Stamford Bridge is the biggest financial decision Chelsea cannot keep delaying.

The Telegraph says matchday revenue was £86.8m, far behind Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool. Clearlake may be at the point where doing nothing is no longer an option.👇

Sam Wallace reports the choice remains rebuilding Stamford Bridge or moving to Earls Court, with a new stadium potentially costing £3bn or more. That means Clearlake would need to make the case again to investors or lenders that English football can support such a huge long-term commitment.

But this is exactly why the decision matters. Chelsea cannot close the revenue gap while staying in a 40,000-capacity stadium that earns significantly less on matchdays than its biggest rivals. The appetite for a project of this scale can be questioned, but the financial pressure to solve it is becoming harder to avoid.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Suggestions that Tuesday’s development has in effect ended the chance of Chelsea leaving Stamford Bridge for Earl’s Court are understood to be wide of the mark. Chelsea, whose owners recognise that Stamford Bridge’s capacity of 40,343 is not big enough, have held talks with various figures who have a say over the future of the 17.8 hectare (44 acres) site. Those discussions are yet to advance but the ECDC receiving planning permission does not stop other suitors from bidding for the land.

Yet it is understood that resounding local support for the ECDC will make it harder politically and financially for Chelsea to change the direction of travel. A key figure in London politics said that it was time for Chelsea to “put up or shut up” and make clear whether they are serious about Earl’s Court. The estimated value of the land is expected to rise from £500m to £750m with planning permission in place.

The ECDC does not yet have financial backing, meaning that construction cannot begin, but it could receive government support or investment from private companies. Sovereign wealth funds and international developers are likely to be interested in lucrative real estate in west London, potentially leaving Chelsea in an auction with wealthy competitors.

Chelsea are considering their options but declined to comment. They have identified the Lillie Bridge depot as the area within the Earl’s Court site on which to build a stadium. Jason Gannon, the club’s chief executive, has met Transport for London, one of the partners that looks after the site, and the real estate developer Delancey. APG, the Dutch pension fund, is another stakeholder. But there is frustration that Chelsea did not make a formal and public declaration of their interest by bidding for Earl’s Court before the ECDC plans were approved.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@SpectorMark @DavidAd53166329 And The Athletic if you got subscription: https://t.co/1gqHY8XSTn

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@SpectorMark @DavidAd53166329 https://t.co/58LOekSUX3

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Estevao has played only 148 minutes in six Chelsea appearances this season, and I think that is too little.

Alonso is right not to rush a 19-year-old after injury, but four late league cameos will not develop him. He needs real stretches of games now, not scraps.👇

His Brazil comments were sensible. He can only train and take the chance when it comes. But Chelsea also have to create meaningful chances for him. Five minutes at the end of a game is maintenance, not development.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Emi Martinez has conceded ten goals in his first four Chelsea games. I don't think the goalkeeper is the main problem when he has faced so many shots, but he has not brought the authority Chelsea bought him for yet. At 34, the settling-in excuse cannot last forever.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@SpectorMark @DavidAd53166329 You can disagree without pretending geography ends the discussion. Everton moved to a new site and kept Goodison for the women's team. And according to Kieran Gill, Earl's Court is still not dead. The real question is whether Chelsea can secure a workable site.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@SpectorMark @MacMac5i3 Kieran Gill reported in the Daily Mail that Chelsea still believe Earl's Court could be possible despite the current plans. That is what I am going by. If you have newer information showing it is completely off the table, then fair enough, thanks for the update.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

@brexit_ed @KingDickso28297 That "Chelsea struggle to fill 40k" line is a myth. Around 28k season ticket holders, roughly 10k on the waiting list, and tens of thousands more buying memberships for access to tickets. For Premier League and European games, a bigger Stamford Bridge would still be packed.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Denis Zakaria told Lamine Camara Chelsea was 'good but it is better here' at Monaco. That's a former Chelsea player, on the record, actively talking a target out of joining. Worth remembering next time the club wonders why deals keep falling through late.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Cole Palmer has played only five of England's 28 games since the Euro 2024 final. That number looks bad until the reason matters.

He has had recurring injury problems and has now withdrawn with another muscle issue. Calling that a lack of commitment is a lazy jump.👇

Palmer scored in a Euro final and earned his way back into the squad. If he isn't fit enough to play, he shouldn't be there. Turning five appearances from 28 into a character argument needs far more evidence than that.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

TEAMtalk's Fraser Fletcher reports Chelsea are tracking Conrad Harder closely during his Strasbourg loan, with a future move possible.

That makes sense. There is no purchase option and Leipzig still own him, so this is scouting for now, not a deal waiting to happen.👇

The Strasbourg link gives Chelsea a close look at a 21-year-old striker they have followed for years. But it does not give Chelsea control of his future. Leipzig still hold the contract, and Harder still has to prove he is good enough.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Even Abramovich would have had to work within today's FFP and PSR rules, so spending power alone would not solve everything. The difference was stability and clear ownership. Chelsea still need the stadium decision, but it is probably worth waiting to see what the current owners actually deliver.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Alejandro Garnacho has been an unused substitute for Aston Villa in four straight matches. Whatever the long-term plan, that loan is doing nothing for him right now. A 22-year-old winger Chelsea still own needs minutes, not a permanent seat on someone else's bench.

[Viktor @VikCFC]

Romeo Lavia and Mike Penders are both in Belgium's squad for four Nations League fixtures, starting away at Italy on Friday.

After the season he's had, Lavia getting a proper run of competitive minutes matters more than the result of any one game.👇

Belgium play Italy, then host France, then two more before October 6. That's rhythm Chelsea haven't been able to give him. Worth watching how he comes back.