Chelsea ended up getting their Plan B to cover the injury to Liam Delap as they scrambled around on transfer deadline day.
There was so much going on of course at the end of the summer transfer window and Chelsea were involved in plenty of dramas.
EXCLUSIVE! Chelsea tried to sign Wolves striker on deadline day!!
I’ve just written a story this morning about how winger Tyrique George has been left very upset by not being able to join Fulham on deadline day on Monday due to the documents not being signed in time. Imagine missing out on a move just because of that. It’s unclear which club didn’t sign them in time but either way, it’s not good for the kid.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson DID get his move to Bayern Munich in the end, although one pundit believes that he will just be mainly a bench player there and Chelsea will be unable to get their obligation fee for Bayern to sign him permanently.
And Jackson was apparently just Chelsea’s Plan C to replace the injured Liam Delap as Chelsea paused his loan move, tried to bring him back, but then allowed him to join them in the end in what was the most dramatic deadline day story this summer.
Plan A and Plan B
Chelsea ended up getting their Plan B, which was allegedly to bring back Marc Guiu from his loan move at Sunderland after just a few games into the season.
Plan A was to sign Conrad Harder from Sporting, but that didn’t happen.
BBC report
Reporter Nizaar Kinsella from The BBC said on this situation:
‘Chelsea’s plan A was to sign Harder, plan B was Marc Guiu and plan C was sticking with Jackson. Harder turned down Chelsea for Leipzig where he had a bigger squad role on offer.’
Sorry, but what was the plan (for squad depth in the event of injury) BEFORE deadline day. This “Plan A, Plan B, Plan C” business all sounds like what was thrown together AFTER Delap was injured, but I find it hard to believe that Harder was the plan all along.
It sure appears as though, despite having an otherwise successful window, the directors really dropped the ball when the shipped off Jackson, Guiu and Nkunku while expecting Pedro to provide cover at both the 9 and the 10 and, with Palmer down their poor and their failure to land Xavi Simons, their poor planning was exposed the minute Delap came up lame. The story of panic in behind the scenes in the stadium and this business of sending Delap for immediate scans just speaks to how they suddenly realized they hadn’t acquired the necessary depth. I mean, jeez Luiz, how do you expect to make it through a Prem season, two domestic cups and the UCL with only three players to cover both the 9 and the 10?
It’s all well and good that they were able to recall Guiu and brought in Buonanotte on loan, but neither of those can be expected to fill the shoes currently vacated in our lineup. The directors had plenty of time and opportunity over the last few weeks to have avoided this panic response, but seemed to be too fixated on Garnacho. Would love for someone, who isn’t merely feeding us the story the club are willing to leak to them, to do some real reporting and as the tough question: How did you imagine Joao Pedro alone could provide cover at the 9 and 10 across an entire season?