maybe not. Ayew comes in either as a backup winger or (if he's in form) as a starting striker. On a good day, he's better than Benteke.

RLC would come in at No. 10, so a trio of Zaha-RLC-Townsend with Luka-Meyer(Kouyate/McArthur) behind. We need all these players if we want to put out a decent team week in/out once injuries/suspensions start pilling up.

I think any loan fee might be a sticking point. At the moment it's a stand-off between rather rash comments - Hodgson's over-enthusiasm for RLC and the player's statement about insisting on a first-team place at Chelsea

We'ere quite well stocked numbers wise in midfield now especially as Puncheop and Riedewald, at least, have been shown the door and shrugged

Have looked at the Chelsea site. First team list of 28 players, RLC not included.

I think most teams (us included) don't feel pressure to sell or loan out the fringe players.

Everyone knows they still have 3 weeks to find a buyer in Europe, which has the added bonus of not helping your direct competitors. So no panic selling this year.

Now if the teams don't find Euro buyers this August (I suspect the high prem wages will be the biggest roadblock), then probably there will be more pressure in January to clear players out if they've more or less sat in the squad practicing for 5 months.

We could see a very active January.

Has anyone done the ‘they’ve just seen him in Sainsbury’s’ joke yet?

Such a shame that he didnt come. Wonder whats gonna happen to him and with him being a full England international now hes not even in the Chelsea squad. Only option for him now is to go abroad.