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Achraf Hakimi

No disputing he’s world class at RWB but if we change formation or managers (yes, I know - but we’re Chelsea) does he still fit? 
 

I’m not overly keen on this. I feel like a striker (Haaland) and a proper DM (Rice) should be the clubs priorities at the moment.

If we want to move on Alonso & Emerson and need cover for LB/LWB - we should be looking at Josh Doig at Hibs - YPOTY in Scotland and only 18 with the club looking for about £5m, showing more promise than Andy Robertson showed at that age and I reckon his ceiling is higher. Chilwell is locked down as starter anyway and he’s no particularly injury prone!

Still, if it doesn’t interfere with Haaland or Rice - great!

 
EdinburghBlue said:
No disputing he’s world class at RWB but if we change formation or managers (yes, I know - but we’re Chelsea) does he still fit? 
 

I’m not overly keen on this. I feel like a striker (Haaland) and a proper DM (Rice) should be the clubs priorities at the moment.

If we want to move on Alonso & Emerson and need cover for LB/LWB - we should be looking at Josh Doig at Hibs - YPOTY in Scotland and only 18 with the club looking for about £5m, showing more promise than Andy Robertson showed at that age and I reckon his ceiling is higher. Chilwell is locked down as starter anyway and he’s no particularly injury prone!

Still, if it doesn’t interfere with Haaland or Rice - great!
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Probably moving on Hakimi 1st because of PSG. 

Great player, and if Tuchel wants him, then im backing the manager. From my point of view, I dont think he is particularly needed, however he is a fantastic option for right and left wing back. 

 




Loads of clips of him on the left there. I think he would be an asset to any squad. Just hope it is to play infront of James, rather than instead of. 

 
Another interesting factor here is that Inter Milan are in desperate need of 80 million euros before June 30th. So if we up our bid a littlebit it could be done soon I assume.

15 goals/assists in 29 starts in Serie A last season.

 
He would be a class addition for sure!  Big money but I think it would be well worth it if it doesn't effect our other major plans.  IF we went big this transfer period and signed Haaland and Rice (and possibly another CB), for example, Hakimi would be the cherry on top!

 
Couple of reservations about this.

For one Dave is a favorite of TT so I dont see him missing many games, and you dont spend that amount of money on a specialist rwb to not play him most games. So I personally believe it will impact Reece and his game time.

Secondly, as Edinburgh Blue pointed out, he is a specialist wingback, no real use as a right back. A bit like Alonso, another we could be stuck with who does not play if we have a poor season, TT gets sacked and we get a new 433 manager.

 
axman2526 said:
Couple of reservations about this.

For one Dave is a favorite of TT so I dont see him missing many games, and you dont spend that amount of money on a specialist rwb to not play him most games. So I personally believe it will impact Reece and his game time.

Secondly, as Edinburgh Blue pointed out, he is a specialist wingback, no real use as a right back. A bit like Alonso, another we could be stuck with who does not play if we have a poor season, TT gets sacked and we get a new 433 manager.
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You say that yet who was the one that was hauled off when we were chasing games?

Azpi can't last forever, a succession plan has to start sometime and now is as good a time as any.

 
Argo said:
Azpi can't last forever, a succession plan has to start sometime and now is as good a time as any.
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This tbh.  Don't get me wrong, I love Azpi and he puts in every game he plays for us and he's been one of our best buys ever considering the price we paid for.  What he's done for us is absolutely amazing but he's 31 now, almost 32, and we need to have a plan in place.  He'll still play as it's going to be a huge season but we'll also need depth as well.  James and Hakimi are 21 and 22 and we could get ten years out of them both compared to just another two or three out of Azpi with his behind him at that point.

 
Argo said:
You say that yet who was the one that was hauled off when we were chasing games?

Azpi can't last forever, a succession plan has to start sometime and now is as good a time as any.
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Yes, that is right, but I don't think that this fact invalidates @axman2526's comments. Azpi is not really a wingback, is he? Can Hakimi play as a FB? If not, we only have James there for cover. I guess Axman is worried that we are getting a specialist and not necessarily someone that could be played on a back 4.

 
Argo said:
You say that yet who was the one that was hauled off when we were chasing games?

Azpi can't last forever, a succession plan has to start sometime and now is as good a time as any.
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RMH said:
Yes, that is right, but I don't think that this fact invalidates @axman2526's comments. Azpi is not really a wingback, is he? Can Hakimi play as a FB? If not, we only have James there for cover. I guess Axman is worried that we are getting a specialist and not necessarily someone that could be played on a back 4.
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@RMH answered it for me. 

Basically Dave is a defenders defender who can play anywhere in the back line and play it really well. You plan on succeeding him with a specialist right wing back who does not defend that well according to many who have seen him?

 
axman2526 said:
Basically Dave is a defenders defender who can play anywhere in the back line and play it really well. You plan on succeeding him with a specialist right wing back who does not defend that well according to many who have seen him?
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Azpi wouldn't leave. He'd be a rotation option and role player for certain games I assume.

But there have been some signs of Azpi losing a yard or two over the last two seasons. We once got stung by holding on to Ivanovic too long when he was at a similar ago to current Azpi.
Hakimi may be a "specialist" attacker but we already got Reece James and Azpi who you can consider allrounders so I don't see the problem.

 
Hakimi can play both lwb and rwb. Not to mention further forward as a traditional rm or lm. This means were we to play a 442 with Ben and Reece at full back, Hakimi could feature in front of either one of them.

I'm 100% certain TT is one of the main drivers for this deal I don't think we would be this interested without his say so. The more flexible the player the more we desire them for Tuchel's style, not enough is mentioned of Tuchel's use of total football. It's what he has based his success at this club on so far multi purpose players.

 
I think we`re all in agreement that Hakimi would not fundamentally threaten James but play alongside him. Now that could be as a RCB in a back 3, which James has played a lot towards the end of the season.

However, for a  long time I've been thinking James could also be a midfield powerhouse for us, physical, great delivery from the half spaces and a strong shot from a distance. I could picture James - Kanté to be amazing. I find it unfortunate that we hardly got to see him in that role last season, which would means there'd be some risk in having this assumption impact our transfer plans. But could a Hakimi transfer potentially make a Rice transfer redundant?

 
Luiz4Chelsea said:
I think we`re all in agreement that Hakimi would not fundamentally threaten James but play alongside him. Now that could be as a RCB in a back 3, which James has played a lot towards the end of the season.

However, for a  long time I've been thinking James could also be a midfield powerhouse for us, physical, great delivery from the half spaces and a strong shot from a distance. I could picture James - Kanté to be amazing. I find it unfortunate that we hardly got to see him in that role last season, which would means there'd be some risk in having this assumption impact our transfer plans. But could a Hakimi transfer potentially make a Rice transfer redundant?
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I have concerns for James play time if we stick 343 and this deal comes about.

I imagine our back 3 of dave Silva Rudiger remaining first choice so imagine signing this player would see James dropped to the bench in the majority of games.

 
If we get him and Haaland, our team is going to be absolutely insane.

Mount Haaland Havertz

Chilwell Kante Kovacic Hakimi

Rudiger Silva James

Mendy

Plus there’s Werner, Ziyech, Hudson Odoi and Pulisic. Mad.

 
RMH said:
Yes, that is right, but I don't think that this fact invalidates @axman2526's comments. Azpi is not really a wingback, is he? Can Hakimi play as a FB? If not, we only have James there for cover. I guess Axman is worried that we are getting a specialist and not necessarily someone that could be played on a back 4.
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axman2526 said:
@RMH answered it for me. 

Basically Dave is a defenders defender who can play anywhere in the back line and play it really well. You plan on succeeding him with a specialist right wing back who does not defend that well according to many who have seen him?
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Above all else we have an obscene amount of games next season (even if we bomb out of all the cups in the first round we will have 48 games to play) and we have a manager who likes to make full use of his squad bar a few players.

Even if James started the season as back up (which i don't think he will) he will still have more than enough game time.

I don't think the succession plan in replacing Azpi with Hakimi it will be replacing Azpi with James, whether that's at RB or the hybrid position.

 
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As long as James comes back in the right headspace from the Euros, he's a nailed on starter. 

Honestly not a single player in the world in his position who I could see displacing him. 

Simply imperious in the CL final and what a season he's had.

Hakimi would likely either rotate, or play alongside him. Tasty thought, that. 

TT is a big fan of players that are able to play multiple positions well. That versatility + quality is tough to beat, plus sticking it to PSG is always nice. 

 
If not for Inter being in a mess financially we might not have been in for him this summer.

But if an oppotunity presents itself you've got to jump all over it. 

 
Deino said:
I'd take Hakimi to share the burden with Reece. We have a crazy amount of games next season with the Euros and World Cup coming up in 18 months.

Hakimi adds even more pace to the wingback position.

He's also Moroccan so there's the Afcon. Plenty of game time for both Reece and him to share
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My view is still the same.

Reece could even be mould slowly into the RCB position a la Dave. Maybe have Hakimi push up and have Reece cross from deep

 
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