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The Edin Dzeko situation is supposed to resolve some point today, or possibly by the end of the weekend at the latest, but if the latest reports are to be believed, it’s not going to resolve at all, and certainly not in a positive way.
That makes me happy, personally, since this was a silly proposition from the very beginning, but the fact that we, as a a club, apparently entertained this silly proposition very seriously (and are still entertaining it probably until the weekend or the window is over) and spent a serious amount of time on it, makes me seriously less happy. It’s not like Dzeko turned too old and too expensive and too entrenched at Roma overnight.
As one source described it to Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard, the situation has become an “unbelievable mess”. Which sounds quite believable, even if you aren’t the biggest cynic of Chelsea’s transfer market activities.
Someone I've been speaking to throughout #cfc negotiations with Roma has just described the current situation as 'an unbelievable mess'.
— Simon Johnson (@sjstandardsport) January 26, 2018
Football Italia sum up today’s rumors from both sides of the Channel, which increasingly are pointing towards the Dzeko deal not happening (guesses seem divided as to whether the Emerson deal can complete on its own, as rumored previously). Dzeko doesn’t want to move to Chelsea to sign a shorter contract (through 2019) than he already has (through 2020), and he doesn’t want to do so while also becoming a de facto backup to Morata over a nailed on starter at Roma ... and not be able to play Champions League football at the same time. All of that is common sense and has been coming from a mile away. It really should not have taken us a week to get here.
It’s unclear where this all leaves Chelsea, but it’s probably nowhere good. Conte still doesn’t seem to trust Batshuayi, preferring a half-fit Barkley on Wednesday even when it came to the early substitution, but it’s not like there’s a gaggle of strong man forwards just waiting for Chelsea’s call. Brain-numbing rumors of Islam Slimani or Olivier Giroud (loan) are adding to previous numbness from Carroll, Crouch, and Benteke. Dzeko was at least a decent player, even if one who’s situation didn’t make much sense for Chelsea to pursue.
Four days to go in the window.