To me, this all seems way too much like moving the deckchairs on the Titanic!
Get the first 11 selections right, and the shape right, and get the players revved.
I'm not sure that he ever really was (if you get what I mean!). Certainly good, but not great, and not a player who can 'carry' the team forward on his own back. I don't want to lose him, but I wouldn't be distraught if we did.
I'd imagine that some of it was serious, because the club did seem interested early on. just not at the price being quoted.
But I think (hope!) that we've moved beyond that now! To my way of thinking, he's simply not a Chelsea-type player.
I think that we've done ok in the market so far. I just hope we're not seriously entertaining buying Gordon from Everton. That would imo, be flushing money down the toilet.