Everton Transfer Thread 2016

[Ashtonian]

I don't see it as irrelevant at all. He left a Championship club without playing a single game there because he's too good for that league. That's why we wanted him.

Even Stekelenburg never played in the Championship (Not 100% on that but pretty sure!) he went on loan to Monaco and Saints to stay in top flight football.

We are still shopping at championship clubs though.

Which was kind of the point. All the talk of buying these champions league players over the last 3000 pages and yet the only clubs we have gone shopping at are not even in the same league.

In a way, kind of like the kopites 'look at our boss team! made up of villa, newcaslte and southampton players' .

Not saying we aren't signing anyone boss, just think it is amusing that that is the only place we have gone to so far.

 

[milks]

I do wonder if our bluff has been called a little bit regarding Lukaku. We placed a 65 million fee on his head which looked exorbitant and quite laughable given a lot of his performances at the Euro's. In part due to his antics I think we probably upped that to 75 million. I think this was to put Rom in his place.

For whatever reason it looks as if Chelsea may well get close to calling our bluff and getting very close to those figures. It smacks of a panic buy in all honesty, with growing discontent at their lack of activity, fears they are being left behind by United/City and a new manager looking to make a mark while struggling to finalise deals. A Chelsea ST holder I speak to says he wants 2 up top.

I think it's left us in a quandary. In all honesty I am not sure many people would be gutted if we lost Lukaku for circa 70 million. It wouldn't feel like Lescott, Rooney or even the Stones saga last season. His first touch is poor but I think you can work around that to a point if he used his physicality better. It's more that he has too many bad games for me. I remember Lampard saying judge a footballer on his bad games not his good games as most weeks you are not having a stand out performance.

Lukaku really struggles in that regard. He was awful for 10 games last season and had games for Belguim where he was very ordinary. People may say with Everton he lost faith with the manager. However do premium level 75 million centre forwards let their performance drop to that extent over being a bit unhappy? I worry about his mental state which is critical to be a top player. Compare him to Suarez (as the fees are in the same bracket though we look likely to get more) even if it's not happening for him in front of goal he still does a lot for the team on a bad day. The same for most top players Rooney, Shearer, Ronaldo even on a bad day they still contribute.

This is the rub though. I think the board would be happy to keep Lukaku to make a statement however I think the manager may be quite au fait with him leaving. We have almost come full circle. We had a manager Moyes who was very reluctant to lose players and Martinez also seemed unwilling to lose young players. Koeman seems cut from a different cloth. Lots of players left Southampton and it never seemed to overly worry him. I think he has very high expectations from a player and if they are not interested they can go. I think he will talk to Rom, but if there's any sign he will sulk like last season I expect Koeman will volley him out personally.

When Lallana left he went and got Mane. When Schneiderlin left he got Claissie. For Shaw see Bertrand, for Chambers see Clyne, Lambert > Pelle. He seems happy to trade and generally trade upwards if the player wants to go.

I agree with everything @The Esk says in that the board won't want to sell him. He is obviously very sources up. I think we have gone full circle a bit though. Almost from managers who were reluctant to trade with a board who compelled them too, to a situation now where the board may not wish too but a manager who is quite calm with that.

I think the Lukaku situation is fluid. He may go and for the fees quoted I would be quite content. The key will be which Lukaku we get. The one who was on for 30+ goals for 2/3's of last season or the petulant lad who finished last season because of a supposed grievance he faces. I agree with everyone saying replacing 18 goals will be hard, but if he is not switched on and happy he won't score 18 goals.

This will be unpopular but if we can get in 2-3 from Long, Benteke, Bony, Berahino or Lacazette it would give us a balance we lack. I think all of the names could improve under Koeman.

DOES HE IMPROVE?

Great piece. I'm of the opinion that he is replaceable and feel that £75m should be taken.

He's scored goals, so has proven himself - however we are all fully aware of his flaws. Granted they will probably be ironed out over time but the feeling that because he scored 18 goals last year he's irreplaceable is nonsense. There are numerous strikers who could potentially come in and score those goals, they probably won't cost £75m either. They're all either under-performing elsewhere, not playing for another side or aren't 'in vogue' so don't get talked about much.

Koeman's greatest achievement at Southampton was his transfer dealing. He arrived at a club which had had it's heart ripped out - players wanted to go, so he let them go. He then replaced them with cheaper, unfashionable faces; all of whom performed admirably or (in the case of Pelle & Mane) outperformed the players they came in for. He's not hit a bum note in the transfer market and this excites me.

There's another Lukaku out there. You just might not have heard much of him before. If he wants out, let him out - we just need to make sure we're paid accordingly for this.

 

[Pabbers]

Doubt he would do that myself personally. A lot could change in a year, Juve may not want him, could get injured etc. Big gamble on his behalf if he does. Do you think Juve can afford him if even if they sell pogba?

Course he would stay with them, its not like he is kicking and screaming to get out and has a good relationship with Zenit. Just see their comments today.

Juve have the best DOF in world football, and know Axel wants to move to them....and they can get him free next season, or for half in Jan.

 

[blueblue]

But even you seem to have lowered expectations from earlier on in the window mate, less than 2 weeks until kick off and we have brought in 2 players, not the greatest really

I think we probably need to focus on Sept 1st rather than the start of the season. I think we will be active right up to the very end and if a player like Mata were to come it will probably be very late in the window, certainly after the season starts.

 

[Lanolin]

Spot on that matey. Top players can have bad games don’t get me wrong. I remember when Suarez first started for Liverpool he was quite a poor finisher and missed a lot of chances but he had something about him.

People slated Lukaku for his performance At Wembley, in many ways it was his worst game for us but also his bets of the last 10. Largely because he put himself about, bullied defenders and got on the end of things. Some days it won’t go in for you, that happens but a lad with his physique should never give a defender an easy game. There were too many easy games last season.

I take the Arsenal game at home and he wondered off to the left wing. Deulofeu put cross after cross into the box and he was nowhere to be seen. He was waiting for the perfect cut back on the edge of the box. Sometimes when the team is struggling they can’t make a perfect chance for you but you have to get in the middle between the posts and challenge for headers. That’s what Shearer did, without fail every week.

In fairness to him a lot of that was the tactics of Martinez. I do think though, top players suss that out and will go against a coaches viewpoint. They see the balance of the game. Can anyone imagine Shearer in a game Newcastle were struggling in standing on the left wing as uncontested crosses went into the box? Or Rooney? Or Suarez? Even if they had a poor game they still wouldn’t make it easy for you.

As for Koeman another good point. I think that's central to it. He has played for and managed the 3 top sides in Holland and is respected by all. The Dutch as a nation and also in football are quite happy to trade. It is expected for top players to leave Holland and always has been. I don't think it will be seen in disastrous terms by Koeman.

I think we need to understand that - whatever his physique may suggest - Lukaku is not an old fashioned centre forward like Shearer. Shearer didn't give defenders an easy ride because that's the type of all action physical player he was. Lukaku is more like a Van Nistelrooy in my opinion, he wants to be in the box poaching or playing on the shoulder of defenders rather than getting involved in the rough stuff. Players like that can give the impression that they're giving defenders an easy ride but they cause defenders a lot more problems mentally (having to be aware and switched on for 90 minutes) than the physical battering rams do.

Martinez didn't play to Lukaku's strengths and he eventually got fed up with it. The sooner people realise that he'll never be that physical powerhouse they expect him to be, the sooner they'll realise he's among the very best at doing what he's good at.

 

[The Esk]

As an aside - we're in for both Carvhalo AND Adrien Silva? Interesting. Possible?

Esk, you posted that tweet about Adrien and Carvalho, have you heard of interest in Adrien before? Someone who i work with is over form Portugal and they said that it was common talk there!

I was only aware of our interest and progress with Carvalho. I will see if I can find out anything more.

 

[bluestevon]

Esk, you posted that tweet about Adrien and Carvalho, have you heard of interest in Adrien before? Someone who i work with is over form Portugal and they said that it was common talk there!

Pretty sure i had seen an article from their linking us with both within the last week mate, maybe from that it has spread?

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

Pretty sure i had seen an article from their linking us with both within the last week mate, maybe from that it has spread?

Dunno, the first thing he said to me when he came in the office was "have Everton won the lottery" hahahaha. He said he heard about 3 weeks ago about the Carvalho interest being really firm, but its become a bigger deal with Adrien interested in the move too.

He has no inside track like, he is just from Portugal and reads a lot of their forums. He seemed pretty certain from what he has seen we are in for both of them

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

I was only aware of our interest and progress with Carvalho. I will see if I can find out anything more.

Good man!

 

[l4toffee]

Wwwwaaaaayyyyyy too big

He doesn't do short posts that fella lol

 

[Chimpy Glassman]

Dunno, the first thing he said to me when he came in the office was "have Everton won the lottery" hahahaha. He said he heard about 3 weeks ago about the Carvalho interest being really firm, but its become a bigger deal with Adrien interested in the move too.

He has no inside track like, he is just from Portugal and reads a lot of their forums. He seemed pretty certain from what he has seen we are in for both of them

 

[bluestevon]

Dunno, the first thing he said to me when he came in the office was "have Everton won the lottery" hahahaha. He said he heard about 3 weeks ago about the Carvalho interest being really firm, but its become a bigger deal with Adrien interested in the move too.

He has no inside track like, he is just from Portugal and reads a lot of their forums. He seemed pretty certain from what he has seen we are in for both of them

Suppose the main interest could be in Carvalho, with Silva as one of the backup options to Witsel should it fall thoguh - as think they are 'similarish' types - box to box etc

Still want Strootman most of all myself, he's my years Tadic/Yarmolenko lol

 

[Shibbywiggles]

I think we need to understand that - whatever his physique may suggest - Lukaku is not an old fashioned centre forward like Shearer. Shearer didn't give defenders an easy ride because that's the type of all action physical player he was. Lukaku is more like a Van Nistelrooy in my opinion, he wants to be in the box poaching or playing on the shoulder of defenders rather than getting involved in the rough stuff. Players like that can give the impression that they're giving defenders an easy ride but they cause defenders a lot more problems mentally (having to be aware and switched on for 90 minutes) than the physical battering rams do.

Martinez didn't play to Lukaku's strengths and he eventually got fed up with it. The sooner people realise that he'll never be that physical powerhouse they expect him to be, the sooner they'll realise he's among the very best at doing what he's good at.

I know what you mean and overall I agree but he does have the potential to be a physical powerhouse. Look at that first goal in the cup quarter final against Chelsea or even that game he played on the right wing against Arsenal, for both of those goals I remember defenders bouncing off him. Overall though yeah he's at his best being fed through balls or crosses which Del can deliver next season!

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

Suppose the main interest could be in Carvalho, with Silva as one of the backup options to Witsel should it fall thoguh - as think they are 'similarish' types - box to box etc

Still want Strootman most of all myself, he's my years Tadic/Yarmolenko lol

Yeah when i first seen that article i thought it was a kick up the arse to get Witsel moving otherwise we will move on.

Woulnt mind too much having Adrien like, specially with Carvalho behind him.

 

[bluestevon]

Yeah when i first seen that article i thought it was a kick up the arse to get Witsel moving otherwise we will move on.

Woulnt mind too much having Adrien like, specially with Carvalho behind him.

dunno much about Adrien mate, although obviously rated highly and very experienced, so wouldnt say no