John Stones

[Tubey]

I'd hope Everton's board wouldn't be allowed to be bullied mate - prior Moshiri, look at how we dealt with Chelsea last summer.

The transfer has been inevitable for a long time - selling a key player, and then scrambling around looking to replace him a few days before the season starts isn't ideal is it? Couldn't we have said we value him at £xx, and we'll only accept this by this date?

I suspect most fans aren't surprised or angered by the sale itself, more the timing and management of it.

This is completely fair, and also works the other way - if we had any ambition to bring in top players, we make the bid and set a deadline, and move on if it's not met.

That's why Witsel, if any of it is true, is infuriating and indicative of complete amateurs at Everton.

 

[BlueToff]

It's an even bigger embarrassment that people are fuming that we actually managed to run away with £42m for a middle-of-the-road defender!

Stones will be world-class mate. Willing to be vaulted on it if he ends up at Sunderland in 4 years, like

 

[diggerdestroyer]

Honestly I'm not arsed at all about it, no clue why there's a meltdown. He has a good passing range but he's an average defender, horrible in the air, too many errors.

We've robbed City blind for £42m.

All true. But Stones will be a top defender alongside a top beast type center half.something we don't have

 

[TheFinnFan]

how can city name him into the squad if the deal is not done? ffs this is funny

 

[blueblue]

Just get it done.
We have known the player has wanted to leave for over twelve months.
Great business by Everton, although it would have been nice if he had wanted to stay.

I don't wish any ill on a player leaving Everton , but I don't wish them any success either.

 

[billytoffee]

As the main man says it is the dragging on and having him play for us in pre season that is the main issue. But there is not much we could realistically do until City met the valuation I suppose.

The bottom line is he doesn't want to play for us and put in the hard yards to get us back to where we should be and earn a place in the likes of the Champions league on his own merit and efforts.

The fact that he is going or gone already shouldn't be a surprise to any of us really and I don't wish the lad any real harm - but I do hope that his next dump is a cross between a ten pin bowling ball and a hedghog and that he fades away to mediocrity like the majority that choose to leave us for the big bucks and bright lights.

 

[R.Reddington]

Reckon this is includes Bony ?

Yeah, he's surplus to requirements over there.

 

[magicjuan]

We always seem to have to wait for players out before we make a move to get some in. This year is allegedly more complex due to FFP, allegedly, depending on what funding is available from non player sales.

Other teams do this, and even taking into account a new managerand DOF, we never seem to have plans or contingencies to allow deals to be done early to benefit the team. The actual window is partly to blame but it still smacks of amateurism in the market.

Utd had their prime target in Pogba but while that was dragging on they still concluded deals for others.

Few days to go to the season and I believe we are very far from prepared or settled compared to other sides.

We have decent players still (though what affect this has on Lukaku remains to be seen) but we are stale, a lot of murmurings from supporters and again, every single time, Everton fail to build on a new manager or momentum to hit the ground running.

It's like deja vu all over again.

 

[Real_madras]

Stones is purely, a good player with a big potential. Central defenders don't get to their best until late 20's. We will actually be stronger by buying an experienced player like the two we're linked to. In a few years we might be thinking what might of been. But can we wait 6years? He makes loads of mistakes, although he can also be fantastic. We need a consistent player at the back. As for the fee well I really think Everton are robbing City blind. Barnsley fans must be praying, big amount of money for them.

 

[f.t.r.s]

Doesn't give off the best impression either, regardless of how much it genuinely affects our transfer plans it makes us look like a sell to buy club which is something we apparently had moved on from under new management

 

[Tubey]

Why would City be embarrassed? I'd rather take the chance and name him in the squad than not do it and then have him for league games only because you signed him 24 hours too late.

If anything, City should be congratulated for being smart about it. The worst that can happen for them is that they have one player unallocated if they don't sign him, and let's face it, the deal is obviously pretty much done.

 

[naz]

Fee has got to be £50m one way or another or Everton will look like mugs for letting this drag on and getting below valuation

£42m plus add-ons. That's a British record for a defender. Does it matter? Moshiri has money. It's players that matter.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Luiz was £40m (is there another one I'm missing)?

Luiz was 50

 

[l4toffee]

Yeah, he's surplus to requirements over there.

So bony and the mackems kone and £30m . Not terrible business if true .

 

[Tubey]

Doesn't give off the best impression either, regardless of how much it genuinely affects our transfer plans it makes us look like a sell to buy club which is something we apparently had moved on from under new management

We are a sell to buy club. The summer has proven it - if we weren't, we'd have brought players in by now.

Our status in the footballing world is beyond doubt at this point. Very, very little has changed - we've upgraded to a slightly richer, foreign Kenwright.