Dyche: No Everton contact regarding Ekitiké

His Wikipedia entry sounds like he’d be a good fit!

“Hugo Ekitike[2] was born on 20 June 2002 in Reims, Marne[3] to a French father and a Cameroonian mother, he grew up with a passionate hatred of the so-called “redshite”.[4]”

And that he’s already here but we don’t know it …..”Hugo Ekitike (born 20 June 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Everton FC.”

Looks like some wag has got onto his Wikipedia already: "In an interview with L'Equipe earlier this year, he stated that his childhood hero was 'Leccy Legs' and he was gutted when they closed Smokey Mo's."

He is 6ft 2" and quick like Calvert-Lewin. Not a target man per se but would be a handful. He was fantastic at Reims and probably went too young to PSG and it didn't work out for him. He is redundant now following their purchase of the excellent Ramos from Benfica.

He is skilful and fast, young but less raw than Chermitti. High ceiling potential too. Get it done, Everton, for fuck's sake!

A very exciting loan if true – albeit just like Henry, he might look a bit out of his depth at first.

Haha, never succumb to those judgements made via YouTube videos mate.

I don't know anything about this Ekitike boy, but I'd never watch YouTube because they even manage to make Oumar Niasse look like Pele in his prime.

If we are interested in this lad, we should also ask if Marco Verratti, who has also been told he can go, is available for a loan too. He's Italy's defensive midfielder and a real upgrade for our midfield dept. Hope springs eternal.

Please let this window end, a whole summer of this madness and still 3 weeks left in the window, or 6 weeks if the Middle-Eastern clubs decide they want to buy a player.

Which includes a lifetime membership to all of Bill's productions and a half-an-half scarf with the teams of PSG's choice. Also asked if they could throw in Mbappe as a make-weight.

Sky Sports' Alan Myers is back again with an update. Everton have reportedly submitted an offer to PSG for Hugo Ekitike. It isn't a foregone conclusion as Myers reports that the French side are considering the sale of the striker.

No way is Bill giving away a lifetime membership to his productions.

I see Gnonto is not in the Leeds squad tonight. He must be packing his bags for Finch Farm tomorrow.

What is positive, however, is what appears to be the change in transfer strategy, albeit a few years late.

Thelwell appears to be leading the targets - he targeted Toure last summer but the board opted for Maupay (who I imagine was offered to them by agents). Whilst also bringing in Garner, Onana, and McNeil. Also attempted to bring in Kudus.

This summer Chermiti, Danjuma as well as targeting Toure again, and now this lad. Thelwell is clearly attempting to turn things round, despite all the limitations.

Gone from looking at players like Rondon to looking for players that could give us back some excitement on a Saturday! Thelwell is doing good up to now.

Get this guy!

It is very strange that we are not in the market for someone to replace Gylfi Sigurdsson or James Rodriguez!

At last we have someone who knows how to get a deal done smartly.

Esk on twitter now saying that 777 are buying Everton outright and getting shut of Moshiri and the rest.

The reason for my reluctance to accept this as 'news' is that it's possibly from months ago, and the pages on GOT have gone into meltdown, plus since 'X' came into being I can't read tweets unless I sign up to the platform. Anyone else have access to 'X' and can read Esk's latest tweets?

Neither Chermiti nor Ekitike can play out wide that convincingly. Ekitike may be a bit further on than Chermiti but would be odd to spend big on 2 youngsters in same position.

Off-topic, Ryan O'Hanlon and Bill Connelly of ESPN are out today predicting we'll finish 13th. I love those guys.

The 777 football mystery – Josimar Football

I'd be inclined to agree except we haven't managed to buy a single player yet and our first game is in 3 days time. A winnable fixture that our manager says our top striker isn't available for.

Hence we haven't got a single permanent deal done yet. Personally I'm not particularly happy as things stand.

No mention of what you were talking about, although the thought of 777 taking control could be enough to trigger a serious medical event if any of what has been written about them is true.

Sounds like we are about to sell someone.

Sorry to hear about Paul's health issues, here's hoping he makes a quick and full recovery.

On the GOT 'news' I suspect that a few of the posters took advantage of the members only access to Twitter, sorry X, and posted something which couldn't be easily verified or denied. I thought it unlikely that 777 would be involved at all, never mind purchasing the whole shebang.

Well, we might not be in the best of shape, but Luton we are not.

Luton Town's Baz on bagging Ross Barkley: "We have pulled off a statement signing, Ross Barkley has signed for Luton Town ... If you told me last year that we'd be signing RB. I would have just laughed at you ... we've shocked the whole footballing world today".

Bless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN14yrpVcUg

How true any of this is I don't know as it is just posting on social media and anyone can post anything on there but there must be a reason MSP have not concluded the arrangement.

Anyway I am sure we all wish Paul the Esk a speedy and full recovery.

Get. well soon to Paul the Esk. You are already missed. A stroke is something nobody wants, but in most cases a good recovery can be made from one.

As for us being linked to this kid, well, thanks for the early morning laugh.

And Paul the Esk, here's hoping for your quick and full recovery as trying to make some sense of Eveton's financial mess would do anyone's head in.

Sam, Mike, I was thinking the same last night, how does this square up with signing Chermiti? It puts him way down the pecking order.

Will we go for one or the other? Maybe even sign both for succession planning if Calvert-Lewin is planning to leave next summer? I'm sure it will become clearer at some point.

At this point, we are literally trying to sign anybody that has two legs and plays in the striker position. Pathetic!

On the transfer speculation, is the club showing targets that it has other options or are we simply running down a list and getting told to sod-off?

Good luck to the lad, except for the two games against us.

Jay #34, if Moshiri's UK Bank account is closed, I've no doubt he has half a dozen others that he can receive funds into.

Re:Gnonto, it would make sense not to get "cup tied" from both sides this early in case of a potential move.

Probably means that we will end up with Maupay's brother if we are lucky!

Alan Myers has since given an update that Everton have now made an official bid.

Fingers crossed.

1. A complete smokescreen.

2. An exciting loan signing with a sizeable option to buy that we have no expectation of ever paying; it's just considered the best short-term plan to get a quality player through the door without any real outlay and hopefully get us that little bit closer to another year as a Premier League club without having to spend any major transfer money. But it makes me think we really don't have any significant money to spend at all.

3. An option lined up by Moshiri and Kenwright that they hope will appease the fans when we end up selling Onana or Pickford or Branthwaite (or even 2 of the 3) - but, hey, we have Ekitike on loan, so…

Maybe I am being very pessimistic but with Kenwright still pulling the strings it's hard to think that there aren't going to be some serious bumps in the road before the transfer window closes.

All the best to Paul the Esk.

If fit, we get a fee which we use to pay the obligation on Ekitike. Is this Thelwell thinking ahead, getting the quality replacement in now on loan?

However, more importantly I hope that we get some good news re Paul the Esk's health. I am sure that all the people who read Paul's financial reports will want to wish him well and a very speedy recovery.

I had a minor stroke back in October 2018, just after my 56th birthday, while on holidays in Portugal. There is definitely life after it. I would think that I am far healthier now than I was prior to the stroke. Treat it as a warning and make whatever adjustments are necessary; however, Everton FC must remain part of your life.

My recovery started with a 2-1 win at Leicester. I followed the game from my iPad while recovering in my hospital bed in Faro. Sigurdsson scored a screamer to win the game. I was back working in my Accountancy business by the end of that October and I have never looked back.

The best of luck in the future!

One said with it being located not far from Manchester and Liverpool, they could see players from Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool being interested.

He then said, "But not Everton players – they aren't big enough to have players who could afford it." Just shows how far we have fallen when even muppets like these make these comments.

The Chermiti saga is dragging on and on, he'll probably u-turn and end up at Luton or Bournemouth; Ekitiké seems to have a preference for Lens; and Gnonto will probably end up at Villa. Sorry to pour cold water on people's summer optimism but that's been the pattern in recent years.

Che Adams was in the frame at one time but even that's looking dodgy now. Maybe the best bet to happen yet, however!

Best of luck to Paul the Esk, I think Christopher (53) is giving him some good advice.

We are in a shocking position and, if I was a player, I wouldn't want to come here.

But Thelwell seems to be working his bollocks off to get young players with re-sale value into the club to hopefully transform the style of play and financial situation of the club.

It's not tripe, we may not sign the players we're in for but it looks like we're at least making bids and trying to get players in. Multiple sources say we've bid for Etikite (if he chooses to go elsewhere that's on him…) Chermiti is about to have a medical (not sure what more can be done there) and as for Gnonto, I'm not sure we've actually made a bid but either way he's refusing to play for Leeds…

I'll go for ‘summer realism' over ‘summer optimism' and wait and see, I thought last summer's business was really good apart from a striker. The less said about January, the better, in fairness.

And as for Che Adams... I'd actually be happy with that!

Maybe they're his replacement plus a back-up…

Best of luck to Paul The Esk, with my advice being that constantly thinking about people like Bill Kenwright only causes massive stress. You love the blues Paul, but your health is more important, mate.

Let's just see what happens.

Good to see we are going for young attacking talent as well. Hopefully they will develop in to top players who drag us up the table and also give us a profit.

PSG accept Everton's Hugo Ekitiké offer, Frenchman keen on Lens move

Just in case there are any legs to this, does anyone know anything about Ekitike?

If this true has Chermiti had second thoughts or have we got fed up of waiting for him?

The noise appears to be a bit more positive. Chermiti looks to be completed today after the work permit issues. Gnonto looks to be forcing a move and Ekitike is a serious player.

From all accounts, PSG have accepted the bid but we have a job on our hands convincing the player to join but you've got to be in it to win it.

Dom, Ekitike and Chermiti would be a dream scenario. Ekitike could fill in for Dom and it gives Chermiti time to develop. All three strikers over 6 ft and we can play roughly in the same way.

Gnonto, Danjuma, McNeil and Iwobi on the wings looks better than last season too. Obviously there's no guarantee we get both or either of them but we're going for the right profile!

I'm getting fed up with it all, to be honest.

It keeps the fans believing that they are trying to bring in players, when all the time they have no intention.

Papers make up fake links all the time but when reputable sources come out (Myers etc) there's always something to it.

Take your point about trying to bring in young players with potential and sell-on value. That's obviously a step in the right direction.

I guess I've seen so many disappointing outcomes over the years I've become a little cynical and certainly can't get excited until I actually see the players in a blue shirt.

I also find it quite depressing that clubs like Forest, Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford can be perceived as more attractive to young players than us but that's not helped by financial uncertainty and poor top management.

I'd also be happy with Che Adams!

My brother was quite friendly with a manager who explained how difficult it is to get any transfer over the line, not least because as soon as an offer is made both the player's agent and selling club will see if they can find a better offer.

The involvement of social media only adds to the frustration.
Even the 'elite' clubs have this problem to deal with.
I see this morning that Chelsea who have been pursuing Brighton's Caciedo for months may about to be gazzumped by Liverpool.

Sadly the days of Harry Catterick meeting a player in a motor way service station and doing the deal on the spot are long gone.

I've heard a few called 'tit' from time to time.

I would hazard a guess that Garner can be the provider, in addition to McNeil and Iwobi who weigh in with a fair number of assists. If we can get 2 out of Ekitike, Chermiti and Gnonto and let go of Gray and Maupay and 1 of Holgate or Godfrey, this would be a very, very good transfer window.

Gomes and Gbamin should also be sold or loaned out to get their wages off the books. I still hold out a romantic fantasy that Alli will come good and fire us to European glory.

A squad of:

Calvert-Lewin, Ekitike, Gnonto (or Chermiti), Danjuma, Dobbin, Alli
Iwobi, McNeil, Garner, Doucouré, Onana, Gana
Mykolenko, Young, Patterson, Coleman, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Keane, Holgate (or Godfrey)
Pickford, Virginia

Is very decent, in my opinion.

Or of course, when another club comes in and takes the player, it is "Well, we tried but couldn't quite get this player over the line."

Come on and pull your finger out.

You don't think they're overpaying for Alex Scott? Lots of potential there, and his languid style is fun to watch, but he's played 7,000 minutes of football and isn't in double figures for goals or assists yet. He's hardly James Maddison.

I actually think that Alex Scott still isn't sure what position he should play in. It's all well and good to be versatile enough to be able to sit deep in midfield and pass/tackle, or play off the strikers and try to pull strings, but being good enough to do both well is no substitute for being able to do either brilliantly.

Dyche just said in his press conference, that there was no contact whatsoever for Ekitike, and liked Gnonto as a footballer, which was encouraging. He said Gray, Gomes and Holgate were part of the squad.

Our problem is not being able to offer big cash deals upfront, limits the quality of player we can go for. I also see where Kompany has signed Berge, a good midfielder.

The Mail reporter has tipped us for relegation, no surprise there.

I actually hope that Ross is sensational at the Hatters - except for two games - and proves a lot of people wrong, including a long history of derision, insults, and mocking on here.

What is it in our recent DNA that ends up with us nearly always leaving anything to the last minute, either before something starts or something closes?

West Ham made a nice signing today and, with Ward-Prowse to come, there's the makings of a decent post-Rice midfield there. I do think that West Ham is round about where we need to be aiming this season.

Two incoming young strikers? Well, perhaps, but we need someone in the middle who can create chances.

Dyche will play it down until it's a goer. It was only this weekend he said nobody was coming. I did notice he didn't refute Gnonto though.

Also Gnonto is getting flack off Leeds fans because he's liking photos of him in an Everton kit on social media, if that means anything.

Ekitike has other suitors and, until we know what he wants to do, Dyche will say it's not happening as expected.

However, a compatriot of Alvarez, Luis Chavez is available on a free. Chavez played defensive midfield throughout the Gold Cup tournament for Mexico. He has 24 caps and is first choice for the Mexico manager.

Thelwell should take a look at this guy. He's a year older than Alvarez, being 27. He's played 77 games over the last 2 seasons, with no injury problems. We need an extra dependable player for the midfield and this bloke looks like he could be it.

If Alvarez was willing to play in Europe, maybe Chavez would do too?

Great signing!

It's been reported that Gnonto wants to come to Everton. He has apparently agreed terms; however, Leeds and Everton have yet to agree a fee.

Yes, exactly what's being reported with sources on Twitter that are ususally spot on. I think they will have to agree a fee as he wants the move, hence not playing for them last the other night.

Any negotiations are with someone who ran the San Francisco 49ers owners, who will be no mugs.

It is very encouraging to me that the players most strongly linked now are dynamic, athletic attackers (wing forwards or strikers) – with lots of room to grow and develop with us. Ekitike and Gnonto are extremely talented players with very strong (albeit very different) physical attributes.

I'm not too fussed about midfield creators (at least this summer). The midfield will be based on the hard running of a trio (3 of Garner, Onana, Gueye and Doucoure) – much like Liverpool. Creativity comes from the full-backs and a player like McNeil (and Gnonto if we get him). Garner and Onana are also good enough on the ball to play through the lines if we need to.

If we manage to sign Danjuma, Gnonto, Ekitike and Chermiti I think that would be truly staggering achievement. Even three of the four would put us in a really good position entering the season.

We've clearly had an 'interest' in him all summer. They're adamant that they don't want to sell. As we get further towards the window, relatively credible sources are saying he's always wanted to come here and terms are agreed. No doubt pushed by him/his agent.

And he's asked not to play last night. Now we have to make an offer Leeds can't refuse, while no doubt they're hawking him elsewhere for a better deal.

If he really does want to come here, we'll get him.

Teams that wanted goalkeepers seem to have sorted themselves so Pickford is definitely staying.

I'd expect at least one of our more valuable assets to be sold.

I notice that Real Madrid's goalkeeper, Courtois, has what looks like a season-ending injury. Could Pickford be considered as a possible replacement? Maybe not as De Gea's representatives have been approached.

I'm guessing if Gnonto story has any legs we will sell Gray for £12M to Fulham… maybe after the game on Saturday.

Also, we have just got the Premier League money so cashflow is easier and I'm hoping the accounts are in better shape having got rid of many of the squad and 3 expensive non-contributing directors.

Joe # 104, I think Thelwell is working very hard to strengthen the squad without selling the Crown Jewels. That means loan deals (like Danjuma) and payment on the drip deals (like Onana last season). As a broader observation that's why it's taking some time to seal these deals presumably – because the selling clubs will be hoping someone comes in with more favourable terms. Fingers crossed.

Robert, ‘If we manage to sign Danjuma, Gnonto, Ekitike and Chermiti I think that would be truly staggering achievement'. Starting to look like it's a possibility.

https://youtu.be/H_ncHdUjyPY

What do they say about revenge being sweeter as a dish served cold.

Kane apparently had an agreement with Levy the other season that, provided a club met his £100 million valuation, Levy would let him leave, but reneged on the deal when City offered the £100 million for Kane.

Now Levy probably thought “I will keep you for another season and sell you prior to this season starting and we will still get our £100 million.”

Kane let the clubs agree a fee then decided “I am not going” and made sure Levy doesn't get a penny for him. Come January, he will be able to sign a contract with Bayern and will probably get a huge chunk of the fee they were going to pay Spurs as a signing on fee.

Or he can wait till next summer and see who offers him the most to sign for them.

He then got Doucoure sent off in our home match which nearly cost us relegation.

I'm an England fan but he blazed the important penalty over the bar versus France.

So I've got nothing good to say for him whatsoever and would be happy if he left the Premier League so we have 1 less striker against us that can influence the refs against us.

If/when it does, it'll be as much as possible little money up front, fee spread over a long period. And then we'll let some out of the door and get a few quid back for them.

That's the reason why these deals take longer. Remember seven years ago? No delays then, because we paid over the odds for players with no thought, strategy or governance.

I like today's methods better.

He is playing a blinder with Levy if that is the case. Stay completely silent while Levy negotiates for weeks with Bayern, then turn it down and indicate that he will see out the final year of his contract.

A Premier League rival comes in with a late low-ball bid and Levy is faced with accepting it or letting him leave for nothing next summer.

That was my thought too.

If he stays and Spurs win something, he may opt to stay further but if he runs his contract down, he can then get a sizeable signing-on fee from Man Utd and screw Levy.

Well over 6 ft and rolls around feigning injury. He's called Harry Claim for a reason, and it's why I do struggle to support England.

How is the Mbappé bid going? Has Haaland agreed to join us yet? What about the talks with Kevin de Bruyne? Has Harry Kane denied the nonsense about going to Germany and confirmed that his lifelong ambition has been to join Everton?

My guess is we'll re-sign Andy Gray, Fred Pickering and Alan Ball.

No need to reply, I think we all know what most of the ToffeeWeb family would say, and it wouldn't be at all complimentary toward the player.

Having said all that, we barely get a couple of years of enjoying our better 'strikers', no matter who's been in charge.

MSP is another Kenwright-inspired distraction to keep the natives looking at their bellybuttons.

Will we ever learn that these two gobshites are leading us down a path to perdition?

Remember earlier in the season when the young Everton fan who met the Everton players and needs a big operation, didn't Harry send him his jersey and said he hopes he doesn't mind that it's not his favourite team? A nice touch.

As for this striker from PSG, sounds a load of rubbish. I don't see the rage about Gnonto but not seen much of him. I would much rather we sign a striker who can perform immediately, like Antonio from West Ham.

And if I owned PSG, I wouldn't even let Mbappe train at the club, he is definitely someone who thinks he's bigger than the club.

Tarkowski has bought much needed aggression and a bit of shit housery and Pickford isn't immune.

When I think of Liverpool players strolling through us on the break at Anfield last season, I'd have loved a Lee Carsley type to take them out on half-way.

All teams have divers. It's the modern game… and if we can't beat them, we might as well join them.

I think clocking up 7,000 minutes in the Championship before you're 20 is very good going and, whilst agree he hasn't necessarily nailed down his best position yet, I reckon he looks nailed on to be a very good player, wherever he settles.

I like Bournemouth's business this summer a lot. Kluivert on the cheap, Faivre is mercurial of great things, Scott and Kerkez are both players I wanted who were on my summer targets list and Traore is a player who looked fantastic a year or two back but has stalled slightly.

It was doing my head in reading every day what was happening with him, talk about a saga.

Longtime buddy of mine was in Fort Lauderdale this week playing mini-golf with his brothers. On the way out, there's Messi in the parking lot with his kids, heading in.

Nobody noticed him.

No mob, no bodyguards, no cameras except my buddy snapping a quick photo on his cellphone. (He sent it to me.)

First time in the man's life he's been able to take his children out for a family day like a regular person.

Normal life. That's why.

I'd have Chavez in a second. Pure professional and a free-kick assassin -- the one he scored at the World Cup was an absolute screamer.

He bought out his own club contract so he could play in Europe -- specifically Moscow Dynamo of all places. With such deals extremely uncertain due to war sanctions etc, it seems like a great chance for us to swoop in and get a winner for nothing.

"First time in the man's life he's been able to take his children out for a family day like a regular person".

I think this is less some sort of "laid back" US or Florida thing (in my experience Yanks are ace at bombing celebrities), than the fact that the vast majority of Floridians do not know what Messi looks like and a sizable number do not care or do not know who he is.

Bournemouth are a hard one to call. I personally think they might struggle this season, with a lot of their squad pretty green when it comes to Premier League football. Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Kluivert, Traoré, Alex Scott and Outtara - there’s probably less than 50 Premier League games between them. If they struggle to adapt then it will put huge pressure on Billing and Solanke to do what they did last year and keep them in the league.

I like the look of Tavernier - he makes things happen, and Jaidon Anthony has something about him too. But if things don’t click for the fresh faces and the new manager Iraola then Bournemouth could be in the same trouble that Leeds found themselves in last season - and you liked their business too I seem to recall!

And as for Roman Faivre… lovely footballer, but he’s on loan at Lorient this season in what might be the strangest bit of transfer business of the summer. Not sure why Bournemouth bought him then immediately loaned him out when he’s 25 and might actually be their best player, but surely there will be a reason.

Was anyone on ToffeeWeb unlucky enough to be sat or stood behind the guy who took the hat into the 84 cup final, that he later gave to John Bailey.

I was high up towards the right of the goal Sharp scored, but did not notice it in there.

Good job Maupay wasn’t playing then, he would have knocked it clean off his head.

Mike (132) - Not actually sure that is the reason. I think the sponsorship deals, and the prospect of blowing open the American markets post World Cup triumph might have been a major contributing factor too. And maybe he didn’t want to go down the same road that Ronaldo was going down either. Plenty of contributing factors.

Iraola is obviously a bit of a wildcard and its always hard to predict how new managers will bed in to the PL but I like him.

I was more impressed with Leed's business last summer than Bournemouth's and that obviously didn't end well (though they will make some decent profit on a few players) but the manager affect is so crucial.

I'd expect to see Bournemouth nearer the top 10 than relegation personally and I think the £20m spent on Alex Scott will look cheap in 4 years time if he steers clear of major injury.

It's therefore an extremely high risk play, especially under a new and inexperienced manager in Iraola. It might come off - who knows? But going into the season I'd put them most likely to go down other than the three promoted clubs.

He can actually have some semblance of a normal life.

Hope you're in good health and the family too.

Meantime the Cubs are looking great, eh? Hope life is good for you in Chi-town.

He's got two huge boxes of Lucky Charms in the buggy. Hilarious.

Just grabbin' some late night groceries... with the GOAT.

In South Florida they defo know who Messi is. Yes, he can be way more invisible than in Spain obviously, but people will give him his space. There will be quick pics on cell phones, but no one will bum rush him or anything stupid like that.

He's also just killing it in MLS. Dude is just a beast, and he's giving 100% which is such a refreshing sight after years of good players coming here and taking the money and going through the motions.

Last true player we had Robbie Keane – gave 100% all the time.

Messi is doing the same and we've watched every game he's played in because it's an absolute joy.

Brian @138, I was behind that goal near the front, just to the right of the goal that Sharp scored in.

I don't recall a lot after watching Ratcliffe lift the trophy. As I've said before, I was more concerned my Dad was going to scale the fence and wondering how I was going to get home, 4 months out of plaster after a broken leg and still limping.

I don't know if it was on this thread, but Dyche has surprised me. we don't score (obvious reason) but we stopped conceding. But we also weren't dour and played some decent stuff. Brighton probably the best example.

On Kane, I was talking to a colleague who is a Tottenham season ticket holder yesterday. He is absolutely convinced he won't move.

His view is that he won't go to Germany. He won't go to Man City to play second fiddle to Haaland. He won't go to Man Utd (I contested that one). He wouldn't dare go to Chelsea (I contested that one too). He also said he won't go the Everton. I didn't contest that one.

Mike, if you're across in September, bring your luck and see your there if the planets align.

No bid, no contact – I can't see that one happening at all (again according to The Bobble) but I hope The Bobble is wrong on this one as he'd be a quality addition.

As for Messi. Apple are a massive reason he is in the states. They want MLS as its growth is huge and it will give them the platform to get into the Premier League. There's rumours Apple have basically sponsored Messi to the tune of hundreds of millions so he is making Saudi money without going there.

I wonder what Everton's stellar team of negotiators would have got for him?

£111m? Seriously? Rice was less than that, and Bellingham only a couple of million more. Is he that sure a bet?

They could have had Tom Davies on a free.

I will take the former and it's a definite no for the latter.

“Work on the potential signing of Paris Saint-Germain's Hugo Ekitike is taking place at Everton without the knowledge or backing of everyone at the club." (Source:
@_pauljoyce)

Please don't say Moshiri is getting involved again without Thelwell and Dyche in the loop. Sure fire road to more dysfunctional recruitment.

The Bobble has denied any Everton interest and the Bobble is rumored to be a Kenwright relative. Dyche denied knowledge too. I can't see Thelwell going rogue so I imagine Moshiri is up to his old tricks buying another “gift” on an unsuspecting manager.

Kane in Munich.

Levy is ruthless and knows how to work a deal.

Danjuma
Young
Chermiti
Harrison
Ekitiké