Everton bring Harrison back to the Premier League on loan

Gnonto for £20-/25 million with Cannon spending the season on loan at Leeds is my prediction.

Bobble's podcast friend is pretty adamant we want both – not just Harrison.

May mean McNeil's injury is slightly worse than first feared unfortunately.

Maybe yesterday’s sobering defeat has finally woken up Moshiri and Fat Bill.

Surely there's someone out there with the ability to kick a ball into the net occasionally... find him ASAP!!!

Iwobi gets a lot of stick but he remains a key creator for us. I suspect Harrison will suit our style of play more, however.

From the Athletic:

“Jack Harrison is undergoing a medical ahead of a proposed move from Leeds United to Everton.

The Premier League club have triggered a clause in the 26-year-old's contract that would see him join on an initial season-long loan, which Everton would like to turn permanent in due course. Personal terms are in place.”

Work hard and dog it in midfield, and get more quality out wide, is how I'm hoping Dyche is preparing us to play.

Already heard all the negativity. But if we weren't in such a mess and needing a confidence boos,t I would say we created lots of good chances and were incredibly unlucky not to score.

However, it doesn't get points in the bag. We desperately need a proven goalscorer. Imagine how many Vardy would have had yesterday!!

Is there any news on someone who can replace Maupay?

But a few more players are needed, including a couple of strikers. Let's pray that Everton can bolster the ranks before the end of this transfer window.

Buy a fucking striker!!!

Link

And yes, the shit has already hit the fan.

Hahahahhha.

Gray has obviously been selected as the most disposable asset, but any fee we might get for him will likely be around the £15 million mark – so, unless we sell further players for significant fees, then we'll be restricted to searching for loan options and/or delayed purchases. So it ultimately feels to me like we're fishing in a shallow pool with a broken net.

Obviously I hope I am very wrong, but the Kenwright years have largely taught me that the situation is worse than we are led to believe. I don't think there's a club that spends as much time and energy pursuing unlikely or impossible transfer targets just to try and bluff their own fans.

As Stefan says, where is the striker?

Now go out and land a striker or two, please, pretty please with Jam on, a bloody striker for god's sake.

He will provide real competition with McNeil, and we don't have any news as regards to how long he is out for, imagine he could also play on the right.

Also a loan with option, so doesn't cost anything leaving our budget (whatever that is) for a striker untouched.

Hopefully a move for Beto or Adams or someone will happen quickly in the coming days.

Typical Everton this, we go for Gnonto who is a real emerging talent, and we end up with an average, injured 26-year-old.

He has pace, but is again a player that blows hot and cold. And is already injured missing most of the pre season. Is he an upgrade on Gray? Yes, but not much.

His best position is wide left, and we already have Mcneil, Danjuma and Iwobi in that position. Once again rather than finding a right winger, that plays that position - we are looking for a player to play on an unfavoured side. Why? Goodison is narrow enough as it is, and we want someone to cut in and make it narrower.

A loan with an obligation to buy at £22m again looks like dead money. He's 27 in November, so come next summer when he's signed he will be approaching 28. So another signing with zero resale value, and no doubt we will be sticking on £75k+ to make him come. And we wonder why we face P&S issues all the time...

We learn nothing.

I had hoped we would start buying hungry players in the 19 to 23 years bracket. Get 2-3 years from them, and move them on. But instead bring them in, and face the same issues when they hit 30 of a squad worth nothing.

I've no faith in Thelwell at all. Spent the Richarlison money on Maupay and Onona, when we had a goal-scoring crises. Had 2 years sort out the striker crises, and done nothing about it. Keeps talking about rebalancing a squad, but seems obsessed with left wingers - no doubt we still want Gnonto.

The man's a fraud.

The transfer market doesn’t offer combo deals that depend on whether your other deal goes through. Any move made reduces funds for our crowded choice of a Premier League quality striker. This ultimately explains Thelwell’s hesitance to get someone immediately in when it would necessarily limit the top end negotiations still ongoing.

So without going too deep here it is a direct tradeoff between short term security and getting Everton on the viable long term path that steers us clear of dredgeball and all its implications. Screaming for a short term solution is not the solution. Sometimes you dial ‘M’ for Market and instead you get Motherfucker. It will work out. It will be disappointing at times. Details matter.

Bottom line: Harrison fits. Get him on the cheap and keep looking

"Typical Everton this, we go for Gnonto who is a real emerging talent, and we end up with an average, injured 26-year-old."

So we've signed him, have we? I must have missed that.

The Telegraph now reporting that Everton have signed Jack Harrison on loan from Leeds United.

Don't be surprised if it is "Rex Harrison" though.

What's that line from a poem... "Cap'n, are't thou sleeping down below?"

Fan indulgence of Moshiri is due to the slack-jawed bleat of "He's getting us a new stadium" as though financing a new build does anything but knock you back – look at Spurs.

Kenwright is kept on to deflect fan ire.

It could be worse, we could be like Man Utd who have just splashed out £72M on a crocked Danish forward, who is out injured with a back injury, and god knows when he's likely to return?

This is a loan deal for a player probably out for 3 weeks, yet people go ape-shit about it.

Regarding Gnonto, it's all about how much he really wants to join us, if he does.

At some point in the next week or so, the dominoes will start falling and players will be coming and going.

With talk of Bill Kenwright not being well again, then hopefully that's who you were talking about, Pat.

If you want to put the current problems of today on one side, you may enjoy reading of the game as it was when your Dad and I were (2 years for me, and 3 years for your dad) short of being teenagers. It is on the, 'Made In England' – An Italian Tribute thread.

6 goals and 10 assists last time out in a relegated side, 10 goals and 2 assists the year before and 8 goals, 8 assists in 20/21. That's exactly the sort of goal contribution we need surely?

Notably a better record than Gnonto too... but no, apparently he's 'average' according to ToffeeWeb armchair experts, rather than a loan we should be spending all our cash on an 'emerging talent' winger instead. Also, "Why aren't we buying strikers? It's all Kenwright's fault, etc"

See also, after actually signing a young striker, "Why are we spending so much money on an unproven striker... we should've got xyz... this club's a joke, etc, etc..."

Seriously, some of you guys really do need to give your head a wobble, the commentary on here is just ludicrous.

According to some, we've already been relegated and were rubbish against Fulham (despite 19 shots and 9 on target vs 9/2 and having a perfectly good goal ruled out).

If Everton is all Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, ToffeeWeb's motto for posters should be more like 'Ad Infinitum Ad Nauseam'.

Stats last four seasons 27 goals 24 assists (incl 6 and 8 in the championship)

For comparison our creative assist machine Iwobi in last four seasons 6 goals and 11 assists.

And we appreciate Iwobi’s influence too! Because of the dearth of creativity elsewhere.

So a big welcome to Jack Harrison and well done to Kevin Thelwell, a no brainer of a signing.

Now onto the striker business.

Former New York City teammate David Villa described Harrison, "I've spent a lot of years in this game, and he has something important that only a few players have, when he has the ball at his feet, you get the sensation something special is going to happen."

His former New York City manager, Patrick Vieira said of Harrison, "He's a good player, technically he's really good, he understands the game, he can come and link with our No. 9, he can run behind the back four, his football brain is fantastic."

That's the info on Jack Harrison.

He has played plenty on the right and is effective there too, his grafting game will suit Dyche. I'd love us to sell a few and get Gnonto as well. That should wait though because the money a loan saves us now means we can hopefully target a striker ASAP!!

Don't suppose Udinese would be able to afford Maupay's wages; otherwise, it would have been great to send him the other way as part of the Beto offer.

Moshiri is the problem, we'd have been better off spending a fifth or what he's spent, we then wouldn't have the FFP issue now creating enormous problems for us.

Welcome to Everton.

I suspect someone (Gray and/or Iwobi) is off. It's obvious to a blind man what position we desperately need! An untested 19-year-old from Sporting is one for the future.

We need an experienced striker now!

Despite financial fair play issues and some terrible signings, we do have people behind the club with pockets… plus a new stadium en route.

Could there have been a better buyer? Maybe? Could it have been worse… I think so.

I see Leeds now want Tom Cannon. Maybe he'll be the key to getting the deal over the line for Gnonto.

If we're bringing in Harrison and maybe Gnonto, perhaps Iwobi will sign a new deal as he can be moved into his favoured centre midfield to fight it out with Doucoure for the attacking mid spot?!

It could also be Onana, how come none of the big clubs are coming in for this lad with his enormous potential? Can't they spot how sensational he is going to be? They must be blind, although he is very frugal showing this potential – just a few minutes every game. Maybe the scouts won't notice he goes missing for long periods of the game.

Am I missing something here?

Yea, we need a striker… but bringing goals and assists into the team for nothing isn't necessarily at the expense of a striker – how about it could be as well as a striker?

Absolute no-brainer of a deal. I'm just surprised a better team didn't get to him first.

I would still like to see Gnonto arrive. We need a player who can do the unpredictable. Another striker and a centre-back now please.

Thelwell talks about getting balance in the squad so how about a right winger or right-sided midfielder who can work with Patterson? Also, where does being young with potential and a sell-on value come in?

I'm not criticising Harrison as a footballer but I just wonder if he is the best fit for our squad as it stands. He also has a tendency to go missing from time to time.

The jury's out for me at the moment and, given our track record, a lot depends on finances and terms of any deal.

Was it because we could save money on wages for a month?

Talk about dog eat dog, it's open warfare out there, all bets are off and anything goes.

I await the club's welcome video email landing in my inbox...

It's not new. Spurs have been doing it to us for years.

Remember Kyle — not Walker — the other one who Spurs nicked last minute? Or that waster from Newcastle who blocked Koeman's calls?

Fabrizio and Bobble both confirming Villa's last-minute interest.

Need better locks on the Finch Farm doors, methinks.

If we're in a relegation battle again this season (ha!), then Gnonto sounds like the last person you'd want in the trenches at your side.

And probably then wait until 30 seconds before midnight to see if we could get his first day pro bono.

Then we will flush out all the hyenas, they'll blow all their cash on them and leave us with a free hand to buy good players?

If the choice was Villa or Everton. You would go to Villa at the moment.

Fuck me, what a shit show.

We've been targeting him all summer but wait so long and now we'll likely lose out.

Will we ever learn?

Still more likely than Maupay. 😳

Another Nigel Martyn fiasco…

They've asked Everton to help 'em out by flushing Villa out and in return we get to sign Gnonto.

You heard it here first.

Do you think Bobblehead may have been involved in the “attack” on Anthony Gordon? He's Kenwright's secret fixer.

That's the reality. Not that we're slow or doing things wrong. That players are waiting for better offers. And it looks like they're right to because he'll be playing in Europe instead of a relegation battle.

That would be so good. Alan Myers just confirmed still serious interest in Gnonto.

We must be so skint to be haggling this long and penny-pinching.

Didn't we see Muller and Manny Fernandes in the building and holding Everton shirts before small issues like taxation arose?

Is it “serious” though? Or is it like Barry Ferguson, Dirk Kuyt, Michael Owen?

Just keep throwing that story out there until the transfer window shuts then “aw shucks” we will get someone in January, the money is ring-fenced in the Arteta piggy bank.

When he hardly figures for Villa, realises he's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is by the lack of interest, he can don the blue jersey and let us all know that he always wanted to come to Everton.

Spoilt kids? More like famished Oliver Twist to Harry Seacombe “Please, Sir, can we have some more players!”

Strange one.

The loan agreement in the case of relegation kicked in 2 months ago. How long does it take to telephone and say we are triggering the agreement?

We just have to be thankful for Souness making us seem less inept thanks to George Weah's “cousin”. Even Kenwright can't top that one…

We only triggered the release clause today, how has it been a case of Harrison waiting for a better offer? We made our offer today, not 6 weeks ago

Exactly who knows. The Bobble on Twitter just confirmed he is on his way to Villa and we have lost a long-term target! So the question I just asked Bobble is, if he's a long-term target, why have we only just decided to do something now?

It's either what you said, or we just wait and hope for the best as in the price comes down, or are Kenwright and Thelwell just too slow in getting things done? None of us knows, but it looks embarrassing.

But at the same time, Everton are not exactly a club in a position to pull players too, fans and board and owner are disconnected and we've just had two relegation battles.

It's just changed to ''plays for Tamworth FC''. They offered him third-choice striker and free parking on matchday.

Please Pat, don't even think about it.......just in case.

🤣🤣🤣

We love the club but I don't think we look a great destination for a playing career.

Then we have idiots abusing Maupay, there's no doubt we have our fair share of brain-dead yobs.

I don't believe that Instagram message was by an Everton supporter. Don't believe it was by anyone English let alone from Merseyside.

Everton hi-Jacked

Do we still want him?

1. We're getting Jack Harrison on loan (hey!)
2. Aston Villa are looking to hi-jack the deal (uh-oh)
3. Aston Villa have hi-jacked the deal (oh)

Everton that, as they say.

I'm not holding my breath because I've heard similar stories quite a few times, but Everton Football Club definitely need new owners because we have become a laughing stock under our present owner.

Then, 5 minutes later, returns: “He lost his wallet. I guess you'll do.”

Villa just realised he is injured and are now reconsidering…

What a saga!

:

Does this mean the protracted MSP deal is dead? Has their exclusivity period gone the way of Kenton's group?

"Medical completed. Now moving on to signing contracts. Villa considered midfielder but EFC close to completing the deal."

Nothing on the injury situation though – where's that coming from?

David Ornstein just tweeted the following:

Everton reach agreement with Jack Harrison to sign 26-year-old on loan, with desire to make permanent at end. Medical completed – now moving on to signing contracts. Aston Villa considered midfielder but #EFC close to completing deal.

It's disgusting on two levels: the moronic post, and the asymmetric coverage such a post gets causing damage to the fans' reputation.

My understanding of the situation has not changed, as it stands Harrison will be joining Everton.

Yes, we will still take him.

You can see from the wording, grammar and structure of the post that English is not the poster's first language. But hey everyone jumps on and condemns Everton supporters.

That's the problem with social media – anyone can post any old shite and lots of people take it as Gospel. Just look on this thread! 😳

Who knew the transfer market would evolve into an adult version of Sporting Mystery Date. Ugh, we got the bum.

Hope they don't return to those days, but then again you reap what you sow! So do Everton, tongue in cheek! Ridsdale v Kenwright? No comparison!

Quite frankly, I don't think Jack Harrison knows if he's coming or going?

Just have a little think about that one for a minute.

Both would rather be anywhere but here.

I guess if you post every possibility, then delete all the ones that didn't pan out, you can look like a transfer guru.

It wouldn't be the first time!

I suspect Dyche wants him for the right and he can be cover for McNeil. I wonder if Iwobi is on his way?

It doesn't bode well on how soon he's going to return to full match fitness.

No choice?

He can easily choose to stay at Leeds.

Myers and Romano say something on Twitter, and everyone takes it as gospel. Are these people speaking directly to Villa for someone to quote that they knocked him back because he was injured?

You would think that the Villa management would know the status of any player before they spoke to the football gods, that are Myers and Romano.

Sounds like he's up for the cause… not for me.

I'm surmising on what info's out there, but it sounds like he had his medical with us, got the call of Emery, went over to Villa, took a 2nd medical and Villa didn't like what they saw.

Villa would have known he was injured but maybe it looks like he could be out longer than the 3 weeks that was reported.

Who knows?? Sure it will all come out in the wash in the next few days.

My point being, if he had decided to go to Villa for a medical, and they changed their mind because of his injury, we were his only option?

I've since read different articles that he opted for us because they came in too late?

He overshot the M62 turn off for Liverpool, and is now heading down the M58. Imminent signing at Wigan!

Not sure if Villa or Everton have hijacked the deal but surely the club that shouts 'Hi Jack' the loudest will get him.

Just sign a bloody striker though.

If he chooses us, great.

Guessing Thelwell is the man behind this one – having been the DoF at New York City when Harrison was there.

Thank you, man, I am laughing 10 minutes straight!

Hope he's driving an automatic with that injury.

Some serious backtracking going on here…

Looks like he may be heading off to Villa instead, unless another twist emerges.

Hopefully he will have second thoughts and choose Everton, think he will be a decent signing myself.

You can't blame Harrison for weighing up his options; as Paul Tran says above, it's what we would all do if we had more than one offer on the table.

Good bit of business there for Fulham (assuming the wages aren't astronomical). His goals and assists stats are very unremarkable but he's got dangerous pace on the right flank and is still only 27.

As for Harrison, he's hitting better stats (5 goals and 7 assists last season) and would be a real asset for us if he could keep that going. Just to put that into context though, Iwobi got 2 goals and 8 assists last season.

However, I suspect Harrison is a better fit for a counter-attacking Dyche side than a high press / quick tempo passing side (which suits Iwobi more).

If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be hilarious!

With Gana, Iwobi, and Doucouré, losing 4 midfielders could be an issue assuming they've qualified and are selected. Although if Harrison is still injured, he will probably miss more games...

Summerville at 21, right sided midfielder looks a good long-term bet.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with getting Harrison and possibly Gnonto, but we then have Danjuma, McNeil, Harrison and Gnonto, with their preference to play on the left.

I'm sure one of them will do a decent job on the right side so Iwobi can challenge Doucoure for that role, but you'd think as you say, we would just go for a player like Summerville, or even Tete who are right sided players.

They're reporting Beto's the striker target now, so if we can add him and the Leeds lads, I will be very impressed with the business all things considered.

PL 116. Goals 24. Assists 20. Games missed through Injury Nil.
Subbed 9 times. Started on the bench 9 times. Booked 7 times. Never sent off in last 3 seasons.

In his EPL Career he has PL 107 with 21 goals and 16 assists,

In his entire career he has played:
LW 139 games 46 goal contributions,
RW 93 games 29 goal contributions,
LM 13 games 6 goal contributions,
AM 10 games 5 goal contributions,
RM 5 games 3 goal contributions,
CF 3 games 2 goal contributions,
CM 1 and LB 1.

Agree totally. I'd have Richarlison back in a heartbeat. Some players suit certain clubs - and Ritchie certainly suited us. His work ethic would suit Dyche.

Also, if he doesn't get regular 1st team selection, his place in the Brazil squad will be in jeopardy.

Plus I suspect he's missing the love he received here.

Also, people saying why didn't we activate his transfer clause months ago…. We may well have. Doesn't mean he has to sign for us, he's perfectly entitled to wait and see who else comes in and Leeds are entitled to see if someone comes in and buys him outright or they can't gamble and hope he stays for another season and help them get promoted.

The idea that a release clause, when triggered, guarantees the player will instantly just up sticks and have to move to that club is naive at best.

I see Leeds apparently want Tom Cannon now. Would anyone be surprised if we sold him to Leeds for £8-9M so we can then afford to buy Gnonto?

C'mon Everton, sign him today.

He's injured for weeks, then takes time to get match fit, then at the end of the season, another team can poach him if he's actually any good for us, whilst we pay all his wages?

Not to mention he just binned us off for Villa and is only coming back because they know he's crocked.

In years gone by, we would take him from Brighton.

However, now he's at a better club and we've got no chance. What a great job they've done down there.

Surely there should be enquiries about the possibility of bringing one or the other here on loan. Their clubs can only say no. There is nothing to lose asking the question.

Time for Young Mr Grace to call his old mate Levy for a cheeky loan bid for Richarlison?

I'm also staggered by those calling for us to sign Che Adams. He has a worse goal-scoring record than Maupay. Chris Wood would be a better shout if we are that desperate.

It's simply not working out for both the club and Richarlison and it seems nailed on that Spurs will get one and possibly two strikers in (bet you one of them is Beto!).

In these circumstances, this loan would certainly be more realistic than say Kyogo or pie-in-the-sky Evan Ferguson (who Spurs might well bid for).

If the deals fall through, it was Thelwell's fault, Bill was resting up and could not sort the deals out.

Yesterday was disappointing, to say the least, but shit happens and we Evertonians have seen more than our fair share of it for quite a few seasons now but we remain optimistic despite the incompetence at board level and one or two other places.

It's sad though that some deals couldn't have been reached sooner.

I'm not advocating a move for Che Adams, but to say he has a worse recent goal-scoring record than Maupay is way off target. He's scored two in Southampton's first two games.

Maupay has one in his first season and one game for us. Obviously, I don't know Adams's full record compared to Maupay, but surely it can't be any worse?

Oh well at least he’s injured until after the first international break. Another plus point.

Already sporting the scouse bird eyebrows as well. He just needs his lips doing and he’ll be right at home on the school run.

It seems a bit dubious that he'd be getting a medical at Finch Farm, talk to Emery on the phone, travel to Villa, have a second medical, followed by Villa assessing the medical and electing to reject the move, followed by Harrison and Everton resuming the prior deal as if nothing happened, all in the span of a few hours.

Chris Wood has scored nearly as many as the pair combined.

ps: I don't for one minute suggest we go in for Wood. Although he did hit double figures in each season under Dyche.

I can't wait to see him and McNeil pinging crosses to each other over Maupay's head.

Che Adams is also not the answer by the way. Just another Journeyman who looks decent in the Championship and then flatters to deceive in the Premier League.

I could be wrong but I would say Adams has a marginally better record in the Prem. Afterall, he hasn't gone 30 games to score 1 goal, like Maupay.

Neither of them are good enough for Everton. If we aren't going to pull a rabbit out of the hat and sign Beto, or Hugo Ekiteke, we need to go to Leicester and get Iheanacho, Daka, or even Vardy (One year deal for Vardy) All of them would be better options, with Iheanacho and Daka having higher ceilings than Maupay or Adams.

I recall him being very inconsistent, capable of good and
bad in equal measures. Perhaps he's matured now but I
don't have great expectations.

"I could be wrong but I would say Adams has a marginally better record in the Premier League".

You are wrong, Gavin.

Just googled average private helicopter cost: £750k.
Probably like £75 is to me for a Premier League footballer in 2023.

The sheer scale of the finances in modern top-level football is quite something isn't it. It's a wonder some allegedly shady individuals and regimes don't allegedly find football a good way to launder ill-gotten gains…

I know that Maupay scored roughly 10 goals a season at Brighton. Adams isn't too far off 10 goals a season with Saints, but given Maupay's horrendous record with us. I would have thought Adams would have slightly the better overall goal to game record. Maybe you could enlighten me as I'm not a Stato?

But whatever the case. Neither are good enough for Everton and Adams is another Umper Loompa like Maupay and too small anyway.

Has to be "sold as seen" given that the buying club can medical the shit out of any potential new recruit?

I imagine we'd have to fork out for extra insurance though...

"Mayhem on here"...how very dare you!

“Aston Villa, not intentioned to proceed on Jack Harrison deal as they believe he's injured for some weeks and can't replace Buendía (ACL injury).”

We have 2 options: young and unproven – like Chermiti; or Premier League ready but not good enough for the 'top' teams. If they are proven performers at a consistent level, they go to the bigger, richer teams for big fees – see Barnes, Maddison, Rice and Co.

For the level we are at, and the market we are in, I see Harrison as an astute signing. Low loan-fee, reasonable wages, Premier League ready, still young enough to improve, and good stats.

He isn't a player who will make us an unstoppable force, but he is a player who provides real competition for places on both the right and left wing which we are clearly lacking and provides a goal threat.

Our first 11 is okay when everyone is fit, but the bench is severely limited and we are always an injury or suspension away from disaster. And the players in the first 11 have easy street knowing they keep their place no matter what.

Should also enable Dobbin to go out on loan to a Championship team and get another 30-35 games under his belt if that is deemed best for his development.

In the past 5 seasons: 42, 48, 37, 38, and 40 appearances across all domestic competitions.

He is currently injured, but absolutely nothing to suggest he's a 'crock'.

On reading your comment about Harrison's injury record, I checked his Premier League appearances for the last three seasons; 36, 35 and 36. Getting him on loan would reduce the risk of lumbering the club with a crock on a long-term contract.

It would have been much easier if all 269 posts repeated the simple mantra Buy a striker now.

Fingers crossed as Saturday showed we desperately need a striker or three!

He knows the league, is an extremely hard worker, and is capable of producing goals and assists. He has played a lot at RW and is a similar type to McNeil. Reliable but also capable.

It's pretty good business that we've managed to bring in Harrison, Danjuma and Chermiti for around £7m this summer (loan fees and initial payment). This should in theory leave us with some money to spend on other positions and I'm still hoping we might get Gnonto who I've rather set my heart upon.

I wonder if securing Harrison will see the departure of Gray or maybe even Iwobi (who surely cannot be allowed to run his contract down).

I was wondering if we've come to the conclusion that we won't get any kind of fee and he's happy to walk away from his contract and find something himself, so he's been released.

I sense a good spirit on TW, on what has been one of those transfer market days.

Hopefully more players coming in, but surely a few will be leaving in the next couple of weeks.

But there’s hope, on the horizon, and let’s see which Everton turn up at Villa.

UTFTs!

I presume you mean McNeil?

Quality signing on loan, being reported he’s out for 5 weeks now though which is a bit of ballache but we’re going to need the bodies this season.

However, I agree with Phil. Selling the player who created 9 assists last season in a squad that has no goals and assists in it would be mad. I also thought he was excellent on Saturday.

Thanks for starting my day off with laughs! Keep it up as we all need cheering up being Everton supporters.

Two strikers are a must, or else it’s more of last season.

Hypothetically replacing Gray and Iwobi with Danjuma, Harrison and Gnonto plus maybe some cheaper gem from somewhere ( Nuamah from Nordsjaelland) would be fine with me and would give us better options. We have to be sensible about our business which means selling smartly as well as buying smartly. Not that there’s any rumors of people paying the £15-20m we would want for Iwobi.

Very talented player, great fitness and can be a match winner on his day. Can hold onto the ball for too long which can be frustrating but has constantly improved since we signed him - put it this way, I’m glad we’ve loaned him rather than sold him. All round good signing for Everton I reckon 👍🏻

I also don’t get why we are going for so many wingers when we need an out and out goal scorer/striker. And as for Iwobi? Anything above £10m and I’d personally carry him (piggyback) to his hew club.

I get it’s frustrating that he’s injured but most players pick up a knock at some point in the season. I also get he’s not a striker but while we’re trying to get strikers in we can’t stop strengthening other areas. Especially for free!!!

As for Iwobi. I’d play him 10 and keep him, yes we loose a fee but we need him to stay up. From my seat on Saturday he was head and shoulders above the rest. Patterson was horrendous again. I’d play Garner at right back (where he just won the U21 World Cup) and play Iwobi ahead of Gana and Onana with (when fit….) McNeil and Harrison on the wings and Dom up front.

That first 11 would also have Chermiti Doucoure, Danjuma even Maupay on the bench.

Not everyone will agree with that line up but it shows we will at least have some options. And that’s without Gnonto, and hopefully a striker to come in.

Fingers crossed it could be a very good window. Over to you Thelwell.

A few more in, including a couple of strikers by the end of this window, Everton will have great chance to improve and get the goals, their offensive play deserved last Saturday.

UTFTs!

“*Loan Deal done, there is a release clause which means move could become permanent during loan spell

*No last minute issues as rumoured

*Villa were in for him but that was some time ago

*Kevin Thelwell persistent in securing one of clubs main targets”

I'm not even counting this as a signing until I see him on the team sheet.

We need someone ready-to-go and we need them now.

That would of course be wonderful for us. But

1) maybe Leeds don’t want them
2) maybe the wages are too high
3) maybe the players don’t want to go there

Any number of reasons: sadly this isn’t Championship Manager

But of course we can dream eh?

NB: where is Gbamin? Shouldn’t someone fill out a missing persons report for him??

My Leeds based relatives rate Harrison very highly. His departure compounds the disappointment of a poor start to the season.

Assuming he gets himself fit by October we can expect him not only to provide assists but also to score five or six goals this season. In a team bereft of goal scorers that will be very welcome.

"I really hope we sign this lad Harrison.

I can't wait to see him and McNeil pinging crosses to each other over Maupay's head."'

Laughed hard at this :D

4 players signed, 3 for the present - 1 probably for the future, all for very little up-front outlay. It is obviously extremely difficult to bring these players in with so little room for manoeuvre financially.

I could see us making up to 3 or even 4 more signings (filling up our loan quotas, free transfers or small initial down-payments). But it wouldn't amaze me if we don't bring in another striker – especially if we cannot shift Maupay.

I looked at Wikipedia as that gives a reasonable summary of his recent career. He seems to be well thought of by many former teammates... this is what some say of him:

Ahead of his move to Manchester City, Harrison was praised by former teammate Andrea Pirlo, who said of Harrison 'He is very young, he's fast and he is capable of playing in Europe. He's a good player.'

Another former teammate Frank Lampard who said 'I think there a lot of big things to come from Jack. I like him, he's a great lad, great ability.'

Harrison is a versatile left footed attacker, who plays as a winger, mainly on the left flank, he is also comfortable playing on the right side. He can also play as an attacking midfield playmaker.

He is known for his pace, his dribbling ability and workrate. Former New York City teammate David Villa described Harrison, "I've spent a lot of years in this game, and he has something important that only a few players have, when he has the ball at his feet, you get the sensation something special is going to happen."

His former New York City manager Patrick Vieira said of Harrison, "He's a good player, technically he's really good, he understands the game, he can come and link with our No. 9, he can run behind the back four, his football brain is fantastic."

I appreciate those are positive...

I imagine many ToffeeWebbers will be able to add balance with their negative thoughts after seeing him in his first warm-up. :)

I remember Mina and Gomes both being injured when we signed them and both took ages to recover from ‘minor' injuries. In Andre's case it was the late October he finally started.

Look forward to seeing him play eventually.

It’s the Contracts that players are on that is the massive problem Everton have.

If 90% plus of your income is going on the wage bill that leaves diddly squat for transfer fees… and that’s before the infamous lawnmowers etc and building a new stadium.

Our priorities at present have to be reducing the average age of the squad to

1) reduce the wage bill

2) increase potential sell on prices

3) increase the opportunity to improve players through coaching and get better results

4) have a younger, hungrier team with players who have something to prove and give 100%

It’s the Brighton model, but they’ve brought in £300m in transfer fees in 18 months by doing this and safeguarded the club’s future for some time whilst paying off debts and getting into Europe.

Role of the coach is so crucial, as is the scouting

This has been a marvellous piece of business. Wait until he's approaching fitness. Have him on the back burner while we try to get others. Then do the deal when we have to.

One thing I would now do is send a video of the chances we created on Saturday to every want-away centre-forward around the leagues. Who would not want to have that many opportunities to score in a game?

Come to Everton and bang these in!! (If you think you are any good…)

Just imagine coming out of the ground vs Bournemouth relieved that we'd missed Championship football by 33 minutes after finishing with the league's 2nd lowest goals tally.

You bump into Nostadarmus in the Wimslow who tells you that the opening game of the season we'll be starting with Keane, Maupay but Dom out injured and not a back-up striker on the horizon, what would be your reaction?

Even taking FFP into consideration it's a scandalous state of affairs that we've yet again ended up like the TV show Bargain running round picking up any old shite in the hope we turn a profit.

It comes to something that I want the season to end before it's started

He got more assists than any of our players last year. He scored more too. 26 years old in his prime. Upgrades our options massively. Definitely an improvement on Gray.

The only thing that worries me about our business up to now (apart from the striker missing): Young is 38; Danjuma is a loan (no option); and Harrison is a loan (no option). If these players leave next season, we are back to the same place again of needing players.

Then we have a few out of contract next year too, we will need another massive overhaul in 12 months.

I know it's about improving options this year, but it's not a long-term solution.

We are already very limited with that is possible in the transfer market, and plugging a fresh hole with a loan signing is going to be a card we need to have up our sleeve come January.

Signing Harrison (injured or not) on loan makes sense because he can score and assist at this level, and because he meets the necessary criteria of not costing any money.

Get ready everybody. Either we’re going to sell Onana, Iwobi or Branthwaite then scramble for a week or so to sign a player or two… Or we’ll sell on the final day of the window, then huff and puff to bring someone in with hours left and ultimately be disappointed with the result (nobody arriving, or someone who doesn’t improve us à la Maupay.

These are bleak times.

Great touch, goes past people and comfortable in front of goal, everything we've been lacking.

Personally, I hope we don't sell him; we need to build a squad with a good blend of skill and grit.

UTFTs!

Do I get to do that?

Danger with loans, if he comes good he goes elsewhere.

Good vid on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/Ln1xUuxV_10

That's why we've been fighting in the bottom for the last couple of seasons. Never been so dejected 'bout my Everton before...

I would rather take McTominay than Maguire but, as we know, this is Everton we're talking about. It'll be Onana plus £15M for one of them, plus a 20% of any future sale of either Maguire, McTominay and Brandon Williams on a season loan.

On another note, is Tom Davies pricing himself out of a move because Everblue Bill has made contact and told him we'll bring him back in and on a much improved contract – we look after our own.

He typically came on as a sub for Harrison in the second half of games and he scored 2 goals in 24 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Harrison has averaged 7 goals each season. I would be hesitant to take a player who downs tools when he does not get his own way.

We have no striker to cover for Calvert-Lewin, so we go and bring in another winger to cover for the winger, McNeil, who is out for a few weeks injured.

The other winger we have, Gray, is apparently being sold but Dyche says is injured. The other winger we brought in, Danjuma, is or was injured. Now we bring in another winger, Harrison, to cover for the injured or soon to be sold wingers but he is in fact himself injured.

At the same time, no one at Everton seems to grasp the simple fact that, if Calvert-Lewin is injured, we do not have a striker to cover for him. So, if we do manage to get one of our wingers fit enough to play, they have no-one to cross to anyway.

And if Calvert-Lewin just happens to play against Villa on Sunday, he won't have a winger to cross to him. Please tell me if I've missed anything.

If they really do, then I think the Caciedo and Lavia prices have set a good precedent for us. Young Premier League central midfielders with potential are expensive!! He would have to be near £60M or more, as opposed to the £45M we probably would have taken at the start of the summer.

Would be tricky to replace with 2 weeks left but am sure there will be a list for that eventuality.

Caicedo has signed an 8-year contract, so there's still ways around FFP.

He's also pretty much reached his peak, he'll be 27 this year, whereas Gnonto is still a teenager and must be considered to have the potential to develop into a better player than he is now.

I also think Gnonto is better in possession and is faster and trickier. Well, maybe I've seen too little of Harrison, maybe he has more in his toolbox and is better than I think... But in the long haul, Gnonto is definately the better option imho.

Another aspect though is that he's injured until October. That's another worry, is he injury-prone? We would've needed someone who's up and running and can contribute now.

Who says there is no plan?

Harrison is ready to contribute right now. A quick look at his stats show that he has missed very few matches due to injury over the last 3 years in the Premier League and has averaged around 12 goals or assists in that time. Our best last season was McNeil with 10 (7 goals and 3 assists).

As a short term option, and given there's not even a loan fee apparently, I see very little to complain about with Harrison other than fact that he's carrying an injury that apparently will keep him out for 3-4 weeks. I'd be surprised if he's not available for the Arsenal match after the international break.

Easier to loan Harrison, as he had a release clause. All the indications are that we're still trying to get Gnonto.

More difficult with Gnonto, he has 4 years on his contract and we're in a negotiation game with Leeds, who don't have to sell. That's why that one is taking longer. Doesn't mean we no longer want him.

Harrison and McNeil as wingers would be a massive improvement to last season.

If his injury is not serious I think we have done a very smart deal.

Then more interestingly, he summarizes the deal making note of a release clause. This would allow Harrison to be bought during the loan is how I read it. So we can buy Harrison without even having to do a loan fee?

We do need to get players in as a transfer ban come January and probably next summer would mean, no new names for awhile. It may also mean extending contracts to players we want out the door, now and come June 2024.

Talk of GK, Alex McCarthy being possibly available on a free from Southampton as they want his wages off the bill. A decent enough back up but would he want the £50k he gets at the Saints. It seems a lot for a back-up.

Sam, I always value your opinion, it's always measured and rooted in common sense. While many pine for Gnonto, this lad is proven, robust and ready to contribute. All the things people didn't like about the Chermiti deal.

I always liked this lad, full of desire, likes to get stuck In, never shies away, has ability, has quality from that left or right foot, will create more than anyone we have at the moment.

What I'd say is, are we just kicking the can down the line with short-term loans? What is the buy option? It seems complicated.

If next year Danjuma and Harrison leave and Young is 39, are we any better off long term?

I know we need to improve for this year and in my opinion, we are a good striker away from a very positive window. I see this window as buying time until P&S issues are less constricted, and some more long-term problems can be addressed.

Regarding Harrison's deal, i've no idea of the truth of the matter but have heard various things including there might be a clause which says we have first option at a set price (around £18m I believe) if Leeds don't get promoted. If they do then the clause is negated.

David@364, thank you kindly. I like Harrison mainly because he seems such a perfect fit for what Dyche wants, fast, very hard-working and direct. I think he'll prove popular.

The kicking the can down the road point is an interesting one. I think actually it's possible that Thelwell is being quite smart and that next summer will prove a pivotal one. Next summer we will definitely be losing some players who have been on prohibitively big contracts (Alli, Gomes, Gbamin etc) and crucially we should be quite close to finishing the stadium. We will be getting very close to being able to make some more exciting moves again in the transfer market I believe (also quite possible we will sell Onana).

We are looking at a relatively young team now (Onana, Patterson, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Garner, Mcneill, Chermiti, Dobbin etc) and I think the hope is that next summer those players will be further on in the development and we will have wages to spend and be a bigger draw than we are now with Dyche getting us up the table and the shiny new stadium almost ready.

For me this year is about reversing the relegation trend and next year will hopefully be about some real progress. So with limited funds Thelwell is getting us what we need without tying us down to long term comittments, thus setting us up for a strong summer next year with (hopefully) more freedom and greater pull.

So in summary, yes I agree with your last line! I think Thelwell is buying time and doing it cleverly. I'm interested to see who the target will be if Gnonto proves ungettable. Another young dynamic talent I presume. There's definitely signs of progress on the recruitment front and maybe this will be the first summer in a long time we haven't bought at least one dud!

I suspect the answer is that we will try to get a Caicedo-sized fee for Onana from the likes of Man Utd (long-term replacement for Casemiro). Or maybe something along those lines with Branthwaite. That will need to fund a few additions, a few more loans a few free transfers again.

Hence trying to retain our Champions League potential players this summer.

Sam #365, too right – he reads your articles!

"Great player. Better than Gray. Will work hard and score some great goals. Not great at corners but will take players on. Great signing"

Let's see what he does in an Everton shirt.

I like how he's going about his business. I'll probably get jumped on because there's no "starting striker " yet, but I'd rather wait and get the right player than rush it.
He knows what's needed, what we can afford & who's available at our level.
I belive Lampard pushed for Maupay, now Thelwell is extra cautious, because we don't need 2 non scoring strikers.

If he can attract the right player up front, as you say next year could be a transformative one, with p&s shackles loosening, the stadium & more big earners off the books.

I personally have faith in what Thelwell is trying to do. Maupay apart he's spent wisely.

If Onana turns out to be 50m + player, then it's OK to move him on and reinvest.
Who knows if Chermiti will be the same and we are fighting off offers for him ?
I'd like to see Branthwaite develop for a year or 2, as a quality English centre back could go for £100m if he proves himself, look at maguire to utd !!

We Shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to sell on players for big profits to reinvest, as long as it is to reinvest.
This is what German clubs have done, selling players bought cheap, developing them, selling them, reinvest.
They see no problem with it.

1) Next summer is pivotal because the apparent £350k per week Salaries of the "Holy Trinity" (Dele, Gomes and Gbamin) will finally be off the books (if the collective £150k per week earned by Holgate & Keane can be moved as well, even better!) and Thelwell can finally be afforded a chance to use the budget properly.

2) Until we have moved into the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the Modus Operandi for the club should be staying in the Premier League and watching the youngsters grow and develop (as well as seeing their values appreciate for the eventual sniff around by the whales!)

Care to join the #ThelwellBrigade that I have started? =)

ps: I can live with the mistakes and misses by the young guns (that Patterson miss didn't keep me awake on Saturday night) because of my belief that they can and will improve with game time and experiences (we certainly wouldn't see that left-footed diagonal cross field pass by Onana last season). This is what keeps us from getting depressed!

It is those excruciating déjà vu acts qnd misses by mediocre, over-the-hill, washed-up "veterans" that really pain me. (Yes, Keane's day-dreaming that led to the Fulham goal, the Maupay misses and Doucouré's choice to shoot against Leno instead of passing to a wide-open Garner on his right.)

With those folks, what we see is what we get. Until they have been moved, they are detrimental to our NSNO motto. Fingers crossed that Thelwell continues to bring in improvements over them.

Lol “Holy Trinity”? Blasphemy mate whether viewed from Evertonian or Christian perspective. More like the unholy trinity.

I have sympathy for Dele and his life challenges so to be clear I'm calling his wage unholy. The other two, Gomes and Gbamin? Holy moly, some respected posters on here tried to polish the turd of Gbamin's dismal few appearances.

Gomes gets slack because of a horrific injury but before that, does everyone forget the snail's pace? The petulant fouls? Lack of goals and assists for a “creative player” given a free pass on basics like running and breaking a sweat? What a sickening waste of money these three contracts have proved to be.

Meanwhile, Southampton understandably don't want to pay Holgate's world class wages. And even one of our outcasts, Tom Davies, missed out on a deal with Cardiff because of his wage demands. Really Tom really? Roughing it on a meager £20 or 30k a week?

Cardiff is a big city. Cardiff is a solid well supported club, at worst Championship, at best a lower Premier League team. Tom should bite their hands off to go there not as a squaddie, youth product freebie but as a wanted player on a very very good but not outrageous wage.

But apparently he's too good for that so he's going to sit in his hands and wait for the big offer for him to come along. Him, Ross, Isco and the rest of the fantasists.

Agree also, that Maupay aside, Thelwell has done good business to date and seems invested in increasing our profit and sustainability. I am not sure if any of us truly understand the difficulty and magnitude of that task he has been faced with. He continues to do business with at least one hand tied behind his back. Credit where it's due.

We have to understand and appreciate where we are as a club, we will have more years of transition with the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock to pay for. Avoidance of relegation must be the aim, mid-table a massive bonus, one that is possible to achieve IMO with the right ingredients in place and essential further recruitment this window.

Assuming that the Harrison loan deal (with a reported zero spend on a loan fee) will now free up any funds we do have for the much-needed striker, this must be our next business. Beto and Ekitike are the dream targets but there are many available and gettable options, we need to get our finger out and I'd like it to be a permanent acquisition.

Other business must come secondary to that, Gnonto or another winger only after the striker is secured and Gray and Holgate gone. I wouldn't be surprised to see Iwobi go to Saudi Arabia either.

The big spanner in the works could be that we hold out for big money for Onana from Man Utd, whilst this would enable us to buy the striker we want, it holds everything up.

Personally, I would find this acceptable if we could recoup minimum £55-60M on this deal and get say someone young, British and hungry like Connor Gallagher as a replacement. If they are circling we should be giving them a strict deadline for their final offer.

Loans are a necessary plug in some holes but also we must think about the future. So permanent signings must be astute, young and meet the profile of our future vision. I'm putting some tentative faith in Thelwell, as long as the morons on the board leave him alone to do it.

I would give a wide swerve to anyone behaving that way.

Completely agree, really, really unprofessional. I wouldn't touch the two we have signed on loan either for the same reason.

You only need to look at Harry Kane or our own Idrissa Gueye when he was wanted by PSG to show how to conduct yourself in a professional manner.

If Gnonto has been told by his international coach that he needs to be playing above the championship in order to be selected then perhaps that's a good reason to request a move. From his perspective, he may feel that Leeds getting four times what they paid for him is a good deal and them asking for more than that is prohibitively greedy?

I agree that any player refusing to play is a bad look but it may even be that they had a gentleman's agreement Leeds are reneging upon? I think to say no to any player who agitates for the move could severely restrict us but I know exactly what you mean.

I'd like to see him get cash plus a good player for Onana especially if it can be done in this window.

They sign decent young players for relatively little money (Caicedo cost them £4M) and then sell them for a huge profit. They've made about £250M in player transfer profits over the last couple of seasons (White, Cucurella, Mac Allister to name a few more). Current squad: Ferguson they got for buttons at age 16, Mitoma cost them £3M, both look quality already.

Everton on the other hand… just what exactly did our scouting system do last few years? Why were (are) we not able to buy raw talent for around £5M a pop, develop for a year or two before selling (if we want to)? We keep buying established players well into their careers and paying large fees and wages.

Whilst I think Harrison is a decent player, I hope he plays well this season but we don't spend £20M odd on him next summer, when he'll be approaching 28. After getting to the end of his 3- or 4-year deal he'll no doubt leave on a free. We will still be skint in 12 months time.

If Iwobi won't sign an extension he should be sold this summer. He cost us £27M and will just walk on a free next year, similar to Mina. £Ms in fees never recovered. Add Tosun, Niasse, Townsend, Sigurdsson etc to the list. So many players come to us on massively inflated wages, we then can't get rid and they just sit on their contract until the end. Such poor forward planning. Always seemingly knee-jerk and reactive.

We need to sign more players under 25 to be able to get some transfer fee back later and get the club on a stable footing. Yes, we need to stay up first and foremost but constantly signing players in their late 20s isn't going to be of use down the line.

Harrison on a loan will be great business. I hope we leave it at that unless he's a replacement for Iwobi.

It is amazing what Brighton have done. Although the situation at Leicester last season shows that these smaller clubs can't sustain it forever. Brighton and Brentford will probably get caught out within the next 5 years – but in the meantime will be giving their fans some tremendous stuff to watch.

We should certainly be able to emulate a lot of the good stuff clubs like Leicester, Brighton and Brentford have done though – and also some of the boring basics Moyes deployed to build up a good squad on the cheap during his reign (largely 22- to 26-year-olds, all just a touch off top class with more than 50 first team games under their belt).

Onana is on the way up and Maguire is on the way down.

The new regulation is an attempt by the Premier League to ensure that any disciplinary cases arising from alleged breaches of FFP rules are dealt with before the end of the same season.

The new accounting rules will only apply to clubs who have an aggregated loss on their Adjusted Earnings for the previous two years, which based on recent results could include Everton, Chelsea and Wolves. Source: Daily Mail

I'm all for good governance but having different dates for different clubs to submit their accounts, sounds a little crazy to me, why can't all clubs submit their accounts by the end of December, and what effect will having your accounts waiting approval by the Premier League, have on the January window for those clubs put on special measures?

Also, given this new rule, will that delay any investment in the club until at least January 2024?

Re Brighton and Brentford, odds on them being in the Premier League in 5 years time I imagine are probably much better than for Everton. Thing with Brighton is they keep unearthing gems but are careful not to sell too many soon (or at least have been so far). Their current squad still looks strong despite the sales this summer.

Brentford I'm still on the fence about and will see how they get on without Toney for an extended period. Different model to Brighton imo but are also well run.

We will see what the Everton squad looks like end of the month but I hope we become more ruthless with players approaching the end of their contracts. If they don't want to extend, just sell and move on. Most of our midfield can walk on a free in 12 months time. Surely someone at the club has this on the radar….

We have been submitted to an independent commission for one alleged breach which is, in the club's words, strongly and robustly denied. It's taken 6 months already, plus another couple before it's heard, never mind any appeal, yet we are suddenly made aware that all accounts for only those who may be under scrutiny, fairly or unjustly, will be tried and convicted without an appeal process within 4 months (end of season). When will Man City and their 115 breaches be concluded then?

This is a vindictive farce designed to victimize certain clubs, but specifically not any club in Europe.

Level playing field? No, the Premier League covering their backside against possible threats of being sued.

I don't think this is specifically targeted at us. I agree that we may well have been the catalyst but, as the article states ourselves, Wolves and Chelsea will have to comply this year.

Also it is not retrospective, it would only apply to our accounts for the year 2022-23, and any subsequent years we fall into the scope. We are being investigated because we possibly failed the Profitability and Sustainably rules at the end of the 2021-22 year.

It also doesn't state we can't appeal, but I guess it would mean there would have to be a very short period to resolve issues, presumably around 31 May?

One thing I do question is the focus on us suffering a points penalty. Chelsea have received a financial penalty admitting they deliberately broke the rules on multiple occasions and concealed this fact, it only came to light as a result of the takeover.

Man City have allegedly broken the rules 115 times and also hid this from the authorities. From my understanding, our potential breach is a “technicality” over the financial treatment of taxation allowances on the new stadium. This information must have been clearly stated in the accounts, this is how it has been highlighted.

Surely a differing interpretation of the allowance with all information publicly visible is more likely to warrant a financial rather than sporting (points reduction) penalty if that is the way fraud is penalised.

"Gnonto still wants the Everton move as was rumoured".

Look, if I were a dyed-in-the-wool, third-generation Everton supporter (which I am) and half-decent footballer, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near Everton under any circumstances and pretty much whatever they offered to pay me.

This club reeks of corruption, stupidity, imminent collapse and has the smell of the charnel house around it.

The only way I'd join Everton is for a huge signing-on fee and if I had received a diagnosis that at least one of my legs was going to be amputated in the next couple of weeks.

I have reservations too. At this point, he is largely potential. When you consider Leeds were relegated, it is weird how so many of their players are supposedly great that everyone is chasing them.

I don't like the fact he is going on strike. That is not a good thing. We have had whingers in the past and it never ends well. Moreover, Leeds don't want to sell him so why are we running down the clock, hoping somehow we find a buyer for Gray, Holgate, Gomes and stick it to United over a fee for Onana – all of which a) is unlikely to happen, or b) if it does, it will be 1 minute to midnight.

We are charged with one simple breach of regulations in that we exceeded the aggregate allowed losses by a considerable margin. Our guilt or otherwise will boil down to an interpretation of the write-offs in our accounts and given that our auditors, BDO, quit and we had difficulty in appointing a successor, we should not share the club's confidence in defeating these charges.

Man City on the other hand are charged with 115 breaches covering a longer period of time. Those charges cover a variety of breaches from the allocation of profits from City's parent company (they are one of 13 clubs covered by The City Group), to their valuation of and source of sponsorship deals.

Last time out, Man City had David Lord Pannick as their lead counsel backed by International lawyers Freshfields, their group CEO ran Barcelona FC. We have, no disrespect to either, Katie Charles, who worked for Manchester lawyers Browne Jacobsen, and Colin Chong. I have no idea who our current lawyers are.

The point is that Man City's situation and their ability to defend it is on a different level to ours and has little to do with bias at the Premier League.

I had to Google "charnel house." Cracked me up on reading the explanation. The club as a whole under Kenwright certainly has that feel.

I think the last 12 months Finch Farm has made some efforts to clear out the old bones, eg, Besic, Bolasie, Davies. We still have substantial remains to be cleared though with what Dupont called the "Holy Trinity," for starters.

If it was Spurs who came in for Gnonto weeks ago, they surely would have been quoted more with their budget. Levy again one step ahead if he can steal Gnonto from us.

This is Harrison's first significant injury since 2016, when he was a teenager in MLS with New York City. Since then he has played well over 200 games. He has missed two with injury. Two.

Well, three counting Saturday.

Obviously players whose contracts expire must still be a free agent but can a new contract be negotiated with the player before expiration?

And how does this affect loan deals? Must we return the loaned player to their "parent" club at the end of the loan term? And if there is a clause with an option to buy, will that be honoured or would that be barred under the ban? And would there be any legal repercussions? No matter what Premier League rules say, they cannot void already agreed contracts.

Similarly, if clubs going into debt have to submit their accounts earlier than others, wouldn't this require a meeting and vote of all clubs or has this happened already?

Doesn't seem as simple as not being able to sign new players.

Everton has bought a succession of the worst players in the Premier League – all on huge wages for astronomical fees. The only really good purchase in recent times was Richarlison, so he was sold for a knockdown price as soon as it was feasible.

As Paul the Esk (get well Paul!) has repeatedly demonstrated, this club is in deep financial trouble – in a league where bloody Newcastle United managed to get a huge investment – and even if points aren't knocked off for "financial mismanagement", the club may simply implode financially – assuming they still have 11 players on the books.

The club really does have the odour of death around it. Or is that just our beloved chairman's personal scent?

With regard to Brighton and Brentford, they have operated very well in the player market, there's no doubt about that, but how long can they keep that up?

They are and will go the way of all smaller clubs because your usual suspects come along and hoover up your best players.

I think the best result for the Premier League as a competition would be if the aforementioned bigger clubs – for want of a better description – buggered off and formed their own Super League that they obviously want to do because, as the Premier League is, it's not a competitive competition.

'Everton', 'professionalism' and 'swiftly' are 3 words not known. The People's Club, eh!

Tarkowski and McNeil had signed long before Dyche was in the frame for the job. If Dyche was in the picture, it would not have taken a week to replace Lampard.

With the amount of £ Brighton have brought in, they will be fine for a long time. ,

The Premier League is arguably the most competitive league in Europe at the moment.

My personal dream would be an Omani billionaire (Oman's one of my favourite places) buy Moshiri out and give Kenwright an almighty Order of the Boot. He could then export half the players (the poisonous half) to train at Nizwa and have them running up and down sand dunes until their contracts run out.

Finch Farm would be ceremoniously burned to the ground and the ashes sown with salt, like Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus and the place ritually cursed. (As you might gather,I'm not too impressed with Everton's training or development regimes.)

At the new stadium, before every home match, Kenwright could be burned in effigy and an exorcism of the spirits of Benitez, Allardyce and Alli could be carried out.

It would beat the hell (literally!) out of the crappy half-time shows at the SuperBowl.

Not too many billionaires though, unlike the other Emirates. Not sure the Sultan would be interested!

Dan, I spent best part of 2 years out there (and driving back and forth to Abu Dhabi through the desert - marvellous!). I loved the place.

The funny thing is that the Omani brand of Islam is very strict and formal, but the Omanis themselves are extremely tolerant of what other people get up to (within the sensible limits of respect anyone should show for someone else's country).

I found them uniformly charming (as did my daughter who came out to help me with business), professional and great to work with. (It beat the crap out of Qatar, which is a dump full of horrible stupid and arrogant – for no reason whatsoever – people).

Depends what you mean 'for a long time'. I doubt they will still be in the Premier League in 7 years, maybe less than that, we shall see. They are riding the crest of the wave at moment and are everyone darlings just now but probably won't sustain it; same applies to Brentford.

How's it a competitive league when you can name who's going to win the league or name the top 5 or 6 now? There are 13 or 14 clubs with no chance of glory every season – that's not a proper competition.

That's how I see it with Brighton as the much lauded Pompey of the Harry Redknapp era.

Wouldn't be surprised to see them sink in a similar fashion

Everton have 12 players who are out of contract next summer, including Harrison and Danjuma, both of whom have no loan to buy clauses. The others are Lonergan, Young, Coleman, Gueye, Doucoure, Gbamin, Dele, Gomes, Iwobi and Gray.

Of those who will still be under contract, 8 will be entering their final 12 months. Keane, Maupay, DCL, Virginia, Holgate, Godfrey, Branthwaite and Cannon.

This leaves us with 8 players, Onana, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Pickford, Garner, Patterson, McNeill and Chermiti.

Rumours in the media concerning Gray, Onana and Holgate persist, about them possibly leaving this summer. So we could be left with just 13 players currently with us under contract come July 2024. Obviously, we will likely make at least one more permanent signing, before this window closes.

Still, it's very worrying how a transfer ban could really undermine us, going forward.

The hearing in October about our financial dealings is one we really cannot afford to lose or at the least we must avoid a crippling punishment such as a transfer ban and a points deduction.

Moshiri and Kenwright you really have an awful lot to answer for, so please go asap. This cannot go on anymore.

Sorry, just to check: are you suggesting that Everton were signing players last summer, whilst managed by Lampard, under the direction of Sean Dyche???

Are you saying that Everton had already planned to sack Lampard and his expensively assembled back room team despite being mired in financial difficulties during last summer??

And rather than actually go ahead and sack Lampard they kept him on for waaaay longer than he should have been kept on for even though they had some agreement in place with Sean Dyche?

And that convoluted theory is why Everton signed Tarks & McNeill and thus Thelwell deserves no credit for those deals because Dyche was some kind of silent, mysterious mastermind in the shadows managing the recruitment of the club?

Sweet bejesus, I’ve read some nonsense on here before but sometimes it goes even further levels!!!

So let’s blame Dyche for Maupay too then? But praise him for Garner. This is a weird weird conspiracy theory fella!!!

All intriguing questions

FFS…….I’ve just looked at the official website, and all pictures, etc, are now on there.