Everton revive interest in Elanga

£10m is probably our entire transfer kitty unless we sell someone.

He's got qualities but he doesn't score many. If I was Thelwell I'd be also enquiring to take Diallo on loan.

Just seen an ad for Braun shaving gear on Insta featuring our very own Dominic Calvert-Lewin. I wonder what kind of dosh he got for that?

Did he manage to avoid cutting himself shaving Eddie? It bodes well for all of us if he did.

Yet again, I find myself wondering if we actually have a scouting network outside the UK...?

Why are we only ever linked with Premier league cast offs / veterans, both when could spend money and now when we can't?

Sam Hoare and Robert Tressell's articles routinely name countless players from across the Euro Leagues and worldwide who would likely excite and deliver more than Elanga ever will...

Mark
Robert and Sam talk sense,but can they match the football knowledge and expertise of Mr. Kenwright???

To the idiots at Everton, we need a STRIKER! for God's sake it's not rocket science, you just can't rely on DLC anymore, he gets injured and Dyche won't pick, or sends Cannon out again we will have Morepay up front = fked.

Another winger rumour. Man U trying to offload.The same every Summer at this time.

Hahahahahahahahaha Bill Kenwright's Everton - fucking rotten to the bastard core.

We're literally the biggest joke in football and that despicable parasite is still there doing transfer deals and driving us into the dirt.

Who isn't angry?

Paul,

I wonder, did we have our licence to buy a striker withdrawn in recent years?

As to Elanga - in the little I've seen of him. there is definitely skill and ability there... but he's yet another that has never had a run to establish himself, for reasons unknown. Much in the background that we are never party to.

FFS Everton if you only achieve 2 things in this window - Get rid of Maupay and get us a goalscorer.

I fear these negotiations may be Elangated.

Nice pun there Mike. We've had bugger all else to enthuse about this window to date.

It wouldn't be a Kenwright transfer window without a United reject. Still, we'll soon have cornered the market in wingers.

'' Everton revive interest in Elanga'' = '' We've got no chance to sign anyone that has interest from other clubs so we'll go back to the tried and tested Man Utd cast off route''

Alan J, I would remind you we're building our midfield around a United reject, and I'm damned glad to have him.

Alan. Arguably our best Premier League era winger was United reject too. Andrei Kanchelskis scored a brace in Anfield win if I remember correctly. Wish we have his calibre players in our squad today.

Just another Keiran Richardson etc Al. When are people going to learn here young players look alright coming into a good team. Put them in a big average team amd their true ability comes out.

Another player I don't know much about.

Then again, I didn't know an awful lot about James Garner, but the now 22 year old (4 months past his Birthday), has impressed once we got him playing.

Steady on the ball, looks for a forward pass. Just give him options. A lot of potential from what I've seen with the naked eye.

Let's see what the transfer window brings. For those who lived the Moyes years, which includes most on here I would imagine, we're accustomed to the odd 2359 on deadline day deal. Strap in an buckle up.

I am going to make the assumption that the manager is quietly going about his business. Just as he did when he came in last season and ignored the Billy not-so-Smart's circus upstairs and focussed on the pitch and players backed by the supporters.

His language after the latest Great Escape suggested that. No love in with Kenwright compared to his predecessor who surprised me with his praise for the great Everton impersonator. Especially given his connection with the supporters. If he did get Everton, he didn't get that.

There is a total disconnect between supporters and club and that will remain until the obvious is removed or retires. I don't care if he goes gracefully. He just needs to go. Then we can move on. Will it mean success or competitiveness? Who knows, but we need that final change to happen otherwise the streets around Goodison will be full of protests and banners and the players can do without it.

Do the honourable thing and accept failure. Accept you are not wanted. Go.

He's made his money. Just leave us and the team to it like you have done anyway.

Pre-season on the horizon. It's nearly August. We have a team to support. But if he is still in his vacant seat by then, I think many will go toxic or, worse still, vote with their feet. I speak to very loyal Evertonians and yes, it has come to that.

Wake up and smell the coffee as they say. If not, try smelling salts.

As much as Tony gets his daily Kenwright shout in (I'm getting as bad), I have to get my daily Sheedy one in.

Liverpool reserve and reject.

You just never know.

Looks like a big possibility that Demarai Gray will be off soon as he's entering the last year of his contract, so we are looking for an attacking replacement.

Amad Diallo prefers attacking from the right and did very well last season in the Championship. I don't know really what to expect from Elanga because I haven't seen enough, but I would be more excited about us going for Diallo.

He looks fantastic on YouTube, scores with every shot and drifts past defenders like they are not there. Never mind £10 million – offer them £20 million and Pickford.

We are staying up, we are staying up.

It’s the Evertonians who were taken In and seduced by Bill Kenwright, who needed the smelling salts Danny, but thankfully, Chairman Bill, just got too cocky and didn’t realize there was thousands of people waiting in the wings for him to tell one last lie, imo mate.

Rumours that the MSP deal is nearing completion have began circulating on Newsnow Everton, and like I said the other day, if anyone within the club has any sense then Kenwright will depart and Everton should bring in three or four new players in the same week?

I was looking at James Garner the other day, and started thinking has he got enough energy to play in a two man midfield? Maybe that tactic is outdated in the modern game, but my belief is that no tactics are outdated, just as long as you have got the players to adapt?

Very unconventional for the formation purists, Tony, but from what I've seen and with what we've got right now, I would see Garner sitting in front of the defence spraying passes around.

Gueye and Doucoure in front with the latter bombing forward as he did towards the end of last season.

It would all be a bit fluid.

Interestingly, from what I've seen on him, Lewis Warrington is a similar type of player, although no two players are the same.

Of those saying 'going back to the Utd cast-off route'.

Not commenting on this player, but generally, when we were criticised for buying their cast-offs, we were finishing in the Top 7 and regularly qualifying for Europe.

Neville, Howard, and Saha were all excellent signings. Gibson didn't work out due to injury.

Fran(#27): and Brian Kidd and Norman Whiteside and wasn't there a left back who barely got a game, O'Kane was it? I don't suppose Dennis Law counts as Shankley wanted Bobby Collins in exchange so he didn't come and hadn't yet played for United at that time.

Lazy, very lazy by the DOF and scouting team.

It's a big big world with lots of up-and-coming talent to take a chance on, yet we go for someone who has proved they haven't got what it takes for the Premier League.

Get off your big fat backsides and find the talent which is out there.

Mike (#16) & Ant (#17);

I hope Garner does turn out well despite his bad back. I think Kanchelskis was let go because of his gambling problem.

Paul Kossoff #7. I totally agree with every word you say.

If we don't get some goals we will be in the same position as we were a month ago. For fuck's sake — buy a striker.

Given our financial position, I'd be surprised if we're not looking for a loan deal. Man Utd aren't desperate for cash. A loan with an option to buy perhaps. Or Green Shield stamps.

We have two fallacies hanging about on these chats about players. I think they both revolve around the interaction rather than individual assessment.

Players may not work out due to many factors that do not rule them out as potential contributors for another club. It could be team specific factors that limit the chances to breakthrough. For many at larger clubs those chances are few and packed with pressure.

Also, there could be a simple mismatch in complementary skills with adjacent teammates. We have seen this here with Doucoure and McNeil. Moving a player to a new setting may allow the player unlock the mystery of why that partnership did not work.

We obviously don’t want to overpay for these possibilities but we would be foolish to discount them to the point of ruling them out.

I’ve revived my interest in riding Margot Robbie too.

Does everyone now believe that’ll happen?

I'm rooting for you Brian

He's looked pretty unremarkable in the time he has had at senior level but then he's very rarely started 2 games in a row.

He's only 21 so had plenty of time to develop into a useful player. Maybe a loan with buy option might make sense to get a good look at him but if were spending £10m I think there are more exciting options.

Would make sense as a loan with option to buy. His stats for Man Utd are no great shakes but he's done very well for Sweden (at full international and u21 level).

I know it's too much of a come down for those who remember the good times but I tend to think this profile of player is about spot on for us: young player not quite good enough for a Rich 6 / Champions League place but with plenty of scope to improve if given games.

He's obviously got some pace and ability but needs games which he's not going to get at Utd with Garnacho, Sancho, Anthony, Diallo etc all ahead of him now probably and the likes of Shoretire coming through.

Danny #20,

Also Johnny Morrissey who was a steal from the RS!

Looks like this one’s happening. Hope we don’t blow too much of our budget on him, there’s Deffo a player in there at only 21 I just think the lad needs a fresh start somewhere.

This one picking up momentum now. Bobble and Fabrizio tweeting about it and a price tag of £8m has been mentioned.

I’ve done a bit more digging and convinced myself it could be quite a sensible move. Crucially it seems Elanga is a very hard worker who presses well and gets up and down the wing a lot to keep shape and make tackles. He’s also good in the air for a winger and has the pace to counter attack swiftly.

Basically he seems a very good fit for Dyche and at only 21 can be coached to even better things.

I think there’s reason to believe he could have a similar impact to McNeil, even if his shooting isn’t as good. At £8m and only 21 I’m not sure we’d lose much money on him. Even if he’s a dud for 3 years you can probably shift him for £5-6m.

Could be a smart move.

Thanks Sam and Joe, 21 for 8mil seems good business.

Bill (#36);

Johnny Morrissey was a steal for ten thou but, if memory serves, didn't The Catt sneak in for him while Shankley was on holiday or something and went berserk when he found out on returning as he saw him as Peter Thompson's (no relation) replacement?

Harry Catterick had that quiet way in the transfer market and I remember both Howard Kendall to Liverpool and Alex Scott to Spurs both being emblazoned across the sports pages. It was also rumoured, although doubtful, that the Preston manager sold Kendall to Everton so he wouldn't displace his son, Gordon Milne, who was the Liverpool incumbent.

If you don't work your bollocks off, then you won't play for Everton under Sean Dyche? This suggests Onana might just end up being the player who is sacrificed once we start our wheeling and dealing?

Or maybe I'm being unfair to the very young Belgian, especially because he's got a lot of talent and has now got his first year in the ultra-competitive Premier League out of the way.

We will see, maybe it might even be Iwobi? The next few weeks will tell us a lot, and with every signing being a gamble, hopefully we get it right by selling and signing the right players.

Elanga, Danjuma, Gnonto – all left wingers. Even if Gray is going, it doesn't seem to make sense to buy another who will expect to play with McNeil deservedly in the drivers seat?

If one does happen, perhaps we'll see 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 with Dwight switching inside?

Pickford
Patterson Tarkowski Branthwaite Young
Iwobi Garner Onana McNeil Elanga
Calvert-Lewin (or Cannon or AN Other)

Got the bones of a team, that!

Disappointingly, we missed out on 56-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura, who has signed for Portuguese second-division club Oliveirense. They offered better terms and he realised Everton were a sinking ship.

BBC reporting we’ve made a ‘£15-20m’ bid for Elanga though supposed ITKs saying the up front fee is nearer £8m with lots of add ons.

Interesting move if true.

Only Everton could look to sell Gray, and replace him with someone less productive...

26 games last season, zero goals. That's pretty impressive playing for Man Utd, and against some crap in Europe & Cups.

We need to sign goals. There are none in this bloody team. When is anyone at Everton going to wake up to the fact we have sold all our goal-scorers and creators.

Do not piss £10-15M up the wall on Elanga. Just spend it on good quality loans till we get to the new stadium.

Ian, not sure that's entirely fair.

He may have made 26 appearances but the vast majority were as substitute and he only racked up about 700 minutes of game time. It's pretty hard to impact games when only coming on a substitute from time to time.

I'm not saying I think he'll be a goal machine but I reckon like most players he'll be capable of more if he has a run of starts.

So Gyökeres has joined Sporting Lisbon. Odds on he will score in the pre-season game — right!

Sam, 'interesting' is one word for it; 'risky' is another.

It's hard to figure out how he's going to do for us. Like backing a young 2-year-old horse with no form, but it's got a good pedigree and comes from a top stable.

The £8M figure, probably spread out, means the gamble won't be a painful one if it goes pear-shaped.

Have any of the players now being talked about got goals in them? If not, why not?

What are we doing about it and, without giving secrets away, are we likely to do anything about it before the window closes? Getting worried with the names I am seeing because they read all wrong and point to no strikers this time round again.

We are buggered unless we get our finger out. And if anyone says Billy Liar is looking after it, I'll know we're doomed and it will be my signal to scarper.

Sam, with Elanga in the squad, do you think he will create or score enough to ensure we don't get relegated?

I've seen nothing to tell me he's much of an upgrade on what we have. And if that's the case, is it not just buying for buying sake?

On loan, yeah may be. But £15M with his recent delivery – no chance.

I'd far rather us sign one good player, and some loans, than buy 3 players we all want to sell next summer.

‘Anthony Elanga, it has been confirmed that the club are in talks with Man Utd, my current understanding is that this is for a loan deal as opposed to for a transfer fee.' — Mr Bobble.

Loan with an option to buy makes more sense.

Ian @50,

I'm curious which players you think we could realistically sign who could single-handedly score or create enough to ensure we won't get relegated?

I'm not sure there are that many out there.

Also, as we saw last season, I think Dyche's Everton relies on the team rather than certain individuals. I think Elanga could be a really good team player for us. Difficult to judge his potential for goals and assists but I don't see why he couldn't do something similar to McNeil last season.

A loan with buy option probably makes more sense but, if we were to buy him for around £8M, I honestly think the downside would be pretty low.

Agreed, and we need more options from the bench too, last season it was pretty sparse. I’m not saying Elanga would occupy that role by default, he will quite rightly be fighting to be a starter. As ever we are limited to an extent in who we can afford, wage demands and also who wants to come here.

I read Rodrigo was open to coming here, but said £200k pw. We said it’s too much money. He’s now looking at Saudi.

I think that is the thing Sam. Well run clubs that seem to sign good players, at good value, buy players that the average Joe like me haven't seen.

They're buying them from leagues that aren't main stream, or that have done well in junior leagues or junior international football. Players that have had good loan moves. Players on the up and have something to prove.

We in the main are buying players on the way down.

All of us could have put forward Danjuma, Young, Gnoto, and Elanga. And all of us could of put forward Mcneil, Coady, and others like that the year before.

Toure looks interesting - and there will be plentyof players like that in mid table sides around world football who pay a fraction of Evertons wages.

An average Joe with no real knowledge:-
Broja on loan if he is fit.
Dembele on a free looks decent business at his age.
Some of those Celtic attackers have looked decent and wages won't be an issue.

Balogun, Madueke, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Ziyech, I think would all be decent loan moves. Some of these clubs will need to trim the squads and wages bills, so a decent loan fee could get us through a season until we get in bramley moore and another year of ffp drops off.

I'd love a Cole Palmer on loan, but City don't loan out players of that ilk. Not seen much of Doyle.?.

Even Vardy at 36 is quick, mobile and knows how to score. For a nominal fee, I think Dyche could still get something from him.

Are they all likely to give us a better goal return value than Elanga next season for £10-15m? Yes.

Ian, I agree that we should be targeting more players who are under the radar but on the up. A few days ago Brighton signed Adrian Mazilu, whose been one of the best young players in Romania for £3m. Could end up being useless or could be the next Caciedo. They seem to get more right than wrong.

However as long as the player bought is a good fit for the system and decent value then that alone would be a huge improvement on what we've had at Everton for the last 6 years.

I'm not sure the likes of Balogun, Madueke and Smith Rowe will be available on loan and if they were they would have more attractive suitors than us. Cole Palmer would definitely be worth looking at if available.

Vardy managed only 3 goals in 39 appearances last season so not sure he is offering much goal return.

Context is everything and its worth remarking that in the only season where Elanga has had any sort of a run of games (2 years ago) he managed 2 goals and 2 assists in 1200 minutes. That's roughly a goal involvement every 3 matches which is pretty good for a 19 year old.

Since then he's not got much of a look in or consistency as they bought Sancho and Antony for huge sums. He's in a dip of form which is why he's available for £8-10m rather than the £20m he was valued at 2 years ago. But he's only 21 and has plenty of time to settle and improve.

He's a kid. Whose shown ability already but needs somewhere to give him a proper chance. If he'd had a season on loan in the championship I bet he'd have a bunch of goals and assists and we'd be having a different conversation. And his price would probably be double.

I'm not saying it's my dream move but I can see the sense in it and £8m is not much more than we got for Simms. Think he'd do well under Dyche.

According to the Independent, Johnny Evans is coming to Everton, they say this because there is a clip of an Everton training session, where somebody says: "We've got Johnny Evans coming in". I've seen the clip and I reckon that the person who said it was being facetious, he was, wasn't he?

I doubt it Barry, he's nowhere near old enough for us.

I saw that clip, Barry, and it did sound like that. I can see the sense in Young but this is just very uninspiring and I'm worried it'll mean Brainthwaite won't play.

Just think Barry, if we signed Johnny Evans we could play a back 4 were Tarkowski is the youngest player by some distance

Alan (40),Yes Shankly didn’t like it when Everton stole Johnny Morrissey while he was away on other business but It wasn’t because he saw him as Peter Thompson’s replacement, Liverpool signed Thompson the same year Everton bought Morrissey- 1963.

We also bought Kendall when Harry Catterick gave the impression he wasn’t interested in signing Howard then got in quick and signed him with Evertonians made up and saying Shankly got lost in the Lake District looking for Kendall !

The way things are going with the age of our defense, we will need to be on the six yard line to stop the opposition getting in behind.

We won't be signing Johnny Evans I don't think. But I wonder if we will look for a new CB. I'm excited to see more of Branthwaite but it may be a risk to rely on him too much.

We looked so much better with Mina in the team at the end of last year. Not just because of his defending but his calmness on the ball and ability to find a forward pass, often through the press. We don't have anyone else who can do that, or even close to it (except Branthwaite possibly). It still pains me that we spent around £25m on Godfrey when we could have got Saliba or Gabriel; or maybe Botman, Guehi, Fofana, Tapsoba etc. So many good young centre backs around and sadly we signed one who just struggles to position himself well and is not great in the air.

Not Everton related but how can the other lot demand £20m for a 33 year old midfielder, and the player himself, get £700k per week for signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq. The European Super league may have been moth-balled for a while, but there are even bigger threats to clubs like Everton lurking in the Middle-East.

If you take a look at the injury record of Evans for the past 2 seasons, we can't possibly be considering bringing him in - can we. Maybe it's Vardy and some wag making a comment along the lines of we've Johnny Evans coming in !!

Gary #42
That was pretty much the team I had picked to start the season as well although I had Doucoure in the team rather than Elanga on the basis that we don’t know who we will be signing to be honest. I hope Cannon can step up but we need to purchase another striker and a descent left back and then possibly won’t be fighting relegation again.

Hudson Odoi Sam?

There's another loan for you. Plays on the right rather than shoe horning another player onto their wrong side.

He's on big wages, but he needs to restart a career and quickly. Another on the down, rather than up.

He'd be another gamble.

Ian, I'd happily take Hudson-Odoi, he's a good player though like you say he'll be on high wages.

One of the things I like about Elanga (and Gnonto, Bilal Toure etc) is he'll only be on £40-50k per week.

Paying big wages to mediocre players is really what got us in this mess!

Danjuma supposedly off to AC Milan, so cross him off.

Everton must be the prime example of how to f*uk a transfer window up after years of experience. Embarrassing!

@ Gary 42

I see where you are coming from. But, that starting XI is a couple of injuries away from disaster. There is absolutely no experienced cover.

Also, it doesn’t recognise the struggles for form and confidence that a number of the younger players will suffer.

If Garner, Branthwaite, Patterson, Onana etc lose form and we are stuck in a rut of defeats then they’ll be buried for the season.

The best business is always done early in a transfer window. Arsenal and Liverpool have done this in 2023. Historically our best business has always been done early. The summer of 2006 proved this as it was the first and probably last time we started to build a team based on signing players early and of a type that we wanted and also required.

The current structure seems to not be able to identify the talent that it needs and/or be able to get the deals over the line. It will send us scrambling towards deadline as usual.

If Harrison and Gnonto are the players Dyche wants then they should already have been paraded in Everton jerseys. Harrison in particular would be a brilliant signing. Iheanacho for the money being mentioned also.

Personally I would think that we would benefit from an experienced centre back too as cover.

In addition to those 3 I would sign 2 players without premier league experience as players with potential for us. Preferably cheaper options from abroad or the lower divisions.

Tommy - what a bizarre comment. Iheanacho averages 4/5 a season, and spends at least a third of every season out injured. The only ‘experience’ he brings is how to massively underachieve and take up wages. Mind you…..that makes him a good fit here I guess.

Harrison a very good call, but unless he has a buy out then Leeds will want to pull our pants down. I suspect Gnonto will end the same way as Elanga…..priced out for us, then goes to someone Forrest for £10m less than they offered to us under our Brighthouse payment scheme approach.

The comment on Garner, Branthwaite, Patterson, Onana is just bizarre too. That’s the same for every player regardless of age. Like it or not, but these are the players we can attract and we must take a risk on them. “Experienced” cover is just dead wages and depreciation, and still being in relegation fight anyway. Dead end strategy.

Gary, I think you’re underestimating Iheanacho a bit there. He’s been unlucky to be behind Vardy and Aguero for most of his career, two of the better PL strikers of last decade.

He’s never quite settled. But despite that in his PL career he’s managed a goal or assist every 112 minutes. Thats in the PL all time top ten.

I’m not sure of his injury status. Obviously he has missed some chunks but it doesn’t seem any have been really debilitating. They’ll have to check that obviously.

A fit Iheanacho would be a real asset though.

Sam, I am certain we will be after a new CB. Another one of your propositions from a couple of seasons ago was Salisu. He has 12 months left in his Saints contract and we have been rumoured on and off to want him now for a few months. They’ll want to cash in so it’s a live one.

Interesting that they wanted Holgate so maybe here’s a deal to be struck. I noticed Monaco were after Salisu too but have had their £15m bid knocked back.

People might well be underestimating Iheanacho - but they are certainly overestimating what our very limited kitty can buy.

Iheanacho is a decent footballer who has had to fit in around the likes of Vardy and Daka. Never going to be prolific but certainly capable of around 10 per season - which sounds crap but very, very few strikers score more than that (especially since goalscorers often start in wide forward positions now).

If he's fairly low cost with manageable - then he's probably a good signing. That's where we're at, people.

Tony, much may depend on how Dyche rates Branthwaite and possibly how he does in pre-season matches. And also whether we can sell Holgate (and Keane/Godfrey?)

But yes, ideally we’d have a high quality partner for Tark with Branthwaite first reserve and given time to bed in.

There’s lots of high quality CBs out there both young and old. It pains me that we somehow spent over £100m on Williams, Keane, Mina (unlucky there) and Godfrey. So many better options have been around during that time, including Salisu for only £10m and Bella-Kotchap who might be even better!

No Iheanacho or any African players please! Think of when African cup of Nations starts mid-season.
Also, Iheanacho is a sick note. He is barely fit for 10 games a season.

Elanga to Forest for £15M. I think that's over-priced, to be honest.

£20M for Sarr who can play on the right, looks a better deal.

“Iheanacho is capable of 10 a season.”

I guess that is despite him achieving above even half that only once in 6 top years.

Saying he was behind Aguero and Vardy is like saying Rickie Lambert was a god, but just undervalued to be behind Sterling. Mind-bogglingly stupid. He's a poor man's backup at best.

With regard to Elanga, I think he's thrown his dummy out because we chose Danjuma for 1/5th of the outlay. Hopefully the next Lingard.

Ian B - if we could get Sarr for Gnonto money (or Elanga + £5M) I think that'd prove a masterstroke.

Hudson Odoi is meant to be going to Fulham for £4M.

Wahi at Montpellier is a goal machine – going for about £20-25M.

Both look decent shouts.

We don't need a washed up Johnny Evans!