Everton's push to sign Toure from Almeria in vain?

€40M must be very spread out, but could be great option!

Should find out within next 48hrs

This kid looks the exact profile of player we should be signing.

He's fast and powerful and knows where the goal is. He's also young and relatively affordable.

Atalanta's scouting and recruitment is up there with Brighton's
– them being in talks gives confidence that he's got huge potential.

They can offer Europa League football. We can offer Premier League football and a global stage.

Let's see what happens.

It wouldn't surprise me if Onana (another spread-out signing!) is the player who ends up leaving Everton, which might just enable us to sign a few players.

I definitely expect Gray will leave, and out of a straight pick between Iwobi and Onana, I'd keep the Belgian, but with limited funds, it wouldn't surprise me to see Onana leave.

Tony I reckon we're getting another year out of Onana and he'll go for a premium next season. With a full season under his belt and a year's experience, I'm interested to see how he gets on. Very few 21-year-olds play a full season in the Premier League at the heart of the engine room.

He gets a lot of stick but the potential is huge.

I wouldn't be devastated to lose him now for a decent profit but I reckon, if we gamble, we can get more next summer.

Please let this happen with ease with the ffp situation in mind. It seems Gray is goin', I don't see Onana or Iwobi leaving just yet, so as things stand, El Bilal Toure comes in it's happy days.

Next piece of the puzzle; shipping Maupay and get a new attacker in, then we can start talking.

Would selling Gray allow us to get Gnonto?

If we sold Gray for 10x what we paid and bought in a player with loads of potential and sell-on value with that money — that would be really good business.

If we have any room budget-wise, we should keep Gray. Danjuma, Gnonto and Toure each would draw enough attention from Gray to allow him to develop his game.

Gray is limited in his vision on the ball but did not have reliable partners up front creating space. Admittedly he did not have the capability to threaten in solo but, with any of the above, he could easily bag enough goals to up the offers next window.

If Rasmus Højlund (Atalanta) signs for Man Utd, then the Italians will have enough funds to beat us for his signature.

And let's not forget they are in the Champions League too.

Onana could really develop Si, but Iwobi going into his last year will end up leaving for nothing, so it also wouldn’t surprise me to see him leave?

Granted paper talk could be completely rubbish, I am encouraged that we're after a target for someone that Atalanta is (presumably) interested in. They have had tremendous recruitment over the past decade.

Yes, Tony, very quiet on the Iwobi contract front. Shame because he's developed into a very good player for us.

My guess is we can't afford to match his current salary so he's weighing up his options. I would be sorry to see him go. I think he owes us a year extension personally but I get that football doesn't work like that unfortunately.

Iwobi running down his contract isn't ideal, obviously, but it might not be a total disaster either!

Remember how good Saha was back in 2009-10 season...15 goals by February! Then we gave him a new contract and he didn't score again for the rest of the bloody season!

If Iwobi is playing to either win a new contract or attract admirers, he could be a very valuable player for us.

With regard to Toure, I know nothing about him but he sounds like the type of player we should be buying. Albeit, quite expensive, for us.

If we can get a fee for Iwobi, I'd sell him. Not enough end product for me, am sure he is brilliant in 5-a-side. Surely the Saudis would want him for big bucks!?

That £7M paid to the 3 numpties has put a big hole in the transfer funds.

How the hell can 3 people who got us in this position get a payoff of £7M. It beggars belief.

I don't know enough about Toure but just hope he is not another Moise Kean. Personally I think Vardy for a year or two would be a much safer bet given our circumstances.

His value on TransferMarkt is £10 million. He is prone to injury. But he is the type of young striker that Everton would want. It is more likely that than a seasoned striker coming in.

Nowhere else to ask this, but does anyone know? Darren Hind mentioned it a while back. Did Everton pass up the opportunity to sign Trevor Francis years before Forest splashed out the one million?

I only asked given the sad news today and wanted to know was Trevor another opportunity missed? To go with Peter Shilton. Imagine Francis and Latchford in the same team!

Joe #17

Trevor Francis RIP, was a superb footballer, not sure about signing for us, but I remember reading that Bingham passed up the opportunity to sign Peter Shilton, would have probably won us the league and kept him in his job.

Iwobi is in the last 12 months of his contract, it would be senseless to let him leave for nothing, cash in on him now and reinvest in the squad, mind-boggling.

Thanks Christy, and yes with Peter Shilton we would have done.

Joe, Philip Carter is quoted as saying something along the lines £1M was ridiculous money, nobody's worth that.

I liked the story about us thinking we were signing Archie Gemmil but Clough slept on Gemmill's sofa and didn't let him out of his sight until he signed for Forest.

Bob Latchford from 2016:

“People talk about the talent that Wayne Rooney had at 16 and it's true. But you should know that Trevor Francis was better at the same age. The only difference between Wayne and Trevor at 16 years old was that Rooney was already a man, while Trevor was still a boy.”

Tony (#20);

I think that was what Colin Harvey said when he sold Gary Stevens to Rangers, "No defender is worth a million pounds".

Damn, we'd have gone down last season if it wasn't for Iwobi. Most goal involvements in the squad (goals and assists) followed by McNeil.

RIP to the great player Trevor Francis, one of the few from other teams I thought I ‘was', playing in the park as a boy. Peter Lorimer was another.

Funny talking of the £1M fee when today the Mbappe fee and wages on offer from Saudi will approximately come to around half a billion. The GDP of a small country like Tonga.

Tony, so true I loved watching MotD in the 70s. I was allowed to stop up late, no video recorders in them days.

Re Peter Lorimer, yes another great that died recently, and some very good players in that '70s Leeds team.

Halcyon days Joe, getting to stay up late to watch MOTD, a right of passage. Especially when my younger brothers weren’t yet allowed to. I even got treated to a very weak shandy whilst we were watching it. Social services would probably get involved these days if they got wind of it.

"very weak shandy", love It! Oh my, I can relate to this Tony, next you'll be talking about the Corona Pop man.

You’ve got me going here Joe with the Corona Pop man, funny the things that felt like a big treat in the seventies. 5p back on the bottle too!

If El Bilal is reading this thread to see what Everton fans think of him, he will be getting a bit confused.

Alpine Tony… Alpine with its wild array of colours resembling a Grateful Dead tie dye t shirt in later years! And coming a close second… the Sunday knock on the door about 2pm… who else could it be…. The Pendelton’s ice cream man ( on a three wheeler with a fridge contraption on the front. Two Twicers ( what could be nicer?) for the Granada highlights hour whilst a block of vanilla went into the mini freezer to be had only after Sunday tea….. tongue sandwich’s and Battenberg cake. Golden days…… golden days….

Has kenwright put a cheeky bid in for Mbappe yet ? Or did he dream it ?

Given that Saudi Investment Fund has just paid £30m for Saint Maximan, in a really legit deal we could surely get the same for Iwobi and at leasr £25m for Grey should they be interested, Maybe though, as we are not owned by them they will pass. Newcastle will merrily go on their way and apparently not break FFP regs.

I think it was Alpine round our way, Chris, like bottles of radioactive waste.

Jack, 31. It's so blinking obvious what's going on with these Saudi deals, it seems now the rules are there are no rules. It's become a complete joke, they are no longer fit for purpose.

Toure looks like a talented player – but as others have said, seems quite expensive. £25 to £30M is a really, really big fee for us – albeit like Onana there are some accounting wins if paid on the drip over a long period that make it cheaper, of sorts.

Three young, talented strikers have all moved recently at lower cost:

- Boniface, €20M to Leverkusen
- Okafor, €14M to AC Milan
- Emegha, €13M to Strasbourg
- Pepi, €11M to PSV

Not sure Toure is better than these players right now - although may prove to be over his career. There's still lower cost talent out there, more in that £13M to £18M zone such as:

- Diallo of Strasbourg
- Boadu of Monaco
- Nketiah of Arsenal
- Tyukavin of Dinamo Moscow
- Burkardt of Mainz
- Piroe of Swansea

These are all good players – looking likely to score at least as many as Toure got for Almeria last season, a whopping 7 in 21. But Toure may have a higher ceiling than a few of these if we're prepared to wait...

It was Alpine round our way, too. Don't ask questions, just drink it!

If this guy is signed and comes good, Kenwright will sell him for a profit next close season. Assuming he’s still there. Kenwright that is.

If we can bring this lad in and also add Gnonto to Danjuma and Young. I actually think we'll finish midtable even if Dom continues to have injury problems... Here's hoping!

Fab saying we've offered the same money as Atalanta so looks like it's down to the player. Doucoure will know Toure from playing for Mali so hopefully he's on the phone persuading him to come to the Premier League and play for the Blues.

I will be pleased if he comes, as this will be a sign of positivity for once. Alas, I feel Atalanta will get him, I really hope I'm wrong.

That will leave Wout Wieghorst in the frame as it appears to me Dyche likes him and the great plus point is he never gets injured.

Robert,

£30M in the context of those players seems a high price. I think Thelwell has been tracking him for a long time, has big confidence, and wants to get him over the line.

What concerns me added to the price is the (probably very spurious) rumour that the lad prefers Atalanta for the Europa League football. It's an added risk if the player sulks at the first adversity if he moves over here. He has to come because he wants it and is fully committed, or not at all. As you say, there will be a few other good options for that money.

Do we really want a 21-year-old leading the line, who is only here cos we blew Atalanta out of the water on wages? He'll cost the earth, our whole budget on a kid.

I would have thought we'd have wanted a competent and fairly experienced centre-forward who understands how to hold up play, grab a few goals, and will come here for a fraction of the price. It makes little sense, to the extent that I think it's bollocks.

Robert@33,

The trouble is not just talent but profile. I think Toure (who I strongly suspect will choose Atalanta sadly) is the one with the best fitting profile in terms of what Dyche wants a centre-forward to be able to do, ie, both run behind and also win long balls, press quickly and put crosses into the back of the net.

I'm not sure that many on your list can match those qualities, though I was very keen on Boniface and he would have been my top pick.

It will be interesting to see who is next on the list. Lots of talk about Iheancho being the next option, but he is not great in the air at all, nor is he a great pressing striker.

Last summer we got the profile all wrong when we bought Maupay, who is a decent-ish striker in the right setup but really does not suit Dyche or this Everton in general.

I wonder if Brobbey may be next on the list? He's a more similar profile and is very strong on the ball though not yet fantastic in the air. Or maybe Thelwell will surprise us all by pulling out a gem we've never heard of?!! Probably more likely to be Che Adams right?

I would have thought we'd have wanted a competent and fairly experienced centre-forward who understands how to hold up play, grab a few goals, and will come here for a fraction of the price.

And who would that be, Kevin?

Rumours growing that Toure is going to Atalanta. Playing European football probably seals it.

I'm not overly bothered if true. It's a big chunk of our budget when we need players in other positions and there are other cheaper options out there.

They are all a bit of a gamble when stepping up into the Premier League, so a fair bit of luck is required together with good scouting report.

Connor Gallagher's name keeps circulating (I just love the media!!) but I don't believe there's any way he'll end up at Everton. All part of the transfer window bullshit!

Meanwhile, rumours are gathering pace that the Saudis are circling Maupay!!

Bill Watson,

Reports Al Hilal are offering Mbappe a 1-year deal for approximately the cost of our new stadium, after which he will be free to join Real Madrid.

Blimey… I thought we were bad with money.

Let's try to get Mbappe on loan if we can sell Maupay ha! ha!

The footie world continues to go crazy as the Middle East try to use oil money to rival the big Euro leagues.

Money is no object as they have proved with the likes of Man.City so what chance do other clubs have.

The top six won't change this coming season and the rest will be competing for mid-table or avoiding the drop.

I fear a Euro super league will be inevitable despite the objections that have gone on before.

Si.
Yes iwobi played his part last year but we have to be ruthless. Sign or go ! We can't afford to lose him for nothing.
Even now in his last year his value is diminished. I think we may be weighing up the value of any offers for him against who we could get at that price, and if its not big money then keep him for the last year, hoping he puts in a good year trying to get a big contract from another club.
On Toure, good profile of striker, young, hungry, developing and atalanta seem to have a good eye for young players they are a progressing club. Hoiland is top class, if this is their target for a replacement then we are looking at decent options.
It seems he's our preferred choice.

David, agree with you on Toure. Seems the right profile and a good fit. Also agree we shouldn’t let players leave for nothing while we can get a fee. Just hoping we’re not playing with fire. Is keeping Iwobi and staying up better than selling and making 10 million?

Hard decision to make for Thelwell. I’d like him to stay personally. I think he can help us get to the heady heights of lower mid table. 🤣

Brian
I'm sure we can get a bargain price on any of the centre forwards just relegated.

Iwobi can run down his contract and start to talk to other teams in January, Then he goes to ACN, comes back, knows were he will be playing in August and subconsciously his effort will fall and we will still be paying him. We must issue an ultimatum - sign or go now. Either we will end up with Iwobi's commitment for the next 3/4 seasons or we can get someone in with the money. We need to be ruthless and professional in our dealings with players / agents and not before time.

Everton appear to have lost the race to Atalanta to sign Almeria striker El Bilal Toure this summer with a deal close, claims Gianluca Di Marzio.

Hopefully this is like Danjuma had gone to AC Milan story, but looks like he's going elsewhere.

Apparently United are refusing to meet Atalantas high price for Hojland. Probably just negotiating tactic but don’t think they’ll buy EBT unless they sell Hojland.

It’s like a double agent spy novel. Thanks Ian and Sam for finding and posting clues.

Kevin49 - if they'd have been good enough centre forwards, they wouldn't have been relegated, perhaps?

Romano has come out and said he's basically off to Atlanta and whilst we were in advanced talks haven't put a bid in. Well there's a shock. It's the hope that kills you.

Romano said no new bid at this time in reference to Atalanta’s agreement in principle.

file alongside Kudus, Banega, Moutinho, Riquelme and others in the long list of 'what ifs ' and 'if onlys '

Atalanta is a stable club, European football, and a club that plays exciting attacking football.

a straight choice between them.and Everton is a no brainer on his side.

Hopefully we'll have a plan B that the wheels are already in motion for.

Tony #26. Bloody luxury! My dad made me get my younger brother (3½ years younger & not interested in football) to sleep in our shared bedroom before I could come down to watch MotD on Saturday night. The number of times I heard the theme tune play while the little shit was still awake!

Fran @ 57,

The Premier League is a big pull for a lot of players so you never know. He may see us as a stepping stone to a bigger Premier League club.

Kind of want to be frustrated but £25M for a guy who has had a good 7 games is a gamble we can't really afford which is why we haven't gone back with another bid. Hopefully back-up options now being looked into.

We are skint so someone like ihenacheo from Leicester (send Maupay to them) makes more sense, short term.

Looks like this one is slipping away which is kind of sad because I'm not sold on Inheanacho.

Not really too fussed about missing out on this lad, as he’s had injuries and is hardly prolific so far.

However, despite Roberts excellent post above I am starting to get seriously worried we are leaving it too late once again.

Unfortunately too much “smoke” in that Tom Cannon is being ran out on loan again, so think that it is maybe time to bite our pride and go see if we can get a Che Adam’s, Danny Ings, or even a Woghurst. They are not the answer, but it’s better than starting the season with less strikers than we had last year.

A risky option would be Scammaca from West Ham. Apparently they’ll let him go for a loan with obligation to buy at £20m with Roma interested. Unfortunately I think if he doesn’t fit dour Davy, he’s unlikely to fit four Dyche.

At this rate we’ll end up throwing £40m at mediocre on transfer deadline day and then still ending up with Maupay leading a line.

I like Iheanacho but Alan Myers saying he’s not heard us having an interest in signing him. Think they’ve got a short list of players with a profile like Toure. And despite being a bit of a unit Iheanacho isn’t very good in the air. Shame because he can finish.

Meanwhile the likes of Dembele and other potential targets have gone elsewhere while we chase someone who doesn't want to come to us, Everton that!

FFS Everton look for players who could realistically come (some expectations need to be managed about that on here). Piroe interesting alot of clubs, I like him, I would be really pleased with him and Gnonto with Gray outgoing.

Another player who I now like the look of is Diallo from Strasbourg, I admit to not knowing anything about him until Robert mentioned him the other day but apparently available for £18-£20M, experienced and a big strong unit. Or Vazquez from Cincinnati.

Si, you say “Iheanacho” can finish…..given he’s averaging 5 a season over last 6 years (with one exception) where is the evidence? He’s another crock who’d want £80k+ a week to sit injured 25-30% of the time

Sean#60 so is the Champions League. Everton will somehow need to identify a forward that isn't in any demand, therein lies the problem. A past it slow Chris Wood it is then. Even Newcastle shipped him out on loan after just a few months.

Gary his goals to minutes ratio is actually pretty good its just he didnt get played frequently at Leicester. Saying that if we did go for him alone its a risk.

As another poster said potential targets (Gyokores, Dembele, Boniface, Toure) have all chosen other clubs and there’s not a lot of targets left bar the typical premier league experienced lads who don’t score often. Inneacho looks more appealing than Che adams, Vardy or Weghurst that’s for sure!

Vardy for a year or two until we get in better shape financially and organizationally would do for me.

Personally speaking I do not want another Moise Kean type.

Vardy is battle-hardened and knows where the net is.

I know he is old now but he was a late starter so still has some gas in the tank.

Jay # 70 - agreed!

Steve, I don't understand it, why pursue a player who doesn't want to come? It smacks of his club and agent encouraging us, to drive up his fee and wages. It worked. Would a player be guaranteed to give his best if he came here solely for better wage. It feels like Thelwell have been played like a second hand banjo.

It may get tougher now that clubs know what we've got in the kitty to spend. Looks like we will combat Aston Villa for Gnonto. Hopefully they don't play us again to drive his terms up, maybe give a deadline to do a deal then walk away?

Gary, sometimes Iheanacho looks like a quality striker, others he goes missing. He seems to have year-on-year injury issues. On balance I'd swerve him there's got to be better alternatives.

Alex # 69, there really are still a lot of potential targets left. And I'm not just talking about the likes of Che Adams.

We've already secured a versatile forward in Danjuma so the pressure is off a bit, despite our impatience.

The financials mean we may well have to wait till the end of the window to secure another forward.

Well, Sky Sports News are now reporting that El Bilal Toure has not made a decision to join Atalanta, and that Everton remain firmly in talks with him.

I mentioned this earlier but no-one seemed to respond.

It's not just a case of getting in talent. It's about getting in someone who fits the style we play.

Clearly Dyche plays a direct style and that's why Calvert-Lewin, when fit, is his perfect striker; a strong guy who can hold the ball up, win headers but also run in behind and stretch defences who push up with a high line.

Vardy may have his uses but he is not a target man. Nor is Iheancho. Nor is Gnonto. Nor is Boulaye Dia. Nor is Che Adams.

Maupay is not a rank terrible striker, he scored a bucket load in the Championship and managed 8-10 a season for Brighton in the Premier League, but he really does not fit the way Everton are playing currently.

The (sensible) reason we offered big money for Touré is because his profile is very similar to Calvert-Lewin (big, fast, good in the air). We can't just get any old striker otherwise we will be wasting money again, we need to find someone with the right profile who actually fits the system and style that Dyche wants to play.

I haven't seen many linked names who fit that profile (possibly Brobbey or Weghorst) but presumably there are contingency plans.

I'd like to see us try and grab that Evan Ferguson from Brighton and Vardy from Leicester. Daydreaming I suppose, but I like the look of Ferguson, a big bustling lad who could do us for years as a centre forward.

Vardy, if we could get him and he lasts a season, or maybe two, I think we'd get the goals that would take us away from the bottom.

We made plenty of chances last season and fluffed too many of them. We don't know what the club's financial situation is (exept probably dire!) but we've got to start out the blocks from the first game and these two players could help enormously.

Maybe a fair bit of buying and selling, and loans to come but, more than anything, we've got to score the goals to give us a chance to stay up this season.

Evan Ferguson wouldn't come near us, if or when he moves, it'll be to a Champions League Club.

They have no financial pressures to sell, so even if we could tempt him personally (which we wouldn't be able to) he'd be commanding a fee of £60+ million.

Our options are either rough diamonds, players who have failed somewhere else, old players, or players with injury issues. All gambles, but it's where we find ourselves.

That's why I said a bit of daydreaming, Fran. Still like to see him though.

There might be some money, but it's more likely we have to sell to buy players; and see who we can bring in on loan, Mind you, if the report's right, we're supposed to have offered £30 odd million for this lad!

I think we're going to face a similar problem as you pointed out, with most quality players we're after, why would they come?

Rob @ 74, Fabrizio Romano is still saying it's on this morning.

Jay @ 70, why is he another Moise Kean?

Fabrizio Romano, who is usually correct, says Atalanta very close to signing El Bilal Tour£ for £28M with £3M in addons, 15% sell on for Almeria and deal likely to be signed today.

Latest from Fabrizio — Atlanta working to get Touré deal signed today.

I think it's safe to say we need to move on!

Joe @ 68,

Fair point. I guess only the player will know what route he wants to take his career.

Not going to lose any sleep over missing out on this guy.

16 goals in 84 appearances puts him squarely in the raw talent category, before you factor in adaptation to the speed and physicality of the Premier League.

At €31M including add-ons, he does not represent value.

Surely this feller is out of our price range.

Like others have said on here, we've spent weeks chasing a player we are very unlikely to get, will probably have 2 at the most friendlies left, for any other option striker to come in.

I would, again like others have said, take Vardy for a couple of seasons, you know what you are getting with Vardy, but at the moment targets are being snapped up, while we chase a player unlikely to come.

Everton looking to send Cannon out on loan again, Maupay still here, and banking Calvert-Lewin's time in Germany gives us a season free of injury problems.

Everton are playing a very risky game of Russian Roulette; bringing Vardy in would have at least give us some breathing space for another striker.

Leeds will play even harder ball now to sell Gnonto, will wait for Everton to panic, and then sell for a much higher price.

Still, Bill knows what he is doing, his expert transfer negotiations and bringing players in will see us through.

Don't panic, don't panic.

Chances are this was never going to work out. Unlikely we have £30M to spew on some average forward. And if they had really spoken to him, it would have been quite evident he didn't want to come or would choose Atalanta anyway.

So, instead of chasing him around all summer with their pants down, they (whoever the fuck 'they' are… personally, I don't believe there is a 'they') should be out scouring the market for talent we can bring in at much lower cost with resale value.

And here we are yet again, with a few weeks to go to the start of the season, EFC is still minus a striker. 34 fucking goals we scored last season and five of them came at Brighton. In any other football club, it's called an urgent priority. It's absolutely shocking how bad this club is run.

So what's more likely is that it's the usual Everton smoke and mirrors. Oh look, we tried to sign a striker but none wanted to come. It's not our fault. It's a ploy straight out of the Kenwright playbook, page 5. Conning the customers (fans). Alan Shearer, you say! No, Alan Smith.

Jay @ 69 - not sure “goals per minute” mean an awful lot, and certainly won't keep us up in the event of a perpetual crock.

You also say Iheanacho is more appealing than Che Adam's? Why? Adams averages more goals each season and is more available to the team too. Not saying he's the answer either (Sam is spot on saying a “Calvert-Lewin Clone” is what we need); but for me he'd be the best option of the two. He's a snide and a grafter at least. Attributes we still lack as a team, and especially up top.

Sam (75), a very sound and logical comment about buying those that fit the style of current play.

Let's hope that the director of football and the board eventually settle on a style of play and we can recruit a manager, coaches and players comfortable within that style.

One club is on the rise, playing European football and good at promoting youngsters. The other is Everton. So who would you choose?

There seems much to sort out and time isn't on our side.

What are we doing with the players who were out on loan last season, Gomes and Gbamin?

Also what's happening with Tom Cannon? Seems both Preston and another club are interested in taking him on loan. Aso, despite being first back for training and the subsequent interview with Gary Neville, whats happening with Dele Alli?

I saw pictures of Calvert-Lewin in Germany working on his fitness prior to pre-season training but Steve Stone says he is a bit behind the others.

Rumours about Palace interested in Gray, last season's leading goalscorer.

Also, why are we letting Iwobi enter the last season of his contract which will allow him to leave for nothing as happened with Mina who, despite his injury record, was still our best centre-back?

Weghorst it is then.

Go looking in Japan or Sth Korea for a young striker with promise. It’s a relatively cheap market (against Europe, Africa & Sth American standards), the players are fit, fast, skilful and their work ethic is second to none. Yes, the physicality in the Premier League is a question mark but that has didn’t stop Son, nor has it stopped the lads my mate Ang took to Celtic from succeeding

Brian # 90, the answer to all your good questions is we are skint.

It is a good point, Sam, about Toure being the sort of player who is broadly interchangeable for DCL. That makes it easier to slot him into the side. Similar for Brobbey, I expect.

But it's not the be all and end all. The RS for example also work the ball forward quickly, long and via crosses, but don't have DCL type player on the books.

Dyche's use of Gray in the striker position last season, instead of the more obvious candidate of Simms, suggests he might be a bit more open minded about the size and shape of the striker we bring in.

It was an education to me when Eto'o briefly turned up, to discover that an Everton striker doesn't need height and heft to hold the ball up or head the ball, it's more about ability.

So I wouldn't be surprised to see someone like Nketiah (a poverty stricken-man's Eto'o) or Gift Orban (the other exciting young African striker after Boniface and Toure) being next on the list of strongly linked strikers - even though they're a bit shorter than other apparent targets.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll get someone.

If you ask me this was never going to happen. EFC knew it but ot looks good for us gullible supporters. £40m ? Were was that coming from. Dyche obviously wants to keep Onana and Pickford. The sales have been of players outside the 1st XI. The rest that went, were out of contract. We are as skint as a mouse that can't afford to live in a church !

If Onana goes now it will be to keep within FFP. No doubt we will be told he came in and asked to go, as per Rooney and we had no chance to get anyone in despite all our efforts.

I agree with Steve @91, it will be Wieghorst and I believe that was always the plan. So one free transfer, a loan and a cheapish signing, it is then. I would still like to see Maitland Niles, for the extra cover he gives, plus another CF, even if it's a free transfer or another loan - someone entering the final year of his contract.

For me the summer of 2024, can't come quick enough.

Paul Hewitt the expert on Atalanta, when in fact he knows fuck all about the club.

Robert (94) - I don't know an awful lot about Gift Orban but his numbers are pretty astounding. From what I have seen he reminds me of Jermain Defoe - not afraid to shoot early, very quick over a short distance, and his movement in the box is very sharp and decisive.

As for El Bilal Toure... I can see that he fits a similar profile to DCL, but I'm just not that convinced that he's a particularly good footballer. Again, I haven't seen that much of him, but I've never been that convinced that he is completely in control of what he is doing or trying to do.

Rob you don't watch Italian football then ?

Romano’s Atalanta numbers were stated as 27+3 late last night so things are still moving. Just something to consider.

Like you say, Andrew, astounding figures in Norway, Belgium and the Conference League too. Hard to judge, but he looks genuinely talented too. More like a Defoe or Aguero type of player than anything remotely like DCL. He'd be a fascinating signing for us - and probably is still gettable although wouldn't be cheap.

Interesting that he, Boniface and Fofana (the Chelsea striker now on loan at Union Berlin) have all started out in Norway. It's a good opportunity for them to get games - but it must be a really tough culture shock for three very young West African kids. All three must have a lot about them.

Robert@94, would you not say that Darwin has a similar profile to DCL? Tall, strong and fast. Either way I think the RS are much more solid in possession than we are likely to be and therefore have slightly different requirements.

I think Dyche really didn’t fancy Simms, who despite his size is no target man. Dyche wants a striker who can work hard and press, as well as holding up the play and linking etc. But it sounds like Gray and Maupay are not fancied much either, both supposedly available for transfer.

Orban is a really interesting player, I’m surprised no one has gone for him yet, but he’s not an alternative to DCL/EBT for me. He’d be more likely to feature as a winger or a second striker I suspect.

Nketiah might have a better chance as he, whilst not the biggest, is at least an extremely hard worker who knows the league well. Though he wouldn’t be cheap.

Plenty of players out there. Am hoping Thelwell might surprise us (in a good way!).

And this just in, Myers says no deal yet though Atalanta are pushing for a decision today. It’s up to the player apparently. By the way, Romano responded, ”thanks Alan, flip a coin”.

So yeah I guess Everton are really fucking the dog if you want to see it that way

Robert, (94) You're spot on about the size, or lack of the expected size, of the centre forward we need.

As a kid, I remember Alex (Young) soaring above Maurice Norman (Spurs Centre half, who was 6 ft odd) Brown (I think) their goalie and I'm sure that dirty bugger Dave McKay was challenging as well. Anyway He was about a foot above them and scored a beauty, right in the Gladwys St to more or less, win us the league in 62/63 season. He didn't only score more headed goals that most of our forwards do with either. I think He scored 22 goals that season, and made a load for Roy Vernon. Both of them were only around 5ft 8" and they scored 50 ish goals between them when we won the league that year.So I think you're right that we need a Centre Forward who can blend in with our players and it doesn't necessarily mean he has to be a big feller.

You're right about E'to! For the short time he was here, what a difference he made; and you're spot on about the reds as well. They use their mobility and speed to vary their attacks and none of their goalscorers are particularly big.

Regarding DCL, it might be wise to treat whatever games we get from him as a bonus.

I guess our management team have their sights on who is available and who is affordable. I think it was a great piece of work to get Danjumba and I think we might have to be patient while our management try and make the most of the meagre funds they've got. I also think I'll take no notice of the players we're reputed to be after, I'll wait and see who we get.

My own opinion is that if Dyche is going to play with only one striker, then this player will have to be both strong and comfortable in possession, especially with his back to goal.

No Paul, I don’t, and without googling, name one youngster they’ve brought through?

So it is was obviously an Atalanta source floating the almost done line to Fabrizio. Are they doing this to discourage the matching offer when they think Everton is close to a budget constraint? Or is there some psyops angle as well?

Could be journos justifying themselves to some extent but at Myers and Romano’s level I would think it is strategic more than cheap talk.

Silly question as already google being looked at!

As has been said there's no need to lose patience as there are 12 days until kick off, 17 if Bill let's somebody look down the back of his sofa for the fax paper but even then he prefers to put them on the payroll at the beginning of the month to save on wages.

Keep in mind Atalanta are valuing Toure at the level we are. There is no desperation premium here and we have a decent chance. Ok, we are having to play the Premier is the place card but we are in play for some serious talent.

Fuck man, if Frank had not been allowed to make us look so bad Toure would have signed for us already.

Rob to be fair Atalanta built a very good young team very recently that took them into the Champions League but not before twice humiliating Everton in the Europa League before that team was pillaged by bigger guns.

I said on this comment right at the beginning that Atalantas scouting and player development is excellent. Comparable to Brighton.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/atalanta-bergamo/rekordabgaenge/verein/800

These are their record sales. Not mega stars but players they bought in for peanuts, got excellent service from them sold on for big profits.

In my opinion if Atalanta think this kid is worthy of their record signing then he’s worth a punt.

I have another question that could go unanswered. Typically, the party with deep pockets has a lower discount rate (read: less impatient) and the lower discount rate allows them to wait out a rival in a dual monopsony (two buyers) bid competition.

Here, Atalanta would seem to have deeper pockets with United buying Hojland but they are the ones calling time I’m missing something to make full sense of this or may be temporarily retarded

Maybe they believe a faster back and forth over price will eventually cause Everton to stall while they work out a structure that allows them to match a bid.

Permanently retarded.

Good morning Will. You’re not going to go weird on me are you? Kinda early for that.

Dale, Almeira and Bilal’s agent are likely squeezing Atalanta’s pips to the maximum. “ Agree to these terms or the deal is off”. Atalanta will be squealing like a pig knowing they are over a barrel because of the competition. It’s a guess but I expect they will relent and accept the terms. Still maybe a 10% chance that there will be a falling out and he comes to us.

Si # 111, Atalanta are a really well run club. Good academy to go along with the recruitment and development side too. Perhaps a lesson to us, given they have managed all of this despite their proximity to AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and, to some extent, Torino. Not unlike the situation we have in the North West. A bit of a lesson to us about how to operate effectively, I expect.

Agreed Robert (116) it seems that with FFP and P&S rules this is the only way we can operate going forwards. We will never bring in the revenue of the clubs around us geographically so we’ll have to box clever and hope that a lot of things fall into place.

A shame that football has become such a closed shop but that’s our reality and we need to front it and take it on and this seems the most likely way.

Robert

Be interesting to see him line up alongside Ademola Lookman if he goes to Atalanta.

What's the deal with Gbamin? It was reported he doesn't want to play for us anymore. Fair enough, but are we still paying him? There's a difference between not wanting to play and refusing to play I would imagine in terms of his contract.In any case, why doesn't anyone ask Dyche about this? And Gomes? Is he injured? Out in the cold? These guys are on big wages after all.

Julian, I think they will be off on subsidised loan deals on September 1st. Gomes is on £112k pw so nobody is going to pay him £800,000 for training during July and August. They’ll let us do that. Surprised that no Saudi team has come in for him, he’d do well in the slightly slower paced game there.

Can someone please answer this for me? How can we genuinely bid for a player at near 30 million when we haven’t got a pot to piss in. Has bullshit bill surfaced from under the sofa with the Arteta money or am I missing something. This stinks of Kenwright’s shenanigans to me.

Sean. To paraphrase an old quote. "You don't need £30m to sign a £30m player."

Sean its worse than not having a pot to piss in. Apparently we had to sell Ellis Sims to pay the 7m to the useless bastards that gut us into this mess ably assisted by the one who still wields the power at Goodison (or rather London).

Sean, like all deals, the amount of the fee is paid over the duration of the contract the player signs. So if we sign a player for £30M and give him a 5-year contract, then we pay £6M a year.

Granted, we may not have the £6M a year readily available, but the £30M is not paid in one go, unless you're Man City.

Tony 115, thanks, I was thinking of that as a signal to us but maybe intended for Almeria. Using the phrase dual monopsony is kinda crap since others could conceivably jump in. Considering time to make another deal and possible reputation costs of fucking about by Almeria it seems like a competition of two.

I think the rest I can stand on There is a grab the dollar game by Daniel Rubenstein (?) that resolved the monopoly vs monopsony battle that economists could not resolve for a while. Basically, the one who can afford to wait another period will win the negotiation. United obviously should start twitching about the Hojland price.

Myers adamant that Everton are still in negotiations despite reports. Fabrizio said it was to happen on Tuesday for Atalanta. Tick tock

Fabrizio posted a YouTube video 7 hours ago claiming Atalanta has completed the Toure deal even though United has yet to submit their first bid for Hojland.

By the way, you might wonder what the time stamp for Myers's statement above is: 5 hours ago.

Toure in his welcome to Atalanta video has just made a point of thanking Bill Kenwright for working tirelessly for weeks behind the scenes to try and get the deal done with Everton, and that if we'd have put in a bid he would have had a really difficult decision to make.

Kevin (128)

Does this not have a distinct whiff of us proclaiming we'd bid for Alan Shearer two days after he'd signed for Newcastle and offered less???

And …. Well, bugger me..,, look who's name is being bandied about yet again linked to failure??????

There is a lot of hype around this transfer, with premature press releases, crazy transfer fees, competition for his signature, even a thank you to bollockey Bill.

I still think Everton are in the mix for £12 million on a pay-part-bonus-later arrangement. Toure missed matches through injury last season. He is the type of basic buy Everton would be interested in for a back-up forward that they might make money on.

Italian Sport press hype regarding Everton is always ridiculous.

Ignore me, Chris, I'm just trashtalking.

Kevin 127 and Chris128,

Alan Myers made reference to a new bid in that statement. That indicates a previous bid was in place. It is past midnight in Italy and no announcement.

Alan Myers insists we are still in negotiations. If you have a source that counters this, please share it.

Nevermind. Just saw 131.

Need to move on, hopefully the club has targets b & c ready to go straight away…. I won’t hold my breath. Tick tock

Chelsea may be getting rid of Broja. Remember our pursuit of him?

Not being funny but if for some weird reason Everton and Atalanta both called me up and said “Hey you fat 45-year-old at your best limited footballer, we're going to offer you a lucrative contract to come and play for us.”

Having been revived after the heart attack, I'd think, “Okay, Everton, supporting them my whole life etc etc but Paul Hewitt, Darren etc, Andre Gomes earning twice my salary, relegation battle, rain. Atalanta – European football, living in Bergsmo. Okay... forza Atalanta.”

I doubt that any agent is unaware of our financial position and the best that they would make of this is either a bargaining position with the other interested party or the thought that the player will be a free agent when it all falls apart in a year or two.

Let's be honest, we might avoid the drop but we won't finish anywhere near high enough to have a chance to pay off the debt in the near future. No, not yet buggered… but in no position to say we'll definitely avoid it.

We are in a bind; our best bet is sell Onana. I have been disappointed in him overall. He is huge yet wins nothing in the air.

It said it all when Dyche dropped him on the run-in when we really needed fighters. Ward-Prowse would be a better bet but Moyes is after him.

Calvert-Lewin could be off to Roma.

Yes, Paul, that's the strong rumour at the moment. DCL loan (no fees).

Honestly have no idea what some are expecting but some of the nonsense I've seen written down is pure fantasy.

We start the season worse off in squad terms than last year and absolutely skint. It's not difficult to comprehend that.

I like Dyche as he's a scrapper but quite simply we have no goals. It's plagued us for two-and-a-half seasons. Yet the talking heads at the club are all too busy patting themselves on the back and saying well done whilst taking millions out in salaries.

Yes, millions for abject failure. Millions of your hard-earned cash which goes on season tickets and merchandise. The absolute fuckstains. We need to get rid of these people instead of sleep-walking headlong into yet another relegation battle, and then getting all pissy at Xmas when it's not going well. It's not working.

Our best move at this point is to shut the fuck up and let Thelwell do his job. Let me know if anyone knows what Fabrizio's game is.

It's the P & S Rules hamstringing us.

Moshiri has said he has cash to spend and would.

We have to get clear of our P & S problems first.

As to this £7 million we have to pay the departed board members, can someone give me a reference for that info. I can't find it on the internet.

I don't do Twitter. Is this info on there?

We owed them £7 mil total and that's why we sold Simms?

Who told who this?

It sounds like Myers now thinks Toure has chosen Atalanta but still no announcement from the parties involved.

James@143,

I think this is something that Paul The Esk has allegedly tweeted. There was a story doing the rounds saying that although this has just happened, we won't be able to see this for ourselves, until this year's books come into the public domain next year?

If Toure has chosen to go to Atalanta, then Everton need to move on quickly. We will see.

Tony (148) - Thanks.

Ok, I found it. It was on Twitter, where I don't go.

On July 20, "I am very reliably informed that the cost of compensating the 3 departing directors for loss of office totalled £7 million.
Will be confirmed when the 22/23 accounts are published"

They must have been on some damn fine wages.

Pure speculation James #143

The alleged figure of 7 million compensation for the three directors appeared on some news outlets and because this chimed with the figure we had sold Simms for...yet another blue myth was born.

Thanks Brendan. I just slipped in ahead of you.

Tony gave me a clue and I found it on Twitter, where I don't go routinely for anything.

The Esk said it. The old, "reliably informed".

"It's why we sold Simms for that amount" is quite a leap of faith and logic.

Thanks again.

Hahahahahahahaha “speculation” that Everton's board – one of the highest paid boards in the league – weren't paid off, and told to keep quiet. By a club that is up to its eyeballs due to handing out ridiculous contracts to the rank and file….to the tune of ~96% of revenue.

It's happened to every single sacked manager/DOF since Moshiri came in. I fear for this football club, I really do.

Fab has just done his "here we go confirmed" for Toure to Atalanta.

I wonder what our Plan B, C is etc?

We've had so much time to create a list of 5 + targets of which we need 2 minimum

Once it became clear that Atalanta were in pole position for Toure (about a week now), we should have been working on other targets. Sadly, I fear we didn't and we'll be caught out yet again.

We really are an amateurish outfit.

I can only imagine that our offers to selling clubs are less attractive than other, more solvent competitors.

In the last window, Dyche was only just through the door and he was under the impression that we tried our best to get deals done. Now he will have a much clearer picture of how we operate.

I suppose we will just have to wait till this window closes before we criticise.

It has looked inevitable that he would choose Atalanta, we should have already moved on and started negotiating for other targets.

It wouldn't surprise me if we still hadn't identified one.

So many fans think we do deals in complete isolation. Start negotiations and speak to no one else at all until them negotiations are completed with a purchase or the player signing elsewhere.

Of course we will be working through a list. We are in a dreadful negotiating position of dreadful finances and successive relegation battles. We're not going to be able to convince players to come to us every time because we're just not a very good proposition. So negotiations will take longer. The idea we would walk away the instant negotiations become tricky is insane. They called negotiations for a reason; some take months.

As with last season we may see most of our list decide to go elsewhere and be left with scant choice. Absolutely awful position to be in.

We'll next identify a forward the day before the window closes, only for the player to stay put in that window or told a deal that cannot be 'agreed' but we tried our best to get one.

Some garbage excuse which generally gets peddled out by the club it becomes that predictable.

Fran@153. That would mean forward planning. Something our board can't do.

Like last season with players choosing Forest over Everton (and they aren't in Either), it's plainly obvious if any other club is interested, they will get the player.

Everton's reputation, standing and image is awful. Kenwright's Grand Old Team and People's Club!

Why didn't we just go for one that doesn't fit our preferred striker profile? We could have at least signed them.

And how did Thelwell let our reputation get so bad? I don't know about this DoF thing, it doesn't really look like it's working.

I'd just like to add...

Much like James Flynn doesn't go on Twitter (hardly ever)...

I don't go on ToffeeWeb.

I don't know about other clubs asking what would Everton have done, Mr Kenwright, but it's obvious a lot of players definitely want to swerve playing for our football club nowadays.

There's that much gossip and shite getting written on that many different websites that it is hard to know if any of them are telling the truth or more importantly have some inside information but please don't go and sign that Leicester forward because we need better, imo.

You're correct, Joe, scraping for our Premier League lives recently and changing our manager every 5 minutes doesn't make us top of the list. Finding the right player and then getting them to sign on the dotted line is a right challenge.

Nick #149,

Who is speculating that?

Eddie, I think in this instance our offer to the player and selling club were the same or better. Problem is the player chose a club appearing to be on the up with a chance of European football over our relegation-threatened no hopers.

How far we have fallen. Still hurts every time.

I'm getting a vision of the Who album ‘Who's Next' with club graffiti on the concrete.

But Dan, surely the Premier League has more draw than the Italian League, and players will see us as a nice stepping stone, much the way Onana has?

How do you know that we have matched what Atalanta offered?

Never heard of Atalanta but, all other things being equal, the pull of sunny Italy will always win over rain-soaked Blighty.

How I wish man-made global warming was true and long hot summers actually existed in this country, we'd be beating them off with sticks.

Barry, quite understandable that you would have erased our humiliating 8-1 aggregate defeat to Atalanta in 2017 from your memory.

Good news, Barry! Your wish is true. You just needed to wait until everyone else confirmed it.

Dale #158,

‘How did Thelwell let our reputation get so bad?'

Sorry, pal, but you're symptomatic of a no-knowledge brainless Evertonian that whinges without any thought.

Thelwell has been in situ for a very short time and has neither managed the team to poor finishes, nor overspent on the likes of Bolaise, Sigurdsson, Walcott, Tosun etc.

I do dislike Evertonians like you that don't engage any thinking whatsoever before speaking.

I don't say that Thelwell has done an amazing job but our current state is down to many people at Everton ahead of him.

You could try making a point without being a condescending prick, Ben.

Barry # 167, it's better to think about it as man-made climate change rather than global warming, Barry.

The UK could get colder as the rising seas dilute the gulf stream. Everton will have relocated to Riyadh by then though, so not to worry.

Ben, as many know, I am in such despair about our once great club that I really cannot be expected to make sense. I will retain my right to have my opinion considered equal to all other opinions though.

Ben @ 170, Dale was being ironic in his post @ 158.

Stephen @168,

That was the Koeman era wasn't it?

Think my suspicions about the Moshiri ineptness began to surface about that time when he indulged the Dutch tulip over not interrupting his holiday.

Doubtless my Everton hibernation mode kicked in as signs of another clown show arose so Atalanta would have passed me by.

"Don't tune into the telly if you don't like the news" is a philosophy I find gratifying and calming.

Robert @172,

Don't tempt me…

Barry #167,

Stephen is correct, the final score at Goodison was Everton 1 Atalanta 5. Unsworth was in temporary charge and (I think) the attendance was so low it was fitting for the result.

Bill didn't notice the score though as the Chairman from a very famous football club was on the blower to him stating "Whenever we have a problem we say 'what would the Everton board do because they always get it right."

Damn it, Steve @174, I never get to fish. I'm breaking my fucking rod. That could have gone a round or two. ;)

Deciding not to attend Goodison because I don't like the philosophy of deceit and lies won't give me any gratification but I'm hoping it will make me a much calmer person by not having to constantly think about the damage that Kenwright and Moshiri continue to do to Everton Football Club.

It’s not easy going fishing Dale, in such a pool of speculation, mate!!

I suppose we will have to trawl through the depths to find a catch that matches our quota.

Thanks Tony, does anyone know if the Riquelme deal is still on?

Ah well, Big Dunc is out of work and available on a free! Be left with Mighty Maupay up front.

Is Calvert-Lewin ever going to be fit .... ever again?!! Only Kenwright's Everton could produce this shite!

I still haven't got over how we never got Alan Shearer, Dale, with the only compensation being, was that I found out that football was just all about money, that summer!

Kenwright did his best, and this endeared him to the thousands of grateful Evertonians, who were just glad we had never turned into another City, Leicester or Forest.

City and Leicester have both won the three domestic honours since we last won a trophy. Twice in two seasons, Everton have lost players who preferred to go to Forest.

We have a fantastic new ground to look forward to but everything else is just speculation.

Fabrizio Romano, probably the most reliable journalist on Twitter for transfers, said on 24 July that Atalanta and Everton had offered the same amount and the player was choosing.

How he knows that, I don't know… but he is one of the few I see on that cesspool of social media that I listen to.

I am surprised we haven't been linked with a loan move for Lukaku. I can't imagine Chelsea are in a strong negotiating position but I guess he will be going to Saudi as he seemed to snub Inter.

Wouldn't be a bad one that, Dan,... If we could afford his wages and if he'd come, which I think might be doubtful.

Tony, regarding us putting a bid in for Shearer. I seem to remember Kenwright making sure he offered less... and after he'd signed for Newcastle.

So El Bilal Touré has, understandably, gone elsewhere. Who's the next mobile target man on the list?! There aren't many around. I'm not sure Iheanacho, Gnonto or Dia fit that profile. Maybe Dia at a stretch.

Brobbey? Beto? Douvikas? Broja?

Last summer we ended up with Maupay mainly because we failed to land any of our primary targets. Very much hope this is not history repeating itself!

Sam 188,

Unfortunately, with a 38-year-old free transfer and 1 loan player in so far, it feels like history is repeating itself.

Mike, I think both Young and Danjuma could prove useful signings, Danjuma especially. But we need a striker. As we did last summer. It’s a tough market but we can’t fail in this crucial addition again.

Hope not, Sam! Or else we'll better hope for a rebuilt Calvert-Lewin raring to go.

I suppose we're going to be faced by those we're courting say Who? Who'd want to come?

We can't offer big money and we can only offer a battle to survive. Not exactly enticing, is it?

I'm sure I'm not going crazy but didn't Shearer join Newcastle a few years prior to Bill taking charge at Everton? Summer of 1996, I seem to recall, and he made his Newcastle debut in August at Goodison where Everton swept the Magpies aside thanks to a debut goal from Gary Speed added to a penalty scored by David Unsworth.

We sing 'If we know our history' but all this angst and worry is playing havoc with all of our memories. Of course, Bill may have been involved in the 'hoax' bid, but I'm sure it was mostly Finch and Johnson running the operation at that time.

Think you're right Barry! He's becoming the Pantomime villain... not without cause, but we can't blame him when he wasn't here. I seem to remember Newcastle bought him for £16M and we offered £13M after he'd been bought.

I agree Jim, at the moment our season could hinge on getting Calvert-Lewin on the pitch for a great part of the season, he's that important.

We most definitely need a replacement for him though if he continues to be injured, if we can do that we don't have that bad a looking squad. Gardner seemed to be finding his feet in the end of the season.

Maybe another experienced central defender as well wouldn't come amiss.

If we can do that I don't believe the season would be all doom and gloom.

A big "if" Raymond but what a difference a fully fit Calvert-Lewin would make. I think then we could possibly bring in a couple of good professionals from the lower divisions at "not too much a price" and one or two loans, and we'd have a reasonable squad.

I'd feel much happier if we could possibly get Vardy though!

Abraham, Gyökeres, Dembele, Rodrigo, Touré, Brobbey……all dead ends.

Looking at the list again, need to think how many were realistic given budget and the Saudi Oil washing?

For now, maybe just secure an Adams, Weghorst or an Iheanacho if we can. Problem is we should have started here, because, if I were them, I'd now be thinking “7th choice!!” and if I were the selling club I'd be thinking “utter desperation!”

Too late now, we get what we get I guess. It's either them, or a massive gamble on someone like Piroe who looks Tosun-esque to me. Perhaps we could strike lucky with a Rom on loan or a Broja on a fitness-building year… but if we don't secure someone soon, we may as well just give up. We've already ran the good kids out, and Maupay is not good enough alone.

Sam 190,

I agree ref the 2 incomings. Danjuma we wanted before, while a couple of Villa-supporting pals of mine have expressed surprise that A Young wasn't kept. Plus players named A Young have served us well in the past!

My concern is that we continue to fail to secure our striking targets and the club may go for another late Maupay-like panic buy.

(Though he may not suit Dyche's style, I'd be inclined to have a go for Vardy.)

Mike #198, you sure about that? Vardy's current contract pays him £140k/week.

Mike #199,

Use the £120k we were paying Yerry Mina, find the long-missing Arteta money you've covered it.

Alternatively do to Leicester what most clubs seem to do to us – take him on loan and ask Leicester to pay ½ his salary.

Remember folks we've had good times during the Kenwright / Moshiri era, mind you it would be interesting to see how we've fared in just the past seven years as opposed to the whole of the Premier League since its inception:

Rank / Club / Matches played / Points / Goal difference
1 Manchester United - 836 - 1731 - 832
2 Chelsea - 836 - 1656 - 757
3 Arsenal - 836 - 1607 - 702
4 Liverpool - 836 - 1566 - 661
5 Tottenham - 836 - 1352 - 291
6 Manchester City - 760 - 1347 - 559
7 Everton - 836 - 1202 - 76
8 Newcastle United - 760 - 976 - -130
9 Aston Villa - 722 - 898 - -130
10 West Ham - 722 - 894 - -162
11 Southampton - 570 - 708 - -98
12 Fulham - 570 - 640 - -200
13 Sunderland - 570 - 578 - -274
14 Leicester City - 418 - 557 - -12
15 Blackburn - 418 - 530 - -74
16 Bolton - 418 - 506 - -118
17 West Brom - 494 - 490 - -262
18 Middlesbrough - 418 - 484 - -95
19 Stoke City - 380 - 457 - -127
20 Crystal Palace - 342 - 389 - -121

Table courtesy of Sports Bible.

Twitter full of vids of Toure arriving in Italy for his medical.

We lose again. Dyche would be pulling his hair out if he had any.

Two weeks til kick off.

Done deal to Atalanta now. Toure will be lining up with Ademola Lookman next season in a very well assembled squad.

28m Euros is a big fee for Toure though, since his goalscoring in France and Spain is very patchy. It'll be interesting to see how he does in Italy as, presumably, Man Utd bound Hojlund's replacement.

It's really disappointing when the very hot targets go elsewhere but he would have been quite a big gamble for us. With the squad being so thin I'd probably rather we got two players for that sort of money, not just one.

The main striker targets now look like Brobbey, Dia, Piroe and Iheanacho - with Tete, Gnonto and maybe still Harrison eyed up as reinforcements for the wings.

The Sky TV money comes through imminently now so maybe some deals will start to get struck.