Everton's transfer inactivity could finally make sense

Bid for Richarlison rejected.Spurs want £35 million.

Spurs. where the insane go looking for bargains.

Swap deal makes sense. Barry, Beto, Patterson and Moyes for Richy. Get it done

If that is genuinely Moyes's and Everton's strategy, then in my eyes it's an irresponsible gamble.

EFC is better than that -- or at least they used to be back in the day.

It's been the same strategy for years. Bargain bucket shopping.

It's a strategy but not a very good one.

A more coherent strategy would be to have your targets identified months in advance and be ready to pursue them as soon as the transfer window opens.

Get the business done early and have the new players integrated into the squad for a number of pre season matches.

Have the squad ready and playing as a unit for the 1st game of the season, not waiting until a couple of weeks into the season when the transfer window closes and then spouting about it takes time for players to settle in.

Yes, I know it sounds easy, but this Premier League recruitment team is supposed be a highly paid, the best in the business set up of experts.
Instead we're going to end up yet again starting the season half baked.

But we don’t even get bargains like Brighton, Brentford or Bournemouth seem to be able to do.

A pathetic transfer window up to now... Reminiscent of the Benitez days.

Yes, this seems like an obvious strategy to not overpay and slowly assemble a deeper squad. Less loan activity but some investment in youth prospects sure to pan out.

And a manager with all the rhetorical tricks to keep the masses in check. Maybe steady was good to reform our transfer reputation, maybe we just aren't as attractive as the Romans.

Meh we survive until some real ambition is revealed.

Dave dithers like with subs. sooner he gone the better

It makes sense to TFGs arse pocket.

John 11 - Have you still got a wand of a left foot?

What have this recruitment team actually done this summer? The fact we're contacting Kyle Walker. I can refer to the usual Bournemouth, Bretford, and Brighton, but we've hired this team to do the same. I live in Canada, and I can tell you Johnson at Celtic is bang average. Has anyone else mentioned Roma?? Whoever we're linked with ambitiously, end up there...We're two weeks away from the end of the window. We tend to go fingers crossed until the deadline passes and then start the season 3 games in and 0 points. I'd prefer a 9 point deduction and have players in place early.

No truth in the Richarlison link - it's lazy opportunistic click bate for easily excitable fans. He'd probably only recognise Pickford if he did come back anyway! But he won't be. Another big comeback though was Moyes, who has one job. And that is to make Evertonians happy. For moments last season we were flying high but squad pressure gave way and with Grealish out, we ran out of steam when it mattered. It still feels like the club is scratching around for lowball deals forever at the risk of being outbid and left player less in the dying moments of the window. We need a better striker, a RB a LB and we should go all out to secure Grealish. If Moyes doesn't then it will get to January, he will be telling us how hard it is to find players in January and our season will end in lower table mediocrity again. 11 seasons he managed us last time, we won absolutely nothing btw.

I don't want Richarlison back.
I am totally against players coming back for a second stint as they very rarely have an impact.

I heard that the Barcodes are signing a new right back so perhaps Everton can do a deal for Liveramento (in my dreams).

Realistically though it's likely they won't buy anyone in this window and the most we can hope for is a loan or exchange.

Phil 11.

Ive got two of them unfortunately.
A hindrance for a right footed player.

Good post mate

So our strategy is... wait until the players that no other fucker wants become desperate for a club.

Genius pure fucking Genius...

This was our strategy before the TFG takeover, when we were broke and couldn't afford to pay transfer fee's upfront, is it not a bit ironic how Roma have done there transfer business early, and no problem paying big money on players? Is it not a massive risk, considering we need a fullback and striker, and normally when you buy a player the club need to to try and find a replacement before the window closes?

I'm just waiting for that statement that Everton have perfected and monopolized "We tried really hard but just couldn't get it over the line.

NSNO has now become Now Small Now Ordinary.

If that is the case, then clearly we had very little to spend in this window, especially as we sort of forgot Rohl and George were not actually our players and they took most of the budget, with Hackney the only new net signing (Johnson is a swap deal).

I think Tim Iroegbunam getting injured scuppered the incoming £15M that might have been used to actually buy a right-back.

So we're now scrapping around for leftovers. At least on the right-back side, it's a low bar to clear. I'd have White in a heartbeat though I'm not convinced he'd want us. But maybe so if we are the last to ask for a dance. Seems just as likely we end up with no-one again.

John 15 - Haha! Class

We want our Ritchie back!!!

£35M for a player who is out of contract next summer and whose stock is only valued by Everton, is unrealistic.

I'd be very surprised if we've bid anything near that.

Update: supposedly we haven't bid at all, but Spurs have another year option.

I could understand this strategy if that's what we call it? If we ended up with good deals but we end up with overpaid injury prone cast offs ffs.

I sometimes think many of our fans want us to jump on the transfer merry go round. Buy players then have a need to flog them a couple of years later in order to satisfy the next tranche of spending rules because they don't, in reality, generate the income required.

Brighton & Bournemouth mentioned... really? How many of their marquee players do they keep hold of again? Oh yeah, NONE. Why? because they can't afford to... and they generate more money than we do.

Then there's the fans who very quickly opine why the business we do is slow or simply rubbish and offer endless reasons why the players we have are rubbish.
"Mykolenko is shit". Is he? Is that why both Leverkeusen & Stuttgart were on the phone prior to him signing his contract extension?
" Flog Gordon as he's a one trick pony". Well, Barcelona don't think so.
"We don't want Djed Spence he's rubbish". Inter Milan don't think so.

... and for me, they know a bit more about signing quality than the rest of us do.

So... we need a right full back who's comfy pushing forward as well as defending, we have around £40m to buy such a player? No didn't think so.

Regardless of what many think we have a very decent midfield. Hackney will prove to be one of the signings of the summer. Harrison Armstrong is genuine class & Dewsbury Hall is excellent. Norgaard is a quality interim defensive midfielder who'll prove his worth.

This begs the question, what about James Garner? My gut suggests he's perfect to fulfil the right full back role in a similar way to Gary Stevens and Man Utd's Gary Neville.

It would be helpful to know how much money we have -- and are allowed by the rules -- to spend.

Everton Football Club spent circa £115 million on transfers last summer.
I don't think we will match that spend this summer.
Despite a rise in turnover figures.

I don't believe for a minute we've put in a bid for Richarlison. All these reports from all these shit sites, and not one mentions the amount of the bid. There's no keeping secrets like that in today's online world, so if there's no number, it didn't happen.

At most we might have rung up Spurs and asked about him, gotten back the £35M demand, and hung up the phone.

I think Spurs are still trying to get back at us for skinning them £60M for Richarlison four years ago and getting 7 Premier League goals a season. One of our best bits of business ever.

I hope you are wrong about Ben White.

To put all our eggs in one basket, by waiting for a player until the eleventh hour, who may or may not, be sold/loaned. Who, if he is, may or may not want to come here and will probably have offers from multiple clubs higher up the food chain than us. Utter folly!

We don't need a 5 star 'Right-Back of the Year', a 3 star bang average Premier League quality will still improve us immeasurably.

If the recruitment team don't bring one in by the end of the window, they can write their excuses on the back of their P45s.

Oh, and also a Central Defender who doesn't qualify for SAGA holidays as well!

Moyes was at Turf Moor on Sunday to watch Burnley v West Ham.

Kyle Walker? Zian Fleming? Taty Catellanos? Ward Prowse?

I'd rather he'd been somewhere else, watching a better quality of player.

John 28.

Never mind all that. He's a 6ft-4in right back, that's plenty enough credentials for The Moyesiah.

Do not despair, guys! Before the window closes down, Davey Boy will have made a right-back out of one of Dibling, George or Dewsbury-Hall.

Ian 24.

Bournemouth generate more money than we do.

With 12,000 attendances, how do they manage that?

I am very happy about the way we have conducted ourselves this transfer window. Our younger players who couldn't get the minutes last season have all featured and counted very well of themselves.

The signings of Hackney, Norgaard are inspired and will push up our possession rate over the whole pitch. And we still have loan spots that can be filled. Wouldn't mind Ben White on a loan to cover right-back, particularly if Tarkowski is going to play less games. White is a great passer of the ball and when available a superb intelligent player.

I would not be surprised if Beto is sold as he is out of contract after this season. Give Delap a swerve and go for a different type of striker that could complement Barry if necessary.

Nobody is “complementing” Barry at all.

He just needs flat-out replacing and sticking on the bench! We need a starting striker or two!

Not just that John but also managed to keep hold of Kroupi and Rayan who the media were desperate to sell on their behalf.

Ian #24,

Bournemouth income £168M with a loss of £66M. Everton £197M with a £28M profit.

Now I agree Bournemouth and Brighton are much better run clubs as it stands but we're now supposed to have an "Elite recruitment team".

They just seem to have no invention and are not very elite at all bringing in players that are well known and not sought after by other Premier League clubs.

PL spending this window at £2.2B and rising…

We've spent circa £60M and most of that on 2 players who were with us last year (so no squad uplift).

Ian #29, Flemming would do for me. Just the kind of instinctive, opportunistic goalscorer we need up top. Not massive or fast, but highly efficient in the box. As you saw yesterday.

And you're welcome to your own opinion, but I think Hackney, Johnson and especially Norgaard are a significant squad uplift.

Do those people calling Moyes dithering Dave and suggesting that he is the Scrooge sitting on top of the chequebook refusing to spend money or sanction purchases really believe that's what's happening? Or that, as a football manager of some years experience he hasn't considered his squad during the off-season and presented a wishlist to the commercial team?

I know there are a lot of people who don't like him for various reasons but I'd bet my left nut that's not the case. I also think the commercial team will have acted on some of those recommendations and haven't just been sitting around drinking coffee.

I'm as disappointed with what we've done as all but the reality is that players and agents have the biggest say in where they end up, and Everton aren't the biggest payers, aren't very successful and aren't in a glamorous city. We don't have Chelsea money to splash around and are one of the few clubs the Premier League like to police and fine around spending rules.

As hard as it is to swallow, we are shopping in the bargain bucket hoping to get something on special which will last a while before it goes off. Europe would have helped but we royally screwed that up and we're back here looking at old fruit and cut-price dinners.

Kroupi is out for 4 months Andrew, he is going nowhere.

Rayan was a great buy. Strong, powerful and a desire to get to the top.

Tony @6

Great shout, totally agree. I've been banging on about the need for transfer planning and strategy in a number of posts, but this looks like the strategy of the mad house.

Let's wait till the last few hours and see if other clubs have made their deals and freed up players we were interested in and then pick up some loan deals on big wages that nobody else wants. Sheer genius.

We need a right-back, a centre-back and a goalscorer. Everyone knows that... so what are we waiting for?

Mike @ 33, got to disagree on your Ben White suggestion, he is exactly not the type of player we want in.

When has White ever looked super intelligent on a football pitch? He is a bang average defender more interested in his tan than than defending.

We need a right back desperately in my opinion, but White isn't the man for the job in my opinion

In all this discussion -- not one mention of PSR.

Remember, we are Everton not Chelsea or Man City. If we fell foul, then we would get a points deduction.

Scott 40, I get it. Maybe Moyes gets too much blame. On the other hand, he is the only one talking to us in language we understand in some way. Who knows what the fuck Angus is going on about?

But look at how you finished that argument. "We royally screwed that up (Europe)". The Royal We screwed that up, not those yelling for lineup changes down the stretch of last season.

Dale #46

I think when Scott #40 states "We" he means those who could actually influence events over the final run in.

I don't think he's referencing noises off.

Brendan 47, I know you are a gentleman on the other side of this argument.

I don't want to get weird about it, just looked like giving Moyes a pass for his own failure to produce a result.

I share your patient optimism on our squad additions. I just like giving Moyes a kick for being a safe pair of hands. I don't want anyone to lose their left nut.

Ha ha Dale #48

"Gentleman" I'm not... I'm actually much more likable than that.

Moyes is what he is. He does what he does.

He's never ever going to change but he didn't bring himself back to Everton. However I hope it works out for him.

Apologies but you're one of the good guys on here Dale.

You can buy, loan to buy or just loan at 5 to midnight and pick up some absolute crackers (allegedly)

But unless Moyes has had the scales lifted from his eyes on that road to Damascus - He's still going to send the 11 out to play with the hand brake on...

It's 0-0 lads, that's a point in the bag already!
Steady now, no mistakes, let's be careful out there, 11 men behind the ball at all times, especially for freekicks, none of this leaving a player or 2 up near the centre circle to keep em honest, etc, etc.

Sean 42

Can't agree with you there. White would be a massive uplift on our current full back situation. He may not quite be good enough for Arsenal anymore, but he beats the low bar we currently have by a country mile, both offensively and defensively. He is also still youngish and I think would respond well to a new challenge. The issue is whether he'd have us, not the other way round and whether he is now truly injury free.

Moyes knows who he wants, its nothing to do with dithering but availability. Of course a lot of posters here I assume work in the Everton recruitment office and know whats really going on ?
He has called out the club today on Sky, by publicly stating that we need an awful lot more work to be done. Over to the hierarchy !
I am sure he is as frustrated as the rest of us at the lack of progress in key areas.
Clubs asking crazy money for Delap or Richy, who would be foolish to pay the price their clubs want.
The loan market will be interesting when clubs still want to shift players who have been previously priced out of a permanent move.

Scott #39, Stop Talking Sense. (and Martin #50)

I think part of the problem with signing the likes of Delap or White or anyone from the Sky Six is the wages they're on. Delap went from £20k a week to £100k a week at Chelsea, White is on £150k a week at Arsenal (figures from Capology)

They would break our pay structure. They may be OK for a loan deal for a year like Grealish but unless they take a pay cut can we really afford them, irrespective of ability or transfer fee.

Perhaps I was too much the uncultured yank there, Brendan, mate. I should have known 'gentleman' would give the wrong impression.

And Scott 40, don't mind me on the subject of Moyes. I get a little mercurial, frustrated that he can't break through his ceiling yet grateful for the return of something functional.

It is what it is. And so it goes.

AN ODE TO FRUSTRATION.

I'm sick to the back teeth of the word "patience". In HD''s conjecturing the club might be exhibiting "patience", just as we are told to be "patient". I'm sick and tired of the "P" word. I'm impatient about patience.

Recruitment team "patience", if that is indeed the case, is simply not a strategy and if anyone seeks to elevate it to that status it is full of risks and danger. “Patience” might be a dead handy cloak for not very competent recruiting and a lack of proper planning. It is a foul-smelling ointment.

I had imagined – naïve me – that one of the reasons that we have assembled at cost a crack recruitment team and diagnostic technology was precisely to avoid the sort of late/end of window last gasp wheeling and dealing that we have done for years now.

Am I being unfair, but has anyone seen anything "crack" and "professionally and creatively diagnostic" in anything that this team has done so far in this window? Were the numbers crunched and tables and statistics and characteristics pored over for weeks never mind months in order to capture Norgaard, Johnson, Hackney, or erm George, or erm Rohl? In essence, much of this landed in our lap.

If it is indeed the case that investment in crack recruiters and state-of-the-art diagnostics are now being put to use – though that is probably not the case – for the typical late-window scramble, then this window will have been for all intents and purposes a spectacular under-utilization of our new technologies and top-drawer recruitment team and/or poor performance from our said ace recruiters who so far have limited their new players to fellas already on our island. You must not cross any water to join us.

"Ace recruiters" do not jump in at the last minute. They presumably spend the year researching and identifying targets. Don’t they? The result ought not to be as Mark Ryan (3) hypothesizes: “Swap deal makes sense. Barry, Beto, Patterson and Moyes for Richy. Get it done”. Wow! What ace recruitment. That must be a good 1000 hours on the diagnostics. Never mind that Spurs would simply not want Barry, Beto, or Patterson.

That something so foolish could even be imagined is a blazing indictment of our recruitment erm “strategies”. Nor do I for one minute accept any argument that we must be agghh "patient" and give the crack recruiters a few years. If they are "crack" they are "crack" and should hit the ground running.

Fingers crossed that this comment will prove when all is said and done to be premature and misconceived. I wish that with each drop of my blue blood. Perhaps over the next two weeks, as the new season begins, two or three or more beautifully creative buys in the 20/30 million range will result in us bringing in exciting young talent from over the channel or ocean or sea.

How much time do we have? We’ve been in suspended and enforced patience for three decades now. Saint Angus-the-Silent told us that Plan B would kick into action over this summer. I haven’t seen it. Is it over there somewhere? Is that it in the corner, lurking in the shadows?

I hate the word “patience”.

Worse than we thought. The manager has told them what he wants, he's well aware of what we require.

Everyone else is well aware of what's required also, we have been for a few years now.

Paul 53

I don't think there is a chance in hell we will spend a further £60-90m this window. I'd eat my hat if we did. I don't have one but I'll buy it specially. We'd have to sell Ndiaye to do that (and maybe we will).

Offloading Tim for £15m was designed to free up a bit more (and actually more than £15m to spend given how SCR works) but that has fallen through. I suspect we are looking at loans, maybe with a buy clause next season.

PG (#53) you and I are of the same mind. We've been bullshitted for decades from the boardroom (with Moyes as manager for half of them) forever extolling the need for patience whilst all those so-and-so's at the top, players and everyone behind the scenes included, except hard-working minions, consistently show us they're only mediocre at a rare best.

The few better than mediocre move on to enhance their careers.

And what of the USA's wealthiest Toyota distributor?

Will his few TW worshippers tolerate some criticism if his inertia remains on display this season or more?

If so, dream on Danny boy!

This sort of story is really starting to piss me off these days:

Ipswich sign Strasbourg duo Enciso & Ouattara

Hopefully we will get the elusive right back we need. But to be fair, most of the deals we do come out of nowhere. Who saw the Johnson or Norgaard deals coming? Other clubs also know what we need so won't do business on the cheap. Here's to a surprise before the window shuts!

You think we need more midfielders Paul #57?

Get pissed off when you read about right back transfers instead.

Not so much that Eric, as clubs buying interesting looking lads in any position mate. Dear God, they're not even already in the country. That's bold.

I didn't know Tim's Hull move had fallen through Mark 55. Thanks for the information. What happened,did we insist on 30M?

Andy Mead - 58 - Other clubs also know what we need so won't do business on the cheap.

Exactly Andy, and the blame fior that rests with our recruiters before and now it might seem with the crack TFG gang.

I still have hair to pull out, but I can't really spare any.

TFG are trying to do business on the cheap Paul.
Thats the main problem.

TFG are trying to do business on the cheap Paul.
Thats the main problem.

Paul #61

Injured apparently although I did see a report that it was only minor and Hull were still interested.

Cheers Brendan

Moyes has resurfaced:

Link

1) We need quite a few new signings.
2) No news on Grealish.
3) Hackney needs time to settle - sit on the bench for 6 months kiddo.
4) Christian is very experienced so will replace Gueye in midfield when fit.
5) Behind the scenes a long way to go and need to do a lot more.

Overall, arms-crossed, even more dismal and miserable than usual. Not a happy camper and now going public - top class recruitment team and world class analytics away t' fook seems to sum it up.

Paul (61) He got injured in one of the recent friendlies.

It's standard Moyes fare Steve. Lower expectations prior to the start of a new season. Then tell everyone how well I have done with such a limited squad.

He has been doing it for years and has managed to convince many what a great job he is doing.

When he gets players in,he tells us they aren't ready. When he doesn't get in all he hoped for, he tells us it wasn't his fault,he never had the players to compete.

He has been doing it for years and people have actually believed his bullshit

Andy @ 58, the best surprise we could get before the transfer window shuts, would be to hear Moyes has resigned

Surprised ToffeeWeb hasnt covered what Moyes said yesterday, given he has not said a word all summer.

“We’re still needing quite a few players to add to the squad,” Moyes told Sky Sports News.

“I’d like to do more if possible. We need to see how the remaining few weeks go.”

He added: “I’m pleased that the players were brought in.

“You have to remember, two of them were already here last year, so we’ve just made them permanent (Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl).

“I think it’ll take Hayden (Hackney) a little bit of time to adapt from the Championship to the Premier League, which quite often it does for players coming from the Championship.

“Christian (Norgaard) is very experienced and will help us replace Idrissa Gana (Gueye).

“Unfortunately, he’s injured at the moment, and Brennan (Johnson) has just come in on the back of the swap deal for Dwight (McNeil).

“We’re putting things together, but we certainly feel behind the scenes that we’ve got a long way to go and want to do an awful lot".

"No, not at the moment. It's not for me to talk, Jack's a player at Man City and I don't think it's right to talk about players at other clubs."

This implies that they still have (fair) money to spend.

The impression is that we are looking at more than one or two signings. Perhaps more like 3 or 4.

There will be the inevitable comments on these pages around Hackney. I read it as he is just protecting his player. Hackney doesnt need a load of expectation loaded on him by fans when he hasn't played regularly against top class players.

Straight bat on Grealish, and that has always been his approach on not talking about other clubs players.

Then the inactivity. My take is that the inactivity is coming from clubs and players not saying yes. Last season they missed out on players, that just wouldn't come to Everton. I suspect that will be the case again.

The players signed were all relatively easy to get over the line. Some of the others certainly linked haven't moved yet, but have multiple suitors. Inflated wages and transfer fees will soften.

I still think we will get a right back, a striker, a utility defender or a younger centre half, and another attacking midfielder.

Patterson, Iroegbunam will go. I think theyll take an offer on Alcaraz and Beto. Hopefully all on permanent deals, not loans. But that appears a challenge.

Martin @ 50, do you work in the recruitment room? Because you certainly seem to know exactly what Moyes is thinking.

I would suggest he is doing his usual, cover my arse speech, which he is infamous for.

I told them what I wanted but will do the best with what I have been given. Followed by how gould we achieve anything when I didn't get the players I wanted.

He has done the same st every club he has managed.

Mark @ 49, sorry but I totally disagree. He is vastly overrated and would soon get found out playing in our defence.

He might look good playing in the Arsenal defence, but that doesn't make him, personally, a top player.

I sincerely hope he doesn't look on us as a club he would like to join.

Ben White is not even a right-back. If we signed him, it might mean less chance of Keane and Tarkowski starting together in the middle but we’d still need a proper right back as well. And White would be very expensive for a 3rd choice CB.

I've said it for so long now, it's getting pathetic... get a fucking right-back in!!!

If they don't, then the transfer committee should be sacked -- especially Kinnear.

I don't see Arsenal selling White anytime soon anyway if Timber is still out injured.

I think Ben White if we signed him would go straight into the team, either at fullback or centre back. What killed us last season was the Tarkowski, Keane and O'Brien combination, that cannot be allowed to happen again.

Moyes is right: the defence alone needs an additional three. Or players who can play in multiple positions to a high standard. I'm relatively relaxed about the rest of the squad.

I'd really like to get Ndiaye out of the door if we can, his head has been turned; I want George and Dibling to get significant game time, and that won't happen if he sticks around.

Also, we need the money to reinvest.
It would also be good to swap out Beto for a different kind of striker; I expect that will probably happen.

The key is the defence. On the assumption that Branthwaite does have time out of the team, the whole back four suddenly looks very vulnerable.

I thought the most telling part of the interview was were Moyes said:

"We feel behind the scenes we have a long way to go and want to do an awful lot more".

So why are we a long way off? Is it because we don't have the kitty to spend and stay within PSR? Or is it more that TFG are limiting what we spend?

Seeing TFG don't want to engage our fans with their plans and ideas going forward, then maybe they need to tell their mouthpiece Kinnear to tell us why there is obviously a disagreement between where the manager and his coaches think we should be regarding transfers and where the club are.

Surely if we are being hampered because of PSR, then tell us. Can you imagine the recruitment team sitting down looking at possible new arrivals and seeing that most of the fans screaming for full-backs and at least a striker, we buy Hackney, make George and Rohl permanent, and then, to try and add goals, we sign Johnson, who didn't score a goal last season?

You just couldn't make it up.

Brian@78.

"You just couldn't make it up"

That's the problem...I think they are making it up as they go along.

Mike and Sean,

While I'd be delighted to get White -- and yes, he can cover centre-back but hasn't played there much in recent years -- I'd also be very much open to getting someone better.

Who did you have in mind?

Doue would have been my first choice and I also liked the lad Newcastle just bought.

Of the remaining players, I would prefer the young fullback from Barcelona, Fort I think is his name. This is Sean by the way, I just borrowed my sister’s iPad

Wan Biassaka signed on the dotted line for Villa; Troy Parrot off to Real Betis.

Patience. Patient. Patience is the word, is the word that you heard. It's got groove, it's got meaning.

Saint Angus-the Soon-to-be-Silent-Again: "So the recruitment team, the data team work hand in glove ot come up with the right solution."

So, are ever so crack recruitment team works hand-in-hand with are ever so ace 'date team' to bring in George, Rohl. Hackney, Johnson, Norgaard. Phew! Great stuff.

I am pretty sure that the main reason we always act so late in the transfer window is to save on wages. For example, if we paid Grealish £200k per week, then waiting 5 weeks is obviously £1M saved.

This perspective is ignoring the loss of time for squad integration and potential lost prize money from lower points and league positions, of course.

Brian @78,

I don't know why you and others keep suggesting that TFG should “tell us“ specifics about SCR and funds available. No club makes that information publicly available, but least of all our publicity-shy ownership.

In a highly competitive situation like this, it would be the worst business judgment possible to make our competitors aware of what we can and cannot afford.

What we are able to spend and willing to spend are of course critical variables, but I would point out that there's another opportunity to fill in our needs – loans.

We are allowed four, I believe, and we've used zero so far. And those are deals that are almost always closed on the last day of the window.

Leaving open one loan spot for Grealish, I would expect us to use a couple of others to cover positions that we are not able to buy for.

And yes, I do still expect us to buy a right-back.

ps: Actually, Brian, you are making it up when you say Johnson "didn't score a goal last season" (he scored 4 for Spurs before transferring), but personally I'm delighted that he had such a miserable year because otherwise we wouldn't have gotten an 18-goal scorer (two seasons ago) in a straight swap for Dwight McNeil.

I thought you were allowed to spend 85% of revenue, Mike?

You are, John.

Craig (84),

That would make a change from the £6M we wasted on his second half of last season!

Dave #88, by that thinking, we "wasted" another £6M paying Branthwaite, who missed all but 10 games.

Injuries are part of the deal.

Mike, clubs are allowed two loans at the same time and, I believe, a total of four across the season but, again, only two at the same time.

To get in two new loanees in January, we would need to get rid of the ones we brought in over the summer.

PG, thanks for the correction, but how did we bring in George last January if we already had Grealish and Rohl on our loan book?

I didn't recall that we sent Grealish home after his injury.

Them's the rules MG. And I've thought about that too. Maybe an exception was made for Grealish because of his long-term injury that effectively made his loan worthless. It might also be the case that the rule of two at the same time applies to PL players only and that someone else from abroad might be permitted.

I'm confused?

The main points of the PL Handbook (huge and no contents page) on loans say:

Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time.

The maximum number of loans registrable in the same season is four, and, under no circumstances, shall more than one be from the same club at any one time.

Premier League clubs cannot loan to another Premier League club a player they have acquired in the same transfer window.

A Premier League club may loan not more than one of its goalkeepers to another Premier League club.

I think it might be the case that PL clubs are allowed 2 domestic loans at one time and can also bring in, I assume, up to two more foreign loanees also at that time.

But I could be wrong. And it's entirely possible that the same time two loan rule only applies to domestic deals,

Thanks for looking all that up, PG.

You gave me a hint on the Grealish question, and I found the answer. Rohl was a loan from overseas (Freiburg) and thus not subject to the two-loan English limit. So we had a space open for George.

Maybe the rules have changed but I'm sure last season we could have two on loan from the Premier League (or was it UK?) and two (or more?) from other leagues.

So Merlin Rohl was one of our allowed foreign loan players.

That's right and clear now MG and MK. The two-loan rule is for domestic lads.

Ha ha.

That's three interpretations of the loan system in as many posts.

You'd be contenders for members of the Everton Transfer Committee.

Michael is wrong and I think Paul's right.

Everton are interested in Como's Senegal winger Assane Diao, 20, who could cost between £50m and £60m. (Teamtalk) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!