We were warned not to expect much in the way of transfers this winter… and as we enter the final day of the transfer window, Angus Kinnear and David Moyes have proved to be true to their word.
There have been of course plenty of links claiming that a host of names are being courted as future stars to grace the fantastic Hill Dickinson Stadium… but none had got as far as the altar before the deadline.
The most consequential incoming move we have seen occurred early in the window, when Moyes recalled Harrison Armstrong from what was intended to be a season-long loan at Preston North End in the Championship. And it appears that the lad has done well enough to retain his place in the Everton first-team squad beyond today’s deadline.
Everton apparently tried to pry Harry Wilson away from Fulham with an offer last week that was turned down by the Cottagers.
Everton have agreed a loan move for 19-year-old Chelsea winger Tyrique George to replace Jack Grealish, who is not expected to recover from a stress fracture in his foot before the end of the season. George completed his medical on Monday, but his Deadline Day arrival wasn’t confirmed until well after the deadline.
Meanwhile, a slew of Everton Academy players have gone out on loan in the last month:
- Francis Okoronkwo has joined Doncaster Rovers in their quest to aviod relegation from League One;
- George Finney will spend the rest of the season north of the border at Ayr United;
- Will Tamen crossed the River Mersey to join Tranmere Rovers;
- George Morgan has gone to the south of France where he will play for fellow TFG club AS Cannes in the 4th tier of French football;
- Eli Campbell has joined League One strugglers Port Vale on loan;
- Martin Sherif has also joined Port Vale for the rest of the season after being recalled from his loan with Rotherham;
- And it seems Reece Welch may be added to this list with Hibernian expressing interest from the Scottish Premiership;
- Also followed by Jack Patterson, who has signed on loan for Polish club LKS Lodz until the end of the season.
There has been plenty of talk about the poorer players currently filling out the Everton squad seeking greener pastures elsewhere, but Everton have reportedly rejected a move to Juventus for Beto, while the futures at Everton for Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson were hanging in the balance only for nothing to transpire on the day; they both remain Everton players.
Perhaps the most surprising rumour was that Crystal Palace would be willing to stump up a remarkable fee of £20M for Dwight McNeil, who has had only one decent game this season. That was literally too good to be true… and the deal eventually collapsed.
Perhaps the most worrying of those stories is the claim that Everton are considering a deadline-day deal to sign Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips to bolster their squad, according to Caught Offside.
Everton are supposedly “monitoring the situation”, as they don’t want to pay Manchester City’s current £10M asking price for a player with severe performance and injury issues in recent years.