The Rumour Mill — Winter 2005 (January,
February & March 2005)
Speculation, conjecture, whisperings, half-truths and outright nonsense. Disclaimer
[Note: most links in this section are to external media/internet
sources, where available.
If the link is recursive (ie, leading back) to this page, it means that
no external story exists — Editor].
Mamadou Niang
29 Mar - Everton and Arsenal are apparently interested in the
Senegalese international striker who is contracted to Strasbourg in France
until 2008.
La-La-Land this summer
26 Feb - Everton are apparently lined up to face MLS side Los
Angeles Galaxy in LA on July 20th, although the fixture is said to be
dependent on whether or not the club qualifies for the Champions League.
Stephen Appiah
22 Feb - Juventus's Ghanaian prospect Stephen Appiah is being linked
with Everton. [No external link]
Leon to get shafted and
shifted
20 Feb - [No External Link] One of our readers has it as fact
that Leon Osman will be off to Portsmouth for £12k a week. Everton have
only offered him £5k a week — making him the lowest paid senior player in
the Premiership... but In Moyes We Trust.
Moyes wanted Davids
2 Feb - David Moyes enquired about getting Edgar Davids in to the
Everton squad, but baulked at his £85k/wk wage packet.
Davies deal done?
31 Jan - Although Martin Jol was quoted in the London Evening
Standard as saying that he would not be entertaining any bids for Simon
Davies, talks with Everton have been on-going today.
Rumours from London now suggest that David Moyes has been successful in
his bid to land the Welsh midfielder as Spurs need the cash to fund their
double swoop for Forest's Andy Reid and Michael Dawson.
Blues eyed Bellamy loan
30 Jan - Everton were reportedly considering taking Welsh upstart
Craig Bellamy off Newcastle's hands until the summer. The former Norwich
striker, who scored against the Blues at St James Park earlier this season,
has fallen out in a big way with Graeme Souness and has Birmingham boss
Steve Bruce seriously considering a £6m bid before tomorrow's transfer
deadline.
The match report in The Times from Saturday's win over Sunderland
suggests, however, that Everton have denied any intention of making a bid
for Bellamy.
The striker has signed on loan for Celtic instead.
Loan deals mooted
30 Jan - Two loan deals are currently being hotly rumoured, most
notably former Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta, who currently plies his
trade in his native Spain. Word-of-mouth rumours yesterday appear to have
been confirmed by a report today on Radio Clyde that the 22 year-old will
join the Blues until the summer.
Elsewhere, there are suggestions that Gary Speed could make a surprise
return to Goodison Park, also on loan for the remainder of the season.
Northern Irish stopper linked
30 Jan - Everton are apparently interested in Linfield goalkpeeper
Alan Mannus after he impressed during a spell training at Bellefield. The
22 year-old has one Northern Irish international cap.
Davey's not done spending
29 Jan - A flurry of rumours on Saturday afternoon suggests that
David Moyes will add at least one midfielder to his squad before the
transfer window closes.
Tottenham's Simon Davies, who has been sidelined by injury for much of
this season, is believed to be one, with Spurs dropping their £5m valuation
closer to Everton's price range.
Naysmith staying put
27 Jan - Gary Naysmith is playing down links that see him moving
back to Glasgow sometime before his contract at Everton runs out in the
summer.
Davie to swoop on Glasgow?
27 Jan - David Moyes is set for a double swoop on the Old Firm for
Celtic's Bobo Balde and Rangers' Fernando Ricksen, says The Mirror.
Thompson to sign? Update
25 Jan - [No External Link] The latest suggestion is that
both Liverpool and Everton have had £3.5M bids accepted but that the
midfielder, who used to play at Anfield but grew up supporting the Blues,
will sign on the dotted line at Goodison Park tomorrow (Wednesday).
Sunday 23 Jan: Gathering informal rumours suggest that midfielder
David Thompson has a medical scheduled for today and will sign for Everton
from Blackburn shortly if all goes well. The deal is thought to be around
£3M.
And we're back to Davies
22 Jan - With David Thompson apparently not for sale, Everton are
linked once again with Tottenham's Simon Davies even though David Moyes
once again admits what few Blues want to hear... that he may not make any
additions to his squad between now and the end of the month.
AirAsia as potential sponsors?
21 Jan - Everton are apparently in discussions with Malayasian
budget carrier AirAsia (whose corporate branding is worryingly red and very
Virgin-esque) about sponsoring the club when the Chang Beer deal runs out
in May.
Is this part of a cunning plan to have a sponsor from different Far
Eastern company every season and march on towards global domination?
Moyes eyes up Thompson
21 Jan - Blackburn's midfielder David Thompson could be Moyesie's
next target, since Savage evaded his attentions...
Marcelo Romero
19 Jan - We lose our star midfielder to Spain... so naturally that
is where we would find his replacement....
Bosnar off to Norway?
19 Jan - This from a fan in Norway, submitted to our Mail Bag today:
"According to the Norwegian daily newspaper
'Dagbladet', Eddy Bosnar arrived in Oslo today for a trial with last
year's league runner-up Vålerenga.
Vålerenga are currently running the rule over several players as
replacements for central defender Erik "Panzer" Hagen, who recently
departed for Russian club FC Zenith in a a £700K deal."
Bosnar was only elgible to play in England for a year meaning that
Everton would not have been able to keep him beyond this season even if
they wanted to. The Australian has yet to make a first-team appearance for
the Blues.
Blues to offer £3.5m for Reid
18 Jan - So says a report in The S*n newspaper (as cited by
Fox
Sports in the US. Tottenham have long been chasing the Republic of
Ireland international — then again, they've been chasing everything with
two legs lately — but Everton's need for midfield reinforcements is
greater.
Sotiris Kyrgiakos
17 Jan - The Greek defender was apparently informed by his club of
interest from Everton and Celtic according to Sky Sports.
Next: Nottm's Andy Reid
15 Jan - Everton are the latest club to be linked with a move for
Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid.
Oh, please, God. No!
14 Jan - Fresh rumours suggest that Everton are attempting to beat
Blackburn to the punch and sign Robbie Savage as replacement for Thomas
Gravesen. Davey! Say it isn't so!
Fulham's Legwinski linked
14 Jan - ... but it's possible the
site carrying this story means Steed Mabranque instead.
€3m Gravesen deal agreed
14 Jan - So says Marca Spanish Radio, who
report that Everton have accepted a cash settlement worth £2.3m at
today's exchange rate to release the Danish international six months before
his contract is due to expire. The
Telegraph run with the story in today's edition, suggesting that
Gravesen will undergo a medical today and sign a 3½-year deal at the
Bernabeu.
Petrov links dismissed
13 Jan - Stilian Petrov is an unliikely addition to David Moyes's
squad after his agent insisted the Bulgarian midfielder is not leaving
Celtic Park.
No Tonge bid made
13 Jan - Sheffield United confirrm that they have not so far
received any formal bids for midfielder Michael Tonge following speculation
that Everton had made a £750,000 offer.
Dacourt to return?
12 Jan - Everton are looking for Olivier Dacourt to return as a
ready-made replacement fro Thomas Gravesen...
Gravesen close to Real switch
11 Jan - The story that won't go away is close to conclusion if Sky
Sports have their facts right. Citing undefined reports from Spain, they
say that Thomas Gravesen will fly to Madrid to discuss a €3m transfer to
Real within the next few days.
Jipes! Could it be Jagielka?
11 Jan - Everton are listed among a slew of clubs sniffing around
Brammal Lane looking at Phil Jagielka.
Trial for Guillaume Plessis
11 Jan - The 19-yr-old Lens midfielder Guillaume Plessis is going on
a week's trial at Everton.
Liverpool enter Gravesen hunt
10 Jan - Our loveable neighbours across the Park are the latest club
to reportedly be interested in signing Thomas Gravesen. Manchester United
(free transfer in the summer) and Real Madrid (£2m before the current
transfer window closes) are mentioned almost daily in the media.
Thompson, Pennant, and more
9 Jan - The People throw up a number of potential targets for
David Moyes, mainly Blackburn's Evertonian midfielder David Thompson and
Arsenal's Jermaine Pennant. They also suggest a possible loan deal for
Spurs' Simon Davies.
Danes reckon on Dawson
7 Jan - Everton, Aston Villa and Charlton (why are there
always three?) chasing the signature of the Nottingham Forest
defender Michael Dawson. The price should be around 70 milllion crowns
(£6.5M) — translated from
www.onside.dk, apparently...
Wayne Routledge
7 Jan - The Crystal Palace winger is a rumoured target of Everton,
Birmingham and, of course, Tottenham.
Campbell to WBA?
7 Jan - A "surprise" move to The Baggies is apparently in store for
SuperKev.
Petrov for £2M? — No Way!
6 Jan - Celtic are pouring cold water all over a rumoured move for
Stilian Petrov to Everton for a paltry £2M.
Emmanuel Adebayor
4 Jan - The Monaco striker is apparently a loan target of David
Moyes.
Gravesen to Real Madrid
2 Jan - Spanish reports suggest that Real Madrid are set to mount a
bid for Thomas Gravesen "in January". Oooeer....
Beattie Villa bound
1 Jan - James Beattie apparently skipped the medical on Merseyside
scheduled for yesterday after he failed to agree personal terms with
Everton. He'll now talk to Aston Villa.
|