The Rumour Mill, Season 2011-12

Francisco Júnior set to sign as free agent

13/02/2012 |

Comments (40)

Everton were today expected to complete a deal for highly-rated Portuguese midfielder Francisco Santos Silva Júnior.

The 20-year-old, who is out of contract after spells with Benfica and Manchester City, will join on a free transfer after Goodison officials have solved some final red-tape issues.

Silva Júnior, a right-footed defensive midfielder, left the Portuguese giants to join City's elite development squad last year, but was unable to break into Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled first-team squad.

However, he impressed in a series of friendlies and academy games for the Etihad club, and Moyes has been monitoring the player's progress since learning he was to become a free agent.

If all goes to plan, the Guinea-Bissau- born midfielder will link up with the Blues first team squad and add extra depth to a midfield which loses the services of USA international Landon Donovan after next Saturday's FA Cup fifth round tie with Blackpool at Goodison.

Original Source: Liverpool Echo

Comments

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Andrew Ellams
692 Posted 13/02/2012 at 15:52:15

A defensive midfielder, blimey it's ages since we signed one of those

Ray Roche
695 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:02:22

Now , now , Andrew , let's have no sarcasm on here....

Paul Gladwell
702 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:19:17

I bet he`s versatile.

Andrew Ellams
703 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:23:47

Paul, you mean he sits well on the any bench wherever it is?

Nick Entwistle
704 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:31:50

Isn't it great he would rather be without a club on the off-chance his dream move to Everton would come to fruition.

Andrew Ellams
705 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:42:48

Love the comment about adding extra depth once Donovan moves on. And Hahnemann was signed in case all our strikers get injured at once.

Phil Walling
706 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:42:25

Every bench has a Silva lining!

Andrew Lightfoot
708 Posted 13/02/2012 at 16:41:17

I thought we'd signed David Silva's kid!

James Morgan
726 Posted 13/02/2012 at 17:29:56

Barkley definitely gettin no game time now!
Fellaini, Gibson, Rodwell, Osman, Barkley and this lad all competing. It's good in one respect in that we have competition for places and we have cover for injuries but Fellaini is pretty much undroppable so it's only one spot. If he's good though then we can't really complain!

Richard Lloyd
728 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:02:42

It's a fair point: Barkley looks a great prospect, it shouldn't matter who we sign ? if he is good enough, he will get games.

Martin Mason
735 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:42:20

Fantastic and hopefully another piece of the jigsaw in place. We are now getting competition for all places except keeper and this is the key to success.

Steve Guy
737 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:44:23

Martin, I know what you mean, but frankly its tactics and winning that are the key to success. You won't win anything playing Messi in defence as an extreme example, or Tim Cahill upfront in Everton's case.

Gerry Quinn
739 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:45:37

Hiyo, Silva, away! The Loan Ranger strikes again

Mark Riding
741 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:51:31

We can also accuse BK of 'selling the silva'.. if he turns out to be any good...

Michael Mcloughlin
742 Posted 13/02/2012 at 18:51:51

LOL Gerry

Gerry Quinn
744 Posted 13/02/2012 at 19:03:56

You must remember that far back then Michael? Black and white tellie pictures, and Dad used me as the remote for changing the channels

Anthony Flack
786 Posted 13/02/2012 at 20:34:03

transfer after Goodison officials have solved some final red-tape issues...... Let's not hold our collective breath then. At best worth a punt'

Tom Fazal
787 Posted 13/02/2012 at 20:41:29

Wasn't hard work though Gerry, there were only two channels. The knob (on the telly not me) was stiff though so I did get some strength training.

Gerry Quinn
819 Posted 13/02/2012 at 23:39:21

Clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk - then it came off in my hand, Dad! AND only 2 channels to choose from...oh, what a life

Michael Coville
823 Posted 13/02/2012 at 23:59:30

I don't know what you kids are complaining about, no car, no tellie, no fridge, no washing machine, no phone and I did not see much of my Dad who was in the Army until I was five years of age. In the meantime we dodged the bombs and slept in those bloody awful shelters. Still I did see my first Everton game just after the war so life was good

Peter Barry
849 Posted 14/02/2012 at 04:26:03

First question Dire Dour Davey asked was 'do he know how to TRACK BACK"

Peter Barry
857 Posted 14/02/2012 at 04:27:49

@Michael Coville - Bomb shelter we used to dream of living in a Bomb shelter. We lived in a cardboard box in't road and used to get up before dawn to lick t'road clean with our tongues before going to work on a cup of hot gravel. Hat tip Monty Python.

Gerry Quinn
898 Posted 14/02/2012 at 10:41:07

Bomb shelter - LUXURY - we ad to get up before we went ta bed

Nick Entwistle
900 Posted 14/02/2012 at 10:44:35

Classic comedy? PARADISE. We had to watch Les Denis Laughter Show followed by Russ Abbot's Mad House and if we miss behaved by sneaking peak at Spike we'd go t'bed with a double episode of My Two Dads. Don't know you're born.

Gerry Quinn
902 Posted 14/02/2012 at 10:55:28

Hey, Peter - did you hear that Moyesie got a new car last week - apparently it has 1 forward gear and five reverse - for TRACKING BACK

GJ Butler
904 Posted 14/02/2012 at 11:12:16

And the one for going forward is in case they're attacked from behind. A poor rehash of the old Italian tank World War II joke there Gerry!

Gerry Quinn
907 Posted 14/02/2012 at 11:28:39

Thanks for that vote of confidence, GJ!

Roman Sidey
939 Posted 14/02/2012 at 13:14:01

Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold poison, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Hallelujah.

Phil Bellis
945 Posted 14/02/2012 at 13:50:13

Bed...you lucky, luck bastard!
In truth though...in darkest L8
Ice on the INSIDE of my bedroom windows
Outside bog
No bathroom
My eiderdown had buttons on (me Dad's army greatcoat)
Sitting on buses where your breath turned to ice crystals
Trudging to school in Woolton in 3 feet of snow (school closed? in the 60s - yeah, right)
Playing footie on a snowy pitch (40 yard Alex Parker sliding tackles the norm)
Everton the only club able to play (undersoil heating)
Breaking the ice off the INDOOR swimming pool and being reminded by Jesuit SS that "Jesus didn't feckin whinge about being feckin cold when he hung on that feckin cross, feckin bleeding to death, his feckin chest crushed...."
Ah, happy days!

Ben Howard
987 Posted 14/02/2012 at 17:26:49

He's signed!!!!! - It's official

Ben Howard
989 Posted 14/02/2012 at 17:36:28

I wonder if Nuno was involved in signing this lad. He's got a squad number and 4 n'arf year deal so hopefully he's the real thing. Another signing makes it feel like Christmas! Got to be good for the already renewed squad confidence too. Happy days!

David Gallant
995 Posted 14/02/2012 at 18:09:54

is he the new Manny Fernandes? I sure hope so :)

Martin Mason
999 Posted 14/02/2012 at 18:31:07

Steve@737, absolutely correct but even Moye's negative 4-5-1 can become a potent one with the right players and some flexibility. I agree that Moyes is dreadful with his insecure negative tactics but be fair, we have also had spells where we've played good football under Moyes with the right players.

Is my theory that a lot of Dave's real insecurity came with Steve Round feasible?

How about Round out. Let go Round if you love the club :-)

Gerry Quinn
007 Posted 14/02/2012 at 19:25:13

BK, Moyesie, Hibbo, Osman - forget them, let's Round on Round now....

Sam Hoare
010 Posted 14/02/2012 at 19:42:43

Portugal u 21 on a freebie...can't be bad business i guess and if they've offered him a 4.5 yr deal they obviously rate him.

Would imagine he'll be in reserves for rest of the season, or maybe even loaned back to Portugal.

Don't think we'll be seeing heitinga and Neville together in central midfield for a long time thank god.

James Morgan
011 Posted 14/02/2012 at 19:38:55

They're talking him up on the o.s so hopefully he is good. If he's good enough then I'm sure he will play (although Phil Neville being wank bar the odd good tackle counters that theory but what the hell!)

Jamie Sweet
012 Posted 14/02/2012 at 19:47:10

He's on the official site holding a shirt. Welcome to Everton Francisco Santos Silva Júnior!

Gerry Quinn
016 Posted 14/02/2012 at 20:00:03

Welcome laddie,

Francisco Silva translates into "Silvardo"

...and me, I am "Gildo"

Wanna go on your name?

http://www.minimalsworld.net/BrazilName/brazilian.shtml

Gerry Quinn
017 Posted 14/02/2012 at 20:03:47

Yes, I get really bored in the office....

Nick Entwistle
019 Posted 14/02/2012 at 19:52:02

Blimey, this is the time of year that keeps on giving. Portuguese U21! God knows how he will fit in the team, but that's one extra person to push Neville and JH out of centre mid.

Just to worry, is he Fallaini's replacement come next season? £20m kerching!

If he's close to Fernandes we'll be lucky.

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