Blues remain keen on Niang

The guy we really need a backup for is Howard. What little I've seen of Mucha gives me no confidence at all.

I would of liked to see us get Bosingwa for right-back but I suppose he;s on mega bucks at QPR.

Regarding Niang I would love to see him at the club but I think Moyes could spend the Rodwell money more on an established player as I think top 4 is a real possibility this season.

Forget the Wolves pair.

The Welsh fella from Wolves - Hennessy - that's the chap - that's who will keep us in the game for the next 10 years. Another Southall!

We have one of the best back 5's in the league defensively, I say don't rock the boat.

Nigel Martyn got us there before Tim Howard came along.

Richard Wright also had 7 consecutive clean sheets in the season we finished 7th. Admittedly he went a bit rubbish, but Moyes' record at buying keepers isn't as bad as some would indicate!

Not that any of the guys I just mentioned are a patch on Neville, I should add!

Pick your target and name your budget before looking to shake things up in our defence.

No one knows (because it hasn't happened yet) how Mucha - an international goalkeeper - would fare if given an extended run and a chance to forge an understanding with the 4 in front of him, and Howard is certainly good enough - nearly achieved a record number of clean sheets in a season, I think - to be very difficult to replace, and yet a load of armchair managers are recommending we spend time and money sorting out this part of our squad.

Really can't winge about the team at the moment. It's spot on.

"I'm hearing that so-and-so have had a bid accepted for so-and-so..."

"Just got told that so-and-so is having a medical with so-and-so..."

Greg O'Keeffe of the Echo Tweeted that as far as he'd heard, Everton are interested and in the running but have not had a bid accepted. That's the most reliable info I've seen so far.

Some of them seem to be on the money, but I suspect you're right - they are just collating from other sources - one of them was claiming the ITV football account was copying him!

They have 2 main things in their modus operandi:
- recommend you follow lots of similar accounts
- tweet and delete (remove all evidence of their bollocks forecasts)
Together, these mean that if you want to go back and check who said which, when, - no chance.

I learned my lesson this last week - never respond to or post any transfer gossip that you get off twitter.

The really stoopid thing is I actually know a couple of agents, and a few former players - and none of them would ever tweet about it!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4503837/Everton-agree-deal-for-MBaye-Niang.html

The Everton chief has followed the £5.3million capture of Kevin Mirallas by agreeing a £2m deal for the Caen forward — leaving Arsenal empty handed for the second time in 24 hours.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was keen to sign the 17-year-old forward, as were AC Milan and Tottenham.

But Moyes nipped in ahead of them and after Niang spent a few days training with the Blues, is expected to sort out personal terms over the next couple of days.

The Everton gaffer has money to spend this summer, after the shock recent departure of Jack Rodwell to Manchester City, and has wasted little time in doing so.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4503837/Everton-agree-deal-for-MBaye-Niang.html#ixzz24XMBoBSw

What is is good if that if he does come in there won't be much pressure on him as unlike last season we have much better resources in the final third. Think the expectation that was placed on the likes of Barkley by some fans last season when we looked short of ideas is not helpful at all for young players.

It's been the best summer since we signed Bainsey. After Niang we could ask for more but I'd be happy just to get to the end of the window without losing anyone.

We need to be aiming for top 6 and cup win with this squad. I'm desperate to have those mid week European games back. Europa or Champions League.

COYB

So that's the Mirror, Sun and Mail. I hope a real newspaper tells us something soon.

I'd be delighted to get him for 2 million, from what I've read he has talent but he had a poor season last season, and trouble with injuries. He's a big gamble and much too young to make any mega star claims.

How many academy players have looked like they were set to light the PL on fire only to fizzle and disappear between the ages of 18 and 20. Baxter is a recent example. Vaughan is still the youngest ever PL goalscorer, it wasn't worth a lot in the end.

I guess I'm trying to keep my expectations down to avoid disappointment, I'll be hoping we sign him and he's the French Wayne Rooney and not the French-Scottish Wayne Rooney.

Niang has been chased by a host of clubs across Europe with Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and AC Milan all showing an interest in the teenager.

Niang enjoyed training spells with Arsenal and AC Milan, with both clubs expressing interest in signing the youngster.

However, Everton are poised to win the race for the 17-year-old's signature after he impressed during a trial stint at Goodison Park earlier this month. Everton are thought have tabled a €3million (£2.3million) bid to Caen for the forward with the French club willing to sell their prize asset following their relegation from Ligue 1 last season.

David Moyes' side are now waiting to hear if their offer will be accepted, with personal terms with Niang thought to have already been agreed.

Niang is expected to finalise his move to Merseyside in the next few days as Moyes looks to bolster his attacking options before the close of the transfer
window.

Niang's arrival will be a major coup for Moyes with the player regarded as one of the best young talents in Europe.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8016656/Everton-close-on-Niang-deal

For me it just makes the interest and the chances of buying him more certain as it did when Sky was reporting that Mirallas was over for a medical and in talks to siHgn, which he eventually did so fingers crossed we can get this deal over the line!.

And IF we did get all of the £12m from the Rodwell sale, weve only spent £5.3m on Mirallas and IF we do sign Niang for £2.3m then thats only £7.6m weve spent so in theory we would still have atleast £4m to play with in the final days of the window?!

I hope I'm wrong

Incidently, Dembele looked fantastic playing for Fulham in midfield today. Every bit as good as Yaya Toure or Viera when he was at Arsenal.

I just hope that BK is not using our present success as a reason to stop recruiting. All the better clubs recruit while they are on top to maintain success. That's why EFC did not sustain success because we always broke up our teams following League Championship wins.

The present team is playing the best football I have seen from an EFC team for decades. The fans deserve to be entertained.

That said, I'm always nervous when I hear about a "father and agent" trying to flog a player. Who knows what to believe?

http://www.calcionews24.com/calciomercato-milan-di-marzio-niang-vuole-solo-il-milan-261482.html

Now we have made our offer, just have to wait and see what he decides. If he chooses AC Milan over us are we going to be that put out?

Need to give him a firm deadline as we don't want this dragging out until Friday.

All the better sides have at least two top class Premier League standard players for every position. I sincerely hope that both Barkley and Junior blossom but in the meantime we are still exposed if we have injuries and it would be criminal to waste our great start.

The long suffering fans deserve to be entertained by a succesful team that plays decent football. The potential is there but it must be sustained.

A week or so later, he went over to Milan for a trial with AC and impressed them too and he was very impressed with them and from the off in Milan Niang said he wanted to join them and liked the city and training facilities but AC Milan's offer was just a loan offer with a view to buy which Caen knocked back as they want to sell and Milan's interest went quiet.

He then came on trial to us and we were really impressed with him and vice verse and we were keen to sign him permanently and were in discussions with Caen and he seemed keen on coming but then Milan came back in for him and that's turned his head but it seems like a two-horse race between us and AC Milan but ours is the best offer as we want to buy outright but I think he wants to go to AC more.

So our saving grace is if AC Milan don't come in with an acceptable offer and ours is and then we can sign cos he does like us but wanted AC Milan from the off.

[Exits, laughing uncontrollably]

Reckon he's a gamble, but then I suppose any 17-year-old is.

Have to remember there is a financial problem throughout Europe, so we may have a chance against teams who would have blown us out of the water previously. AC Milan may also have to consider their position concerning the financial fair play, though I really have no idea about that.

Rumoured that Arsenal couldn't (or wouldn't) even produce a relatively small outlay to keep hold of Alex Song, so maybe we are competing on a more level playing field at the moment?

Still a gamble on Niang, have to hope the club is able to cover itself on this one.

The good thing is that we aren't scrambling for bodies in before midnight on Friday. Still a little thin on the ground, but the squad looks good and we've started well.

Fingers crossed for another 1 or 2 in before the deadline.

Shows have far my expectations have fallen. Years ago I would be wondering which big name would be coming in. Now we are feeding off scraps, hoping for the best, and will be delighted if we get to the window without losing anyone.

Then again, we got Mirallas...

Imagine M'Vila and Gibson with Fella ahead... no... don't even go there David...

Not keen at all on Kevin Doyle. He's 29 in a few weeks and his goal rate at Wolves was about one in five. For the life of me cannot see why we would spend any serious money on him, not unless Big Vic's off to Wigan!

Sky sports have us linked with yoann gouffran, who at 1.5m is much more in our range...

I must add that I was impressed by Sterling who had a fine game against Man City for Liverpool. By comparison, Rodwell was hardly noticed.

BBC McNulty tweets that Niang is off to Milan. Balls! And I doubt he woulda been one for the future; we need back-up and now.

He is being touted as a starter for them this season, so we won't have to wait too long to see whether we missed out on a big player or a big disappointment.