Everton 'target' available on a free

At just 26 and assuming his wage demands are reasonable I don't see any reason why we shouldn't pick him up. Maybe even just on a 1 year contract to see if hes any good.

James, we have done the same with so many players from both home and abroad who have been total flops.

I want us to bid for proven top players like every other club with top four ambitions.

Rincon on a free would be a top signing IMO. He's a tough tackling midfielder who rarely gives the ball away, can be a little rash at times though.

At present, we only have McCarthy and Gibson as our holding midfielders. With all the extra games next season, we will need an extra 2 players for this position. Its still very uncertain weather Barry will be here next season or if Gibson can ever be depended on due to his dreadful record of injuries.

Its a yes from me.

I've never heard of him, but from a quick read online, he's apparently a piss-poor passer of the ball. Not really what we need, although he's tough in the tackle and good in the air. Apparently.

Don't know him but if Cardiff and Fulham are in for him well that's all I really need to know. Next.

Here's one of those pointless YouTube videos of him generally charging about, set to some stupid music.

James, why would a 26-year-old sign a 1-year deal? No financial security in that.

Steve Sidwell on a free too.....

Why would we want to take player that has just been released from a team that has just avoided relegatio? There are squad players, then there are benchwarmers. He is the latter.

We are meant to heading towards the Champions League. IMO he does meet our motto NSNO.

Not really seen him but he would do very well to replicate Barry's performance levels last season.

Oh sign him up, he's the closest we'll get to having Aguero in our team. Well at least appearance wise haha. Ah seriously do, I don't mind the club taking a risk on any free transfer; aslong as the wages aren't ridiculous.

I've seen him a couple times for Venezuela. Let me put it this way... if you liked Segundo Castillo, you'll love Rincon.

Morning Bob,

Are you the lad who recommended Rooney to Everton?

"Why would we want to take player that has just been released from a team that has just avoided relegation?"

Or even from a team that WAS relegated, like Wigan perhaps?

We need to increase the size of the squad; if there are good quality players available out of contract then we should consider them. Other than obtaining a top-quality striker this summer is going to be about increasing numbers, not necessarily signing players who are better than what we have here currently. Unless there is an unexpectedly large kitty available, I would expect us to be linked with a lot of players similar to Rincon.

Because a free agent would turn down a place at Everton who finished 5th in the best league in the world.

"Rincon" is Spanish for "corner". Tommy the Corner — perhaps the manager is trying to address one of last season's glaring shortcomings?

In other news, I see Leicester have signed Albrighton for £4.50 and a packet of monster munch. Can we all realise we need to aim a bit higher now please?

Just read the news that Barry has been released by City along with Lescott. Let's hope Joleon skips off to West Ham or Villa or wherever he won't be keeping the bench warm next season. Arsenal seem to be the only potential stumbling block to us getting Bazza back.

Don't know much about Rincon. Another defensive mid, though. His name maybe suggests he could take a corner!

Peter #590. Ah! just seen your post. Beat me to it! Perdon!

Ningun problema, Brent!

Why not go for Diame instead? Not a free transfer obviously but knows the Premier League and Martinez very well so would fit in straight away I reckon. And at approx. £3.5m (buy-out clause, allegedly), he wouldn't break the bank.

Trevor, and others with similar ideas — we are not a top four club, we do not have their finances, or more importantly their squad size. We've got to play Europa League football next season, and given the 4 departing loan players, I expect we need to bring in at least eight or nine players to cope with the demands of the extra games. Some of those can come in on loan, and hopefully we can spend big money on two or three. But we will also need to pick up some for next to nothing or for nothing, and see what how we manage.

Personally I do not want this guy, and would prefer Colback or Gomis if we are fishing around for frees... (And obviously Barry, who I assume will be announced next week.). But I do not think the principle of going for someone like this is wrong, until we have the squad size to compete on an equal footing with the clubs above us.

Diame is a no-brainer.

544 Trevor

Are you any relation to Jimmy Whyte, son of Knocker?

Never heard of him but have nothing against frees being tried out.

Jim 611, don't think we need that many new players tbh. We have Oviedo, Kone and Gibbo to come back, given how much of the season they all missed that's almost like 3 new signings. Including loans, I think 5 new players would be enough added to a couple from the youth set up.

The EL group stages pre Xmas is only an extra 6 games. The knock out stages then don't start until towards the end of Feb.

I reckon we should snap Steve Sidwell up on a free as soon as. A hard working pro who gives it his all and will pop up with a few goals .Anyone agree????

If he doesn't cost a lot of money, I'd take him.
I see he's a bit of a knuckle player, he would be picking up yellow cards like it is his paycheck. We could need a new terrier on the field, one who could scare and upset the opposite players.Can't see we have one now, maybe except from the maybe Barry.

The most important signing Roberto will make this year is Gareth Barry. Now that he has been released I'm hoping that the wheels are already in motion to get this sorted.
If this doesn't happen it will be a missed opportunity as he will be impossible to replace. Not signing him will be like taking one step back before we can move forward. I prefer to just move forward.

Totally agree, Peter Foy. Signing Barry should bee his no 1 prio-and also a 15 goals+ striker should bee a top priority.

Denis, players get injured every season, and the likelihood of injuries will increase with extra European matches. If we played 10 European games, which is entirely possible (and hopefully a few more), that's an increase of over 20% of games on this season. We lose four loan players, so adding five would only increase our squad size by one compared to this season? And whilst our loans were very successful, save for Traore, it's entirely possible that a couple of incomings won't click. Consequently I think increasing this season's squad by just one number, given the extra games, would be madness. If we get a few concentrated injuries (like Arsenal did this season for instance), we'd be fucked. We are fortunate that Kone, Gibson, Traore and Oviedo were the most effected this season...if it had been a more important four players, we would not have finished fifth.

Jim, my point is simply that a lot of people are banging on about the extra games we're going to play in the EL and how we need loads more players to cope. However, having dodged the qualifying stage, we actually only play an extra 6 games before the end of Feb next next year, i.e. it's not exactly a massive load.

If we progress to the QF then that would be another 4 games on top end of Feb/March. So before the end of Feb, we don't actually have that many more games (and that's already well over half the season done). Also some of the group games will be against a no mark team where we can (hopefully) give some reserves/youth a run out.

Agreed players will always get injured but we were particularly unlucky last year with having 3 players out for the whole season, two of them before the season had even really got going. With these 3 back, they are like new signings as we didn't really have them available last season. I highly doubt all three will be out for the whole season again (hope not anyway!).

So a couple of new permanent transfers in and another 3-4 loanees to replace the ones gone, should easily cover us - we would effectively have an extra 5 players available compared to last year - and thats not including anyone from the youth (e.g. McAleny). If we're really that unlucky with injuries again then we also always have the Jan window before the knock out stages even begin.

Bringing in an extra 8-9 players is over the top and just unsettles the whole squad, 5-6 new faces (including loanees) will see us through. (Gibbo will get injured again but Oviedo and Kone will be back.) We need to look for quality and not quantity.

Rick @ 648 Sidwell would be a good signing even if it's cover for League Cup games and long distance Euro away games. Same goes for Colbeck and Larsson from Sunderland who are also on frees.