Henen still under consideration

, 21 August, 35comments  |  Jump to most recent
Roberto Martinez says that David Henen remains an option for Everton's Under-21 setup but says that a deal for the Anderlecht striker has not yet been finalised.

Henen has been on an extended trial with Everton for the past five weeks and the suggestion from a Belgian media source yesterday was that the 18-year-old's move would likely go ahead within the few days.

"[David] is a young man who we feel has really good potential and who could fit really well in our structure," Martinez told reporters this morning.

"At the moment there's nothing done but it's something we may consider over the next two to three weeks.

"He's someone whose potential we recognise but he wouldn't be a player going into the first-team. He would go into the development squad to make sure he had a real future with the Club."

Henen himself appeared to be getting restless at the lack of progress over the proposed deal earlier this month but seems to have been given enough assurances by the club to remain on Merseyside to keep training at Finch Farm.

Quotes sourced from EvertonFC.com



Reader Comments (35)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer


Gavin Johnson
1 Posted 21/08/2014 at 12:13:50
So Roberto says he is still being considered but goes on to reiterate that he will be for the U21s and something might be done in the next 2-3 weeks.

There's lots of caveats to this story but the main thing that sticks out there, is that in that time frame we'll be past the Transfer deadline... So the question is; can we still purchase him then?? I know he's been training with us but does that make any difference?

Drew O'Neall
2 Posted 21/08/2014 at 12:32:34
Gavin

I'm sure the principles of this deal are agreed and Bobby is just keeping the £3M in his pocket right up until the last minute in case it comes in useful for something else.

I wonder who Bobby would accept an offer on if one came in at the last minute...

We don't have a Heitinga or Jelavic or any other obviously saleable assets that look surplus to requirements.

Steve Jenkins
3 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:12:18
So much for Sven Claes' tweet yesterday i.e. it'll be done in the next few days...

The lad seems dead keen to come here that's the main thing.

I'm convinced its still down to negotiations with Anderlecht - which are progressing but, Bobby feels will most likely go down the the wire to reach an agreement.

I reckon he has enough cash to bring in one first team striker on loan as well - Eto, Traore etc. Hope I'm wrong though and we see a winger added as well.

Brian Cleveland
4 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:09:42
"At the moment there's nothing done but it's something we may consider over the next two to three weeks."

Wow this one really is taking time! Does the transfer window affect this if he is a youth team player?

Where is Glassardamus when you need him? Colin, do you have any information about why this one is taking so long to iron out? Is it really that Anderlecht decided to up the price and Billy Blue Bollocks Baulked?

Dick Brady
5 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:16:42
This is a weird one. If Henen is as good as he's cracked up to be then I'm surprised Roberto hasn't paid whatever they want and completed the deal.

The fact that this transfer is being allowed to drag on so long suggests that Roberto isn't quite sure on the lad.

Henen has been training with Everton so Roberto has clearly gotten a good look at him and the delay suggests to me that Roberto is still weighing things up.

Henen is tipped as one of the brightest young talents in the game and if he'd have shown that at training I'm sure Roberto would have pushed through the deal as quick as he could.

You wouldn't delay and ponder over a £3 million deal for one of the hottest prospects in football. You would get it done as soon as you could to stop other clubs from poaching the deal.

Maybe the training has shown Roberto that Henen is good but maybe not all that better than what he has already (Long, Hope & McAleney)?

Denis Richardson
6 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:27:27
Bobby's looking to break another record at Everton: Amount of time taken to sign a player for our youth academy.....

Really is an odd situation given he's been training with us for almost a month!

Bit depressing that an 18 year old destined for our academy is the main news in Evertonland. Can we just focus on the Arseanal game. Getting bored of this huge amount of nothing happening on the transfer front. We won't sign anyone else until much nearer the transfer deadline.

Raymond Fox
7 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:30:43
My take, is that Anderlecht want to put all sorts of clauses and guarantee's in the lads sale conditions.
Maybe a buyback later contract, their obviously nowhere near in agreement.
Sean Kelly
8 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:30:40
This is the longest transfer saga I can remember for an up-and-coming lad. Looking from the outside I can on surmise the following.

(1) He’s not all he’s cracked up to be.
(2) Billy is stuck down the sofa.
(3) His club are trying to shaft us.
(4) Roberto has the money but is waiting to see if it’s needed for another loanee.
(5) Billy is waiting for the money from sponsors.

Whichever on of the above it is it will be sorted one way or the other. I just feel for the lad as he obviously wants to come here. Whoever is stalling this needs to shit or get off the pot. I would like it to happen but the real needs we have at the moment are a striker, a centre half, and a back up keeper. Lukaku needs proper competition, Distin and Jags are struggling and won’t improve and Robles should take up a different profession.

Patrick Murphy
9 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:38:37
The manager has little or no influence into how deals are structured he only gives a list of his targets to the appropriate people within the club and they negotiate with the agents and clubs to try and sign them.

Bobby is a talented individual but he is not responsible for everything that happens at the club good or bad. Cult of personality is a very strange phenomenon as it appears that everything about Everton FC is the responsibility of just a single guy. If the sausage rolls aren't to the required standard on Saturday I will be e-mailing the club to find out what Bobby Brown Shoes is going to do about it.

Steve Jenkins
10 Posted 21/08/2014 at 14:45:02
@Dick

Your comment makes sense but we all know if Bill can get a penny off and delay the transfer until deadline day then he'll do that, regardless of how talented the player might be.

I think.... just of the reports out there that we had a deal lined up and Anderlecht moved the goalposts on the initial plus add ons, I think we are now in negotiations with them to try and meet somewhere in the middle.

I could be wrong though and maybe Martinez is unsure, however, he's still training with us - Martinez is always talking about his potential to be a top player, so I doubt its that, as well as the fact that he's been there long enough for Martinez to have a good look at him and decide.

I would have thought he'd have sent him back by now if he was in anyway uncertain - but you never know.

Harold Matthews
11 Posted 21/08/2014 at 15:03:37
Roberto would have returned the lad within the first few days if he didn't fancy him. The contract is obviously quite complicated but he's ours. Must be.
Phil Walling
12 Posted 21/08/2014 at 15:35:51
BK has saved at least six weeks' wages by prevaricating. Looks after the pennies does our Bill. Just hope the kid can play !
Tony Abrahams
13 Posted 21/08/2014 at 15:40:56
Who knows? But the kid must have been told that they want him otherwise he would have been off by now.

Bit naughty if they kept him hanging on and then used the money elsewhere, so I presume that he will be signing.

I expect another couple of loans by the end of the window as well, but alls we can do is wait!

Mike Childs
14 Posted 21/08/2014 at 16:08:11
Seems like a game of chicken to me who's going to blink first?
Sean Kelly
15 Posted 21/08/2014 at 16:28:05
I think our "48 hour" theme is being stretched to 48 days.
Dick Brady
16 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:02:43
If this kids was absolutely dynamite then I'm sure Roberto and Bill would have pushed through the deal as quickly as they can. Let's face it if you had opportunity to sign the next Ronaldo you wouldn't dilly dally around debating payments and technicalities.

My guess is Roberto has had his coaches watch the kid closely and they have reported back that he's good. Now they are probably debating if its worth paying £3 million for a kid who may or may not be a better prospect then Chris Long, Tyrone Duffus or George Green.

Paul Hewitt
17 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:45:08
This is getting silly now. How many weeks has this been?
Nicholas Ryan
18 Posted 21/08/2014 at 18:16:01
Thinking back to the taxi driver 'selfie' a few weeks ago; I reckon what's happened, is the club have now realised, that the gnarled old bloke in the photo is Henen, and the lithe fit youth, is in fact the taxi driver!!
Brian Cleveland
19 Posted 21/08/2014 at 18:55:50
... or someone got a bad line and we've actually got Henman at Finch Farm...hence the hesitation
Colin Glassar
20 Posted 21/08/2014 at 19:08:52
Brian #4, I've been assured this deal will be done but it's up to Anderlecht to get real.
Tim Locke
21 Posted 21/08/2014 at 21:03:45
Colin I thought this was in hold until a decision was taken on an additional forward. If no one is brought in then Long will be pushed to 1st XI and Henen brought in.
Phill Thompson
22 Posted 21/08/2014 at 22:13:39
You do wonder just how good he actually is. On loan at Monaco last season, now they're not short of money to take a gamble; then Arsenal rumoured to be buying him for £1.5 mill and loaning him back to Anderlecht. Again a club not short of money or unwilling to take a risk buying youngsters. On the other hand, 2 decent clubs, at least it isn't competing with WBA and Hull for his signature.
Phil Walling
23 Posted 21/08/2014 at 23:50:45
Brentford material!
Patrick Murphy
24 Posted 21/08/2014 at 23:55:18
Has the Sky money hit the bank account yet?
Derek Knox
25 Posted 22/08/2014 at 00:34:48
Nicholas,

You have got me worried there my old mate 'fit youth'?

This transfer has taken nearly as long as us to see Kone play a full game, or indeed, get fit.

Neil Riddell
26 Posted 22/08/2014 at 01:54:41
Given our relative lack of financial resources, I'm very pleased we have a management who haggle, drag out and bargain for every pound we have rather than throwing money at anyone and everyone.

Besic and Lukaku for £32 million stand out as the best transfer dealing of any club in the league, in my opinion.

Ant Dwyer
27 Posted 22/08/2014 at 01:58:57
I’d like to think the £3M for Henen is money in the bank and does not dictate whether or not we sign or loan any other players in this transfer window. If a lad we are looking at to go into our Under-21s has any effect whatsoever on our first team signings, then something is dramatically wrong at this football club.
David Ellis
28 Posted 22/08/2014 at 02:52:20
This is just not really news anymore is it? We may or may not sign an U21 squad player who may or may not be a star in the future....Come back in 2 years and then we'll know (a) if we signed him and (b) we wished we hadn't
Denver Daniels
29 Posted 22/08/2014 at 04:04:22
Patrick,

Don't you mean the "pie in the Sky" money?

This one's turning into a Charlton Heston epic. Maybe Blue Bill plans on turning it into one of his productions.

Besic, Lukaku and now this. I guess it gives us something to talk about.

Brian Cleveland
30 Posted 22/08/2014 at 04:07:47
Colin (21)... Or it will ONLY get done if Anderlecht get real... reading it the other way around!
Rob Halligan
31 Posted 22/08/2014 at 17:24:58
Another day and another inch nearer!!!
Patrick Murphy
32 Posted 22/08/2014 at 17:40:33
Rob - If the lad does as well as "Inchy" Heath it will have been well worth the wait.
Brian Wilkinson
33 Posted 23/08/2014 at 00:06:39
By the time we sign him, he will be too old for the Under-21 team.
Rob Halligan
34 Posted 23/08/2014 at 08:27:43
He He!! Nice one Patrick. Just seen your post.
Brian Wilkinson
35 Posted 25/08/2014 at 13:30:04
Breaking news, deal maybe done in the next 48 hours.

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.


About these ads

© ToffeeWeb