Season › 2014-15 › News
Report: No Everton move for Lukic

The skillful Serbian U19 international midfielder had been expected to sign a professional contract with Partizan but quotes attributed to him in MozzartSport in his homeland suggested that a £40,000 move to Goodison was all but finalised.
Lukic is not yet eligible for a work permit to play in the Premier League so was, according to reports, to be farmed out on loan by Everton to SC Heerenveen for the remainder of the season but despite Lukic's apparent claims, those assertions seem to have been premature.
Belgian journalist Sven Claes tweeted today that Heerenveen sporting director, Hans Vonk, had reacted to the story by saying it's "just a rumour" and with no confirmation from Everton, the Echo's Greg O'Keeffe has weighed in to report that the Blues won't be signing Lukic in the current window after all.
"Once [Everton] were sure I was the one they wanted, they invited me and [things were done] pretty fast," Lukic is reported to have said. "My representatives are currently in England to finalize the details. It remains to be seen whether the deal is fully completed.
"[Everton] have presented me with a concrete plan. The goal is to stay a while in the Netherlands to get better. Then after a year [I'll] return to Everton and play in the Premier League. "
Billed in a recent report as "the hottest prospect in Serbian football" and described by the local Belgrade press as Partizan's jewel, Lukic was being admired by a number of high-profile suitors including Barcelona, Inter Milan, Benfica, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Whether one of those clubs now moves in for him or he remains with Partizan until the summer remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, O'Keeffe suggests that Martinez is looking at "other options" this month but that any business will likely be conducted towards the end of the current transfer window.
Reader Comments (70)
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2 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:43:55
3 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:44:44
4 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:50:27
5 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:49:28
David Unsworth will no doubt be assessing him with Roberto this season and if they think heÂll make the grade, theyÂll sign him in the summer. If not, no harm done...
6 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:52:40
7 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:56:09
8 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:24:09
9 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:33:02
10 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:36:31
11 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:43:02
The same leaving.
He watched the Bosnia Argentina game in Sarajevo and after the game all they (locals) did was burn Croatian and Serbian flags.
12 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:55:44
13 Posted 14/01/2015 at 19:59:09
14 Posted 14/01/2015 at 20:39:33
15 Posted 14/01/2015 at 20:46:41
16 Posted 14/01/2015 at 20:48:50
We desperately need cover in defence, a left winger (so Mirallas can go back to right wing instead of McGeady) and a striker (if Eto'o goes as expected)
17 Posted 14/01/2015 at 20:52:13
18 Posted 14/01/2015 at 21:40:26
19 Posted 14/01/2015 at 21:48:56
Serbia is not an EU member but that applies to both the UK and the Netherlands.
20 Posted 14/01/2015 at 21:49:16
21 Posted 14/01/2015 at 21:59:53
22 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:07:43
Anyway, I can't see much downside to this latest deal. We pay 㿔k, farm him out and take him in if he's any good .
23 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:13:03
24 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:17:39
25 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:16:25
The 㿔k is the rough currency equivalent (it's 㿒.9k at today's exchange rate) of €50k we would pay Partizan as a development fee to compensate for what would otherwise be the loss of a product of their youth system for nothing.
Barry (18), the work permit restrictions in the UK are set by the Department of Employment, I believe. I imagine the Dutch have different requirements than we do.
26 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:20:45
Is this the same team that banged five passed us once we got Collinered out of the CL? If so, screw 'em!
27 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:06:48
Regarding your question Kieran, situation in former Yugoslavia countries is still complicated, nationalists in every country are loud, while majority has moved on. Usually, players from different countries are good friends at European clubs.
28 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:26:34
29 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:29:48
30 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:36:24
31 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:40:56
I guess 㿔k is cheap for a punt.
32 Posted 14/01/2015 at 22:55:14
33 Posted 14/01/2015 at 23:40:26
But off topic.... With regard to Lukic, British work permit requirements tend to be tougher than those of the other European countries (you'd think we'd have common laws but no!), so he'll be able to get a work permit somewhere else, in this case Holland, but not here until he has a certain amount of international experience... or some other criteria that may exist.
34 Posted 14/01/2015 at 23:46:22
Can't say how but I have!!!
35 Posted 14/01/2015 at 23:48:31
36 Posted 14/01/2015 at 23:52:02
Spencer. Why does that name ring a bell? I can't even remember what era it was but we got this kid called Spencer and he was supposed to be the next big thing.
37 Posted 14/01/2015 at 23:55:32
No, he is a footballer and in fairness to him he was actually quite a pleasant and well grounded young man. I have spoken to others about him and there's a genuine feeling that he will be a v v good player. I spoke to one person who has had a 㾶 on him to score the winning goal in a World Cup final??? Dunno what odds like.
38 Posted 15/01/2015 at 00:03:53
39 Posted 15/01/2015 at 00:10:02
40 Posted 15/01/2015 at 05:26:28
41 Posted 15/01/2015 at 07:31:07
Are you thinking of Scott Spencer?17 yr old striker from Oldham that Moyes brought in around 2006?
The only other Spencer I can think of is Scottish strike 'sensation' John Spencer. Although, the only person in the world ever to call him 'Wonder Boy' was probably the weird 'Lawro' lookalike who lived next door and was forever telling young 'Spence' he'd love to play superheroes with him, as long as he dressed up in Linda Carter's skimpy 70's tv costume, tied him up with his 'lasso of truth' and took extra care not to leave his bullet proof bracelet behind when removing his wrist from his arse.
There's been quite a few other hotly tipped youngsters turn up at the club though. Mustafi being one we seemingly never made the most of. There was also the much hyped Azerbaijani amazo boy, Araz Abdullayev, who Everton paid to have a two year 'first option' deal on, duly signed on a three year contract, sent out on loan as soon as they could and then....god knows....probably sprinkled him in salt and pepper, sliced him up and served him piping hot in the following seasons Scouse pies or something.
42 Posted 15/01/2015 at 08:01:16
43 Posted 15/01/2015 at 08:05:16
44 Posted 15/01/2015 at 08:38:36
Neil Wood @ 34, I hope after that comment you're not a police officer
45 Posted 15/01/2015 at 10:56:45
46 Posted 15/01/2015 at 11:02:15
Despite what UKIP will tell you, if you're not from the EU it's actually not that easy to steal our jobs!
47 Posted 15/01/2015 at 12:06:50
Not seen him play but heard good things. No risk involved and could be a decent premier league player, if not a world beater.
48 Posted 15/01/2015 at 13:25:18
Then again even worse we could sign him, not use him, let him go and he becomes another Mustafi who is interesting Real Madrid with a €50m buyout clause with Valencia...
49 Posted 15/01/2015 at 13:51:44
Maybe. Maybe not.
50 Posted 15/01/2015 at 14:40:11
True I believe the song is SIXTY grand , sixty grand.....
Get him signed, his value is closer to the 3.5 million mark, but we just pay an arbitrary fee based on his development & he gets first team football for a year.
If he's cack we move him on. We just need to ensure when we do we negotiate future sell on clauses or we look silly a la Mustafi.
51 Posted 15/01/2015 at 15:29:10
52 Posted 15/01/2015 at 15:42:38
53 Posted 15/01/2015 at 16:05:57
54 Posted 15/01/2015 at 16:12:36
55 Posted 15/01/2015 at 16:09:14
One of those situations where a promising player takes a step back to make two steps forward. He signed for Sampdoria when they were in Serie B and worked his way into the German squad from there.
Mustafi said: "I asked David Moyes to release me. They were a really professional club and they always thought about the players not themselves. That is unusual.
"They wanted to give the players the best opportunity and for me that was to move on and go somewhere where I could play.
"I just needed a new challenge and when I wasn’t playing I had to move on and play somewhere that would help me develop as a player."
Nice story, actually.
56 Posted 15/01/2015 at 16:44:13
He could be the next Gareth Barry!!!!
57 Posted 15/01/2015 at 20:05:17
Love to know who is on Roberto Martinez's shopping list this month...
58 Posted 15/01/2015 at 20:04:42
59 Posted 15/01/2015 at 20:57:10
60 Posted 15/01/2015 at 20:59:31
61 Posted 15/01/2015 at 21:19:37
Thank fuck Moyes got us in Coleman and Mirallas but itÂs not doom and gloom with the fight we gave Fat Sams bunch of snidey clonkers.
62 Posted 15/01/2015 at 21:29:46
63 Posted 15/01/2015 at 21:42:02
Also remember Martin Murray and the hype on Radio Merseyside. WerenÂt Man U and the rs in for him but EFC pulled off another master stroke in trumping them?
Then there was Jeffers, Danny Williamson, John Paul Kissock.
But the hyped-up signing of all time for me (again not a kid) was Terry Curran. Great while on loan but a major disappointment after we signed him.
64 Posted 15/01/2015 at 21:50:44
But once the Everton PR machine gets into gear it's like we're signing the next Messi?
A top, top central defender and any midfielder that actually knows how to attack with a little imagination is what I will get excited about.
65 Posted 16/01/2015 at 00:56:34
66 Posted 16/01/2015 at 09:36:57
68 Posted 16/01/2015 at 16:03:07
69 Posted 16/01/2015 at 19:17:28
70 Posted 16/01/2015 at 19:19:18
He'll turn into a world class player, and sold on for about 㿔m.
71 Posted 16/01/2015 at 22:24:44
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1 Posted 14/01/2015 at 18:40:12