Martinez talks transfers

Very likely the biggest business will be Naismith moving out for £8 million, probably towards the end of the transfer window.

Martinez has already stated now, no new back-up striker to Lukaku so looking like we are stuck with Kone.!

I wouldn't hold my breath regarding Yarmolenko.

It's a long arduous task doing business with Ukrainian clubs, then of course there's the key question of would Yarmolenko really consider joining Everton?

As far as I can see he hasn't exactly made any outright plea of "I want to join Everton."

I am guessing Yarmolenko wants to leave Kiev, yes... but he's holding out for another Champions League club – maybe Paris St Germain.

Martinez has suggested he wants the squad stronger at the end of the window but unless there's some surprise we don't know about I'm guessing Sam Byram of Leeds would be the major signing...

Martinez has ruled out a back up striker, so whether that changes if Naismith goes who knows but it does seem a bit insane if Romelu Lukaku was to get a injury our only hopes would be on Kone.

I hope to be pleasantly surprised but the summer taught me to take transfer gossip with a pinch of salt.

If Yarmolenko arrives, then fantastic, but I won't hold my breath.

Ged The Optimist

I'm surprised if Roberto is keen to sign him. To date, in the main, he appears to have continued Moyes's philosophy of signing players who will fit in and relate to The Everton Ethos; to me, Yarmolenko doesn't fit this profile.

Payet is a quality player, but then we knew that before he signed for West Ham!

We need to look at the league table and it makes concerning reading, West Ham 8 points ahead of us, seem better organized, more capable of winning games and of course next season the new stadium, coupled with already being a catch in London, if we aren't careful we will be getting left behind.

Because he's foreign, thus he's a greedy mercenary.

Oh, and he hasn't come out and stated he wants to play for Everton over all other team, and he only wants silverware should it be for the toffees.

Anything other than the above makes him a greedy git.

On the other hand, Naismith is a loyal player, because he works hard. The fact he jumped ship and left Rangers out of pocket doesn't matter. He chose Everton, therefore nothing selfish in his move.

As for Yarmolenko, I think he is going to stay in Kiev for a long time yet. Apparently the new contract he signed before Christmas does not include a buy-out clause, which means that Surkis can hold clubs to ransom and potentially price any club out of a move for him. I have just read an article that also mentioned that Vadim Shabily, Yarmolenko's agent, has been quoted as saying that he thinks that Yarmolenko is valued at between €50-60 million, which is roughly £40 million. Obviously for us that kind of fee is not practical, whereas teams who can actually afford the price tag are not going to want to invest so much money in a guy who has only proven himself in the Ukranian top tier.

I think he will stay at Kiev for the majority of his career to be perfectly honest. Hope to be proved wrong, as he would bring obvious quality to our attacking midfield, but I won't be holding my breath.

For example, if a player, substitute at a big club, stays he wants to stay rather than move to a 'smaller' club, we often call them mercenaries and such.

The same would be said if Lukaku, Stones and co push for a move to a bigger club. We say they should stay here, that they'll end up rotting etc.

Yet, if we have a good young player who doesn't get in our squad, eg, Garbutt, we demand that they stay. That they should show ambition and push for place in the team.

Same with young players at other 'smaller' teams. We say 'good choice lad' the 'better training conditions' etc are what he needs to push on, eg, Holgate, Galloway and now the calls for Byram. Rather than people saying, why sit in the reserves at us when they could be playing week-in & week-out and truly develop.

Win tonight and we are only six points off a CL place. Nurse, nurse, Napolean won't take his medicine!!!

There is no doubt that there has previously been mutual interest between the parties and no question that this 'link' just won't go away. Reps at Goodison last Wednesday (there were certainly people of that 'ilk' there as we were sat near them, thought I heard Man Utd reps introducing themselves too) .. this story has legs.

Also 'encouraged' by Martinez's latest statements. Thus far Martinez has not been in the business of making false promises or raising false hope, this latest statement seems quite significant.

His club stated wanting to keep him for Champions League which they currently compete in so what's changed?

What is it that you optimists know that I'm not understanding? (Or is it blind faith?)

"I suspect others, however, will eventually realise that the [Rangers] players, led by McGregor, now Hull City's goalkeeper, tried desperately to come up with wage-cut packages to keep the club afloat. The administrators, and their preferred bidders, were not interested in those proposals, and came back with ultimatums the players had an hour to accept or reject."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30196603

Give McGeady to anyone who's willing to pay any part of his wages...