Barcelona trigger buy-back clause to re-sign Deulofeu

Wonderful player. Thanks for some very magical moments you displayed in an Everton shirt, Gerard.

But, as ever, the club remains and he will be replaced.

Good luck to him if he goes, I wish him well and I hope he can live up to this potential.

He might need to get fit first though.

Put the money toward Dembele.

It's obvious that he's nowhere near good enough for Barça and that the only reason they're buying him back is to sell him for profit later.

On the other hand, we'd probably never have gotten him so cheap if it hadn't been for the buy-back clause.

At least we'll make a few million profit (or break even if you include his wages).

Incidentally we get a big lump of any profit Barça make should they sell him after a year. They can't sell him earlier.

This is all dependent on Geri agreeing to go mind.

Wonder if he doesn't go whether we can sell him in this window?

Barca can't loan him out. One of the conditions of the buy-back was that he had to be part of their first-team squad for a season.

Feel a bit sorry for the lad as this is not a good career move.

Time to move on to better and more consistent times when we don't accept one good game in ten as somehow being brilliant.

Good business sense for Barça though; he'll only be 24 next year, is still a good prospect and, with the unfathomable riches in the game at present, they'll certainly get their outlay back and then some.

So it's not necessarily a done deal.

I haven't read anything on that scenario.

Chris #17 how about Gerard Doleful?

At his best, scintillating. At his worst (which was too often for me) he puffed and fell over too much. But I do wish him the best if he really is going.

I'll also never forget how he was bullied by big defenders away at West Brom last season when Koeman tried to play him in a more central role. I would have smacked them back double hard, myself (and probably have got sent off). Good luck to him though. I hope he does well at a new club.

However, he is still young enough to realise some of his potential and best of luck to him.

We need an industrial rated Dewalt SDS with 18V Lion batteries and a couple of high quality chisels.

Good luck, Geri, training will be fun.

So, with the deadline due to expire, they are extending their negotiating time by triggering the clause – definitely not a done deal if you believe the noises coming from the Geri camp on this.

I wish Geri all the best, and still wished it had worked out for both him and us!

Key paragraph in Barça's statement:

"FC Barcelona have activated the buy-back clause for Gerard Deulofeu. In the following days, the terms will be agreed with both Everton and the player. Deulofeu's contract will run until 30 June 2019."

Since terms aren't agreed and the contract isn't signed, the transfer's not yet official. Of course he can refuse, but what happens next will depend on what he signed when he left Barça. Is the buyback legally binding on him? We don't know. Can they force him back? Seems unlikely given the legal status of slavery these days.

All speculation, of course... hard to imagine him not signing in order to come back to a manager who volleyed him out before.

Players progress at different stages physically; I hope he comes again. Also managers and teams need to play to his strengths.

He is either a very destructive right winger able to put brilliant crosses in with confidence– love the I go the by-line and pass to the near post routine he has... Rom never got there, neither did Ross, Mirallas had is brain up his arse and Martinez didn't see it.

Guess what Barca will!

The problem we had was the midfield did not play it to him early enough so that the full backs backed off rather than all over him before they passed to him in a tight situation.

The other routine he has is going inside from deep and causing all sorts of havoc you need a manager that supports that and drills the other players to go left and right.

Actually think Ron saw this, played him upfront in the pre-season but really Del Boy was not physical enough to be a back to the centre-backs, turn them this way and that. Not in his education neither.

If he goes to Barça, I will now watch all their games hoping for him to come on and do what he did a few times at Goodison – when we all got up out of our seats! He is still young and me and my boy will follow him with affection!

We need more players performing at a high level more often – this includes you Barkley, Mirallas and Bolasie!

I wish him well and hope to see him playing in the future, wherever he may be.

It's a good job we have some money. I think we'll have to spend millions just to maintain top 7 status first and foremost.

Even when we've been good, his type of player have always been cult favourites.

The last time we won a trophy, 1995, mine and many others favourite player was Anders Limpar. He's hardly the greatest player to ever play for Everton, but he will always be my all-time favourite.

There's just something about infuriating inconsistent players.

He's played in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League (pretty big shop windows) and no one was interested in him. That says it all for me.

In modern football he is too lazy and limited in what he can offer. He's Limpar- & Ginola-esque, when it's not working for him, he offers nothing to the team and you may as well be playing with 10 men.

He's had chance after chance and him missing that sitter at the Etihad in the Cup Semi-Final sums him up for me.

Best for all three parties as sitting on Barça's bench for a season isn't going to help anyone.

Would be handy if we could do it sooner mind.

How old was you in 95, Ste? I loved Duncan McKenzie when I was a little kid, but I never would have swapped him for a Peter Reid because, when I got a bit older, I realised which type of player was more important for "the team"!

Will he be the "amazing" player some see him as, or will he flatter to deceive in probably the biggest game of his career so far.

If he can't do it tonight....

No, he didn't.

Anyway, if he goes, we have lost no money! If we could have unlocked his potential, I'd be very happy for him to stay! Even if that was just for a loan in Europe next year!

How long does his contract run? It's his lack of stamina and early vision that I objected to before. If he could be taught to raise his head (vision) earlier, he'd be a damn good winger eventually!

I'll never forget him taking the piss out of Tommy Smith in the derby – when have the team last had that balls? Yes, answering my own question – Reid and Bracewell!

There was no inferiority complex when you had Duncan on the pitch. What, what a player. Brian Clough did not get it wrong... but Gordon Lee did!!!

Me, I'd take Tricky Trev and Sheeds out wide any day over Limpar. Tjet were consistent week-in and week-out and we won the league twice.

Both got into double figures as scorers: Trevor scored 12 league goals in 40 games 84-85 and 14 in 41 in 86-87. Sheeds scored 11 in 29 league games 84-85 and 13 in 28 in 86-87.

And they also created loads of goals for others too. This is the sort of consistency we should be aiming for – not once every 10 games, like Geri.

Good luck, Geri.

Have any of the "hopers" ever considered that what he shows isn't potential but just exactly how he is? After three years of football in the top league in whatever country, any potential should have been realized.

If it isn't, it's a fair shout that "what you see is what there is."

Brian Clough signed McKenzie from Nottm Forest for Leeds Utd, so he only had him as a player for about six weeks... although McKenzie did have a decent spell at Nottm Forest before Clough was manager.

Although Brian Clough signed him, I doubt he would have lasted long under Clough; mind you, he might have learned how to be a team player with Clough.

I, for one, will miss him and the anticipation that I felt when he collected the ball 20 yards out and was running at the opponents' quaking defence.

Duncan McKenzie was different class, and he could do what he liked if he had Reid & Bracewell beside him!!

I would rather Del than super Kev, but there again, two peas in a pod!

Duncan did as he wanted anyway but a lot of it was for himself, but he did have his magic moments – just not nearly enough of them.

I think it's fair to say he's a 㿀+ million pound player in today's market so that's an incredible piece of business!

With the right coach, an arm-round-the-shoulder guy who accepts that a luxury player might be a good thing, he might just be special. Ronald Koeman is not that man but if he could change a little; we are on the verge of great times.

He made 75 appearances for us scoring 8 goals. I challenge anyone to name me 15 games when he actually did something truly worthwhile. That would make him a 1-game-in-5 player, if anyone can.

He may not be an Energizer Bunny but he is quite capable of playing 90 mins; the absurd obsession with players running around like headless chickens means he's blowing after 60 mins, is all. Square pegs round holes, again. The lad is now capped for Spain, ffs, but can't get in our team? Yeah, right.

Unless Barca are offering a major pay hike on his current deal (unlikely) then if I was his advisor I'd say "pass". He will spend all season playing for Barca B.

I'd decline their offer (the fact Barca are saying he's getting a 2-year contract should make it plain they will offload him next summer) and wait for a more attractive move, to a good team in a top league.

Yes, his diving is annoying but he was played out of position by Marinez and Koeman hasn't played him right or bothered to managed his undeniable talent which, for me, is a major problem with our manager and echoes his treatment of Ross.

He gets you off your seat. Massive shame if he leaves.

He can't be sold for (I think it was) 2 years so he will be getting splinters in his arse... unless our crack negotiating team neglected to consider the option to loan him out ,in which case he's heading back to Milan for a two-season loan with option to make permanent.

My logic is that they know that replacing his goals will be difficult and they have made these high profile early signings to A) convince Lukaku we're serious about Champions League; and B) Show the other clubs that we're serious and don't need to sell off our best talents. We're no longer the beggars at the banquet – poor little Everton. We're a serious team with the top four firmly in our sights.

I don't blame Lukaku for wanting Champions League football and if he does go I'm confident we will find the goals. Perhaps with a better all round player up front the midfield will weigh in with a few more. That said, I do really hope Lukaku stays as I feel were at the start of something special with the new stadium and owner.

Chelsea and Man City were not always top of the pile. They spent their way to success and in a short time it feels like they've always been huge teams. Everton may not have the multi billions, but we can now compete and with a talented Manager & Chief Scout combo, combined with an outstanding academy now regularly turning out first team players, we're set to reclaim our place amongst the elite.

Leicester won the title on a shoestring because they built a team with the right blend and chemistry. I am an eternal optimist and may be getting carried away, but I see our current setup as having all the right elements to build a real team. The blend of homegrown youth, experience and foreign talent. We are buying proven Premier League players and hot prospects. The future looks bright!

And the fee was agreed a couple of years ago before the stupid fees really started kicking in, not much we can do about that as having that clause is his contract was one of the reasons we got him cheap in the the first place!

"I am very happy to be back at Barcelona," Deulofeu told reporters after captaining Spain Under-21s in their European Championship final defeat to Germany.

"It is my home and it was a shame I could not go back sooner. It is already decided. This year I will stay at Barca for sure. I am ambitious and I want to play with the best. I am very happy to have this opportunity that I have never had, to play in the first team of Barca."

http://www.goal.com/en-au/news/4153/la-liga/2017/07/01/36751822/deulofeu-wants-barcelona-spot-alongside-messi-neymar-suarez

My other thoughts are, we don't have to sell Barkley or Lukaku as both are contracted. We won't lose money on Ross as he didn't cost us millions and we can run down Lukaku for 2 years and let him go then.

We get a player that costs say £6mil a season over 5 years. So the club can sit on these players; they can play or rot in the reserves and nobody gets the benefit of a striker or potential match-winning midfielder. With the club asking for £150 million, who is going to stump up that money?

West Ham fans are salivating over the YouTube clips and asking when he is arriving.... I suppose when you're a 20-goal-a-season forward, you're going to have to pay the going rate.

In today's market taking him back for 㾶m is a no brainier for Barcelona – they'll chew him up and spit him back out in a years time for a 㾶m profit.

Last night, he was bursting into the box, when the German defender pulled on his arm. The head-on showed him trying to shout and turn his body, as if to get the attention of the officials, instead of getting his left shoulder underneath the German to try and get inside him, and into the box.

"It was, after-all, a European final, and not a pre-season friendly."

I wish him a lot of luck and great success in Spain.

Let's see what he says 6 months from now after he gets bombed to the bench or B team after a couple of games. I imagine it will start with "Going back to Barcelona was a big mistake..."

Not a cat-in-hell's chance he will get in that team and he doesn't have the bottle or heart to fight for a spot if he's not an automatic choice.

I think he'll do really well for Barça and good luck to him. Who wouldn't want to play for their boyhood club!

He can be sold or loaned after a full season. Should he be sold (which is more likely than loaned considering it's a two-year deal) then Everton get a decent percentage of any profit from the sale (as much as 30% if I remember rightly).

Barça seem keen enough and I wonder why Messi doesn't like him?

We can all rave about his undoubted potential but, at some point, it needs to turn into performances and unfortunately it just didn't enough.

Questionable fitness and too petulant as well.

Precisely what do we have lined up as strike power? Sandro looks a lively little player – good movement but clearly has some way to go, and not a target man. Not a major contributor at the U21s and subbed each time he played.

What is the latest on Barkley? And I cannot think of a potent striker with whom we are, or have been, linked. He's looking promising but are we planning to rely on Calvert-Lewin as our target man?

Not long to go now before the new season gets underway. I seriously hope there is something in the offing about which we have not heard.

Brian (#92). That seems a bit strange about the B team? It's still Barcelona. It'd be like saying a player couldn't play in the U23s. But from that he has to be either in the first XI, on the bench, or sitting around playing tiddlywinks. I guess by July next year he'll be great at tiddlywinks then!

It may seem strange but it's true, believe me. The deal was very intricate and convoluted. It was dealt with on here in detail some time ago too though I've lost the link that explains the deal in great detail.

It is a fact, honestly, that the terms of the deal included the clause that should they buy him back he had to be in the first team squad for a season.

I guess it was to prevent them buying him back and selling him immediately, and for all the stick our negotiating team take they did as well as could be expected on this one, if not better.

I hope that the penny drops with him and he matches his undoubted football ability with the graft needed to get to the top.

Kevin (#78) – It isn't a shit deal at all. Without those terms he wasn't leaving Barcelona. They have been ahead of the game with buy backs – Look at Chelsea now. Stung by Lukaku, it will become the norm.

I think it was a good deal for Everton. Yes, not at market rate (though I don't think he is a 20m player either) but we didn't buy him for the market rate ourselves.

Tony (87) is absolutely spot on about him. Geri ought to watch and model himself on Ronaldo. A player who has fought to make the very best of himself. Or look closer to home at the Jagielka's of our team who have pushed themselves to make the most of a fraction of Geri's ability.

He had his moments, and I would have rather he stay. Never got the feeling he was ever going to prosper consistently in the Premier League really though. A league that requires more of the qualities he doesn't have than any other. File under 'could have been' but won't lose sleep over it.

Geri had a great step over but defenders soon learned to keep their eye on the ball and not on his feet and that greatly reduced his effectiveness.

His level of fitness is shamefully poor and he always struck me as being a bit "chicken" when it came to the physical side of the game.

Enormous potential and maybe Spain will be a better environment for him. I am sad to see him go as he could have been a great player for us but I think it was clear enough that he was never going to develop here – we need more winners not luxury players.

Kevin I don't believe you're aware of all the facts.

I think the fact that he's blowing after 60 minutes shows he's not capable of playing 90 minutes in the Premier League.

Sweet! ...although it is not a headline I have actually seen. :-)

Seriously, I am disappointed to see him leave because he failed to fulfil his unquestioned ability. Whether that was because he was managed badly or because he did not apply himself properly, time will tell. If he succeeds at Barça, the former, if not, the latter. Wish him the best.

i read your post and thought you were talking about Barkley and were on the wrong thread somehow. I agree that Everton won't get better keeping hold of players like Deulofeu and I will throw in Barkley. There is no room in top teams for either of them.

Good luck to Deulofeu but I don't think he will ever become a great player. He really should take up a game where they have a lot less running and more standing around and stoppages of play. Golf or cricket perhaps?

How many times does he give the ball away or lose it, and is always on his arse? Never good enough for the Premier League.

Shame he never made it with us but, unless he knuckles down, he won't make it with anyone.

Sandro is a poor yardstick as his release clause is laughably low and he's regarded by everyone as a total steal, virtually a free. How much was Bolasie? 㿅m plus? Like I said an unproven kid in Ibe went for 㾻m. Tom Cleverley, a journeyman went for ٦m.

1 cap, fair enough but if he wangled himself a move to a good team and plays like he did for a season like he did at Milan he has more than a decent chance of going to the World Cup.

Irrespective, that he is in the frame for Spain makes it bizarre that he is not considered good enough for us, particularly considering we are shit in attacking areas (Lukaku aside). We had no-one holding down a guaranteed spot in wide areas and even Ross when played as AMC was inconsistent.

Like I said, an oddity and proof that current football wisdom stresses running and chasing ability over footballing traits like technique, vision and creativity. Personally I don't see improved teams, regardless of better stats for running distance, sprints etc. A fad imo.

Obviously vastly confident in his own ability but has exactly zero shot at getting any real game time. Yeah I think the Spanish B teams are kind of considered to be unique entities so he cannot be loaned to them either.

No big deal as they play in a lower decision anyway. Imo he's gonna atrophy on the bench, have no chance of the world cup and even with inflated fees that's gonna hurt his value, a lot. Don't see them getting much more than the 㾶M tbh. Odd, by everyone.

People saying he can't defend etc makes me shake my head. He's a forward, ffs. His job is to do damage in the opponent's half. People bang on negatively about crabs and Identikit midfielders, can't hit a decent forward pass etc but paradoxically enthuse about the high-tempo, pressing style in England like we've reached some hitherto unimagined level of football excellence. And creative players like Deulofeu. Shaking my head..

We will be watching Deulofeu at the next World Cup, saying "that genius used to play for Everton – for five minutes – but we didn't recognize his talent"!

Deulofeu doesn't fit Koeman's 'productivity and pressing' template, that is obvious. There are a number of players still at Everton who don't. One, several years his senior, has even been offered and accepted a contract extension.

Personally, it saddens me that managers and supporters alike criticise a player like Deulofeu for his presumed failings as a defensive player or for poor stamina as if a good set of lungs and the ability to run all game like a marathon runner and throw in a blood-curdling tackle are the sole prerequisites of a good player.

They are important, but the shortfall in that department by one player can be compensated for by other players and the team being set up tactically to take advantage of the positive things a player like Deulofeu offers, rather than dwell and condemn him for qualities he doesn't have in buckets of perspiration.

Teams and defenders hate trickery and speed and having players with the ability to run at them and go past them either side or deliver a wicked cross or telling through ball from deep.

We simply do not have a player at the club now capable of doing what Deulofeu can. The new kid Henry looks good, but he won't even be with us next season.

To me, Koeman is clearly intending to change the whole manner of the way Everton plays. I believe he is looking to introduce quicker transition from defence to attack, with greater goal scoring threat particularly from midfield. That is reflected in his signing of Pickford – a keeper with excellent distributions skills – and Klassen – a goal scoring midfielder.

Other than losing Deulofeu, I am delighted with the transfer window thus far. I am anticipating more action, possibly as early as next week, with big departures and big arrivals.

I just hope in this Brave New World at Everton 'productive and functional' footballers and football only is not prioritised at all cost over and above gifted and technically superior players like Deulofeu.

I did see him have a nice assist on a Sandro goal but I feel like the pass nutmegging the defender was a bit of fortune. He just isn't cut out for the Premier League as many folks have pointed out... He has many of the necessary attributes but seems to lack that fire inside.

So long and thanks for all the fish, Geri.

Another point is that he lasted the 90 minutes well even though some contributors on ToffeeWeb complain about his stamina.

Some opposition players would love to play against him, week-in and week-out, because, for all his trickery, there is precious little end product far too often.

Deulofeu is no longer our player. He is gone. In that regard, he is no longer of interest to me, although I will most definitely keep an eye on his progress.

For that reason, there is no need to engage with you on the merits and demerits of the lad, although I could offer counters to your opinion (and have done in recent months).

My broader point is that managers and supporters are showing an increasing tendency to demand all-round attributes from players to the possible detriment of their better skills and what they could offer to the team.

Deulofeu is such a player. Used correctly, in a balanced team and strategy which benefits the teams and all players, there has to be room for players like Gerard in the game.

Football, as Pele described it, is 'the beautiful game.' It should offer more than mere productivity and functionality as way of entertainment.

Although, in fairness, he was nowhere as exciting as those Steady Eddies who play safe, sideways passes and I was obviously thrilled when we started bringing Arouna Kone off the bench towards the end of the season.

We clearly could have used him last season, even as a sub. We are not a club with a deep enough squad to be letting people like Geri go out on loan.

We all thought it was a great deal at the time, as we didn't expect it to be lucrative for Barcelona at this point. I think that Barça reckon they can turn a profit in the long run. He is worth a punt to them at £12m as a backup in their squad with a heavy schedule of League, Cup and Champions League games to play.

Same as Everton taking a punt on Lookman for even more £17m?, not nailed on for first team but with potential to be a first teamer.

Unfortunately the obsession is with stocking our teams full of athletes first, footballers second. Because unless a player has athleticism they can't play in this league. It's this kind of nonsense that has players like Mata and Fabregas sidelined. Look at Pirlo: the guy would likely have been marooned on the bench over here, especially in his later years.

I think people really are looking at Geri with rose tinted specs. Great talent, but his deficiencies are obvious. Bread and butter deficiencies that will impact on the team. We will lose more than we win with this sort of player..

Despite what the so-called 'pundits' have been droning on about for decades, in my opinion the Premier League is (like the 1st division before it) comparatively shite. In fact, in all my 56 years of watching football, the only team that I regard as top-quality in terms of world class football is the Everton side of the late 60s, which included the best midfield in the world. A true School of Science.

Of course, England never got its act together and chose that midfield, which would have competed equally with the great Brazil midfield of Gerson, Rivelino and Cloadoaldo. That in itself is an indicator, both of the shortcomings of how the England set-up thinks about football, and of why England has been so mediocre for so long.

Many highly skilled foreign players would not fit in to the dull and workmanlike style of British football, with its current banal emphasis on 'pressing'... More like 'depressing'.

Perhaps in time he'll develop further and prove me wrong but in terms of his contribution to Everton since the permanent move I don't feel we're losing a great amount; though it's true we now look short of players able to create something from nothing.

Never the twain...

The lad has flattered to deceive for much of his career. He may come good, but the hard evidence is that of a stop start career by 23. People are quick to throw pelters at Barkley who has achieved much more at this age.

For what it is worth, I don't see 30-odd caps at U21 level a positive either.

In my opinion, he was best as an impact sub.

Peter Fearon (#105)

We will be watching Deulofeu at the next World Cup, saying "that genius used to play for Everton – for five minutes – but we didn't recognize his talent"!

Surely in your dreams!!!!

Managers nightmare – never fit, never good enough, and defo just another bench warmer!!!

No loss at all, if we are building, but defo always a real frustration!!!

Tbh, I'd rather a player stay in the junior level international team (of a strong nation like Spain and – don't laugh – England rather than getting prematurely promoted into the senior squad like currently Rashford is. Personally the lad would've been better served playing in tournaments for the U21s like Deulofeu than playing a bit part for England – as well as his club side.

Still haven't seen anybody post anything conclusive as to why Geri isn't good enough for us, other than corkers like "lacks determination", "defenders know how to deal with him" and the always popular "he loses the ball". Oh, he dives (Dele Alli) and flaps his arms when he loses the ball (Lukaku).

Here's a newsflash: you try ambitious, creative attacking play you're more likely to lose the ball. I remember watching Ronaldinho playing for Barca in a ECL game once and he tried all sorts of tricks and audacious passes etc. Lost the ball about 90% of the time. Funnily enough his manager and the fans didn't wig out and pretty sure he didn't get dropped next game.

Barkley gave a pen away under Moyes and got dropped like a stone and marooned on loan soon after to Warnock-Land I believe. Deulofeu never had a run of games under Koeman and presumably got bellowed at for not tracking back and "putting a shift in", so I don't blame him for getting demoralised.

Remember a while back all the criticism of the way English football developed players – emphasising running ability, strength, size and an engine and that we were miles behind the likes of Spain in what you might call "playing football"? Nothing has changed. Dinosaur mentality.

I hope he makes it, I really do. A big part of me thinks he is a star player on his own terms and with particular opposition.

I don't think it is that he isn't good enough, full stop. I don't think he is good enough to lose sleep over though. My evidence is the underachievement that explains his career thus far.

Whatever people say about the Premier League, you can't carry people off the ball. Geri is the epitome of a player who is great when you are in possession, but useless when not. You don't get games in this league when you can afford this. That doesn't make us the best league, but it is a darn sight more competitive than other leagues.

I think he needs a top team in an uncompetitive league who can indulge him, to thrive.

Koeman obviously saw enough of him to make his mind up and I'll take the word of someone who played alongside the likes of Nando, Juan Carlos, Eusebio, Laudrup and Stoichkov to name a few.

It's nothing to do with killing creativity Geri is just "ineffective." All the stepovers in the world, all the "blistering" paced runs down the wing aren't worth much if most of them have no end result and "most" of Geri's had no end result.

It wasn't that he couldn't defend or didn't track back – he just wasn't successful enough times in what he tried to do. One great ball a game doesn't cut it.

If we had 10 world beaters in our team we could carry him. We don't, so we can't. Koeman was right "productivity" has to be improved. Geri didn't produce enough often enough.

Even Roberto, who brought him in twice, finally sat him. Explain that away.

As for him captaining a U-21 team in a tournament? So what?

Drop Ross Barkley into England's U-21 side. He'd have torn through the opposition.

We move on. Those who think Everton made a mistake, link up with the "Stones will be great" posters and keep the rest of us informed.

Like I say, he isn't a bad player. He did have a role in our squad. In these European matches, he could have been a match winner all day long.

He isn't a player to worry about leaving though. Not a write off a la McGeady for example, but isn't that important to us, either.

I totally agree with you. This garbage mentality of focusing on how much they run and how big they are is a Luddite mentality that has seen the English game torn to shreds, not just the national team but also the clubs in European competition.

Could you imagine any English club building around Messi? Not for a damn second, because he's too small, doesn't have the strength, doesn't run around like a headless chicken. Same goes for Xavi and Inesta as the midfield generals.

He was a talented player they was wasted, for a time in favor of fucking Cleverley on the wing. Christ, what an absolute joke that was. But now he's gone, and we have signed Klaassen. We've signed a single attacking player this Summer. And no I do not count the young guy we've signed and immediately loaned out because he's going to do fuck-all for us this season.

Why do I feel like this summer is being celebrated by the masses, yet I'm sitting here thoroughly unimpressed so far? I haven't seen us strengthen our squad. I've seen us pay a massive wage for a young keeper and a central midfielder that by all accounts is a replacement for Barkley when we finally sell him. We have Sandro maybe coming, but we'll be losing Lukaku.

But I keep forgetting, Walsh is magic. Moshiri is the messiah and Koeman is a wizard whom miraculously guided us to 7th. I guess it's crazy that I feel like we should be much more vocal in demanding the attacking players that we've been lacking for years now. And please do not tell me that Lookman and Calvert-Lewin are going to be those players. They're not even close.

If you dismiss Deulofeu's accomplishments with the Under-21s then do not for a second try to convince me of the Under-20s because the quality is light-years apart.

As for Deulofeu not having enough end product, Koeman replaced him with Mr ZeroEndProduct himself, Bolasie! When Geri Deulofeu has a Ballon d'Or, I hope some of the people who are criticizing him on this thread have the decency to eat their words.

You know what is good for Deulofeu? Whatever he thinks is good for him. That's what. Nothing else. Who's held to account for that?

We're well-rid of this show-pony.

It seems to me that, after their teens, other than in physique, there is no improvement in their skills.

And I don't know how much credit Koeman should get for it, but Lukaku improved significantly this season on his first touch and holdup play.

Trouble is that, when a player does improve, you don't know how much credit goes to the manager, the coaching staff or the player himself.

"Yes, the fee is was it is, we were in no position to argue. Just saying that Deulofeu is worth a lot more that 㾶m in today's market. Sandro is a poor yardstick as his release clause is laughably low and he's regarded by everyone as a total steal, virtually a free."

Sandro is the perfect yardstick. He has a low clause, so does Deulofeu. Luckily for us, his fee is pretty much half of Del's. Agreed. both would be worth a lot more if it wasn't for the fees, but they are there so the players are worth exactly that.

"Irrespective, that he is in the frame for Spain makes it bizarre that he is not considered good enough for us "

When Deulofeu played for us, he was shite the majority of the time. Yes he had good moments but also remember the majority of moments where he gave the ball away, stood around blowing because he ran 10 yards, the amount of time when he didn't even make an effort to help track back, his piss-poor decision making of trying to beat a man 10 times instead of crossing etc, etc.

The simple truth of the matter is that in the Premier League, a player has to put a shift in – unless you're in a privileged position like Lukaku who gets away with it because he scores goals. Del didn't want to work hard and his end product wasn't good enough to look away from that.

He does and will do well in a slower paced league because he can get away without doing the majority of the leg work. It that respect I think Italy is the perfect base for him. Spain? Time will tell but I just can't see him being a success there for the same reasons he wasn't a success here.

Could one of his problems at Everton have been that Rom is often the focus to our attack? Geri probably is the kind of player who needs a free rein. Not as easy to accommodate such a player in the Prem League these days. Shame that we will never see if he could flourish with a difference in our attacking focus.

Whilst useful to us as an impact sub, I doubt whether at 23, Geri would want that. Have to assume he wants to play every match. He is unlikely to benefit from that desire at Barcelona.

The terms of his agreement seem to have him remaining at Barcelona for the year before he can be sold on for a presumably healthy profit to Barcelona. I think Everton are a decent or fair club so imagine we could help Geri out and offer to take out this clause so he gets regular football.

If Barcelona have brought him back with a view to selling on at a profit, especially as his value as part of this deal is much lower than his value in the current transfer climate, as long as we benefit financially from such a sale, then that would be helpful.

Of course, that's only my opinion and life and contracts are never that simple...

The transfer window only opened yesterday and some are complaining that the club has is not showing enough enthusiasm for buying attacking players! Well, each to their own but, so far, the club has shown ambition and decisiveness in going for the players we've already got.

If it's true that we have bought Sandro Ramirez, then we have a lad who can score goals, and works his socks off. I have no doubt there will be more players coming in with the same attitude and class, as Klaassen; and I think that we will be bringing in players to replace Mirallas, Deulofeu and possibly Barkley and Lukaku.

I certainly don't think the business that Everton are conducting, with Moshiri's blessing, will have stopped before the window is 3 days old. A lot will depend on whether Lukaku is wanted enough by Chelsea for them to meet the club's price. If he goes, I think we will get the best we can afford to replace him. I don't think it will stop there either.

The signing of Henry is another indication that we are collecting top class, young players, who other top clubs would have no problem in signing... only we got there first. I think this window will be a really good one for EFC; and us

We have had too many very inconsistent players in recent years and that is why we go no further than mid table.

If this window carries on as it has then we will no longer have to endure watching half-hearted performers. Watch any of the European giants and their players give everything every game.

I also think Man Utd, will go and win the league this season, because their manager drills everyone the same way. Football is all about the team.

https://www.fifatms.com/itms/worldwide-transfer-windows-calendar/

Well, if it's good enough for Koeman... Seriously though I don't buy that at all; it's early days for him at EFC so I'm not about to start treating him like he's Alex Ferguson.

Managers have their own preferences and foibles. Sigurdsson, who we are apparently desperate to sign for big money, was persona non grata in Germany when management changed. Even Aguero is clearly not fancied by Guardiola. Okay, so Koeman didn't rate Geri, fair enough but that in itself does not mean he wasn't good enough for us. Martinez dropped him when we stopped being an attacking team and became a possession side, not because Geri wasn't playing well. Koeman never gave him a run.

Same complaints from the fans about Deulofeu as Barkley: keeps the ball too long, tries beating his man multiple times etc. Every think some of this is because we have no runners from midfield? Nobody gets in the box. This is a team (and coaching) issue.

Koeman's initial desire seems to be to set us up as a kick and run team with pace and athleticism to chase and carry the ball. Guile and creativity a low priority. Personally I want to see trickery, skill and vision not a team of physical specimens who can also play a bit. Sissoko? The signing of Klaassen suggests that may have been a stopgap approach; we'll see.

Still not heard a decent argument as to how the Premier League is actually superior to the other top leagues. Just repeating that players like Deulofeu can't hack it in our league does not constitute fact. If we go with the high-tempo and rush everything when in possession style we will beat teams that have inferior players but won't be able to handle those with talent. This kind of approach gets international teams winning everything in qualification and looking like dinosaurs when it counts. Sound familiar?

Last point: look at Besic. Apparently he needed to bulk up to "compete" in England, though his lack of muscle didn't seem to be a problem vs Messi. Result: carrying too much for his frame, injury plagued. Great job, coaching staff.

As my old mother used to say "It'd be a boring world if we all agreed on everything!"

Disappointed to see him go. Kevin (#151) makes some good points. :)

Nothing we could have done about it. Personally a 㾶.5m return with 30% of any profit from future sale is a good result. Imagine how sick we'd all be if he'd turned out to be the Spanish Ronaldo (Christiano) while he was with us.

If they see Sandro do well with us I'd not be surprised to see them offer us £20M next year for him to come back.

The only Ballon d'Or Geri is likely to get in his career would be from going on Jasper Carrott's game show (if that's still going!)

He's 23 years old.

Think I read somewhere that apparently they are not allowed to sell him within 12 months of activating the return clause.

Something tells me that as soon as that 12 months is up then Barcelona are going to be selling Deulofeu for whatever the market value is – and it'll be more than 㾶.8 million (or whatever the clause) was.

Feel a bit sorry for him. These buy-back clauses keep players in a limbo that isn't entirely helpful to their careers.