Gabriel waiting on Lille

Women can never make their mind up!

Sound like this may be “imminent”

again.

It makes sense if we sign Fraser on a free and can afford to splash big on a centre half. I like a lot of what I see about Gabriel.

However, I want someone who speaks English, knows the premier league, has leadership qualities and inspires confidence, can organise the back line, and is good in the air. That ain’t Gabriel.

Steve - might the player you describe be Holgate? He might be as good at least as anyone we could buy with those characteristics. The only thing he is possibly lacking is height and more games. Gabriel certainly has the height.

Robert, I think Holgate can be that person. I agree with you. But he’s not there yet. And maybe a mature Holgate would be great with Gabriel. That said, wasn’t Ratcliffe younger than Holgate is now, and had played less games, when he became captain?

Sadly, I only vaguely remember Ratcliffe and then as quite a worn-out veteran. Holgate could easily be our captain and an England mainstay by the end of next season. Still learning. But he's got a good coaching set-up to learn the defensive side from.

Apparently Napoli have agreed £22M with Lille, so if we match that it will be the player's preference between us and them. Unless Tottenham make a late bid too.

This big South Korean fella looks great though.

The trouble is, when trying to get a quality of player that could perform in the Champions League, is that Champions League clubs also want them!

I imagine the only way he comes to us over Napoli is if we pay either him or Lille a significant amount more than Napoli. He looks like a good fit but there are other options (just hopefully not Thiago Silva).

Signed for Napoli, apparently. Brands doesn't impress me tbh. Now we're linked to some South Korean defender. We're probably starting next season without another centre-back.

Colin,

Surely if we miss out on the Korean, we can get another quality Asian centre-back in the mold of Li Weifeng.

I'm not sure a Korean centre half could be thrust straight into the Premier League. Lots of excellent Koreans in Europe over the years but they tend to ease their way in via an easier league. Possible buy then loan out to Eredivisie maybe.

Anyway, I'm less downbeat than you, Colin, about our prospects. I think we will get a centre-half in. Probably one of Zouma or Todibo if the Gabriel ship has definitely sailed. If not, and we just get a veteran as a stop-gap, it might mean Gibson is earmarked to step up in a year or two.

Notwithstanding the attraction of Champions League football, we could price Napoli out of the running on the transfer fee and/or salary. The question I have is do we want to spend some a large fee on a 23-year-old when the profile of our current centre-backs is relatively young – Mina (25), Keane (27), Holgate (23)?

Centre-back is a position where experience really does count. While I support the club's long-term strategy of buying young for potential, developing the player and gaining resale value, I think we should consider bringing someone with more experience who has played regularly in a Champions League club. Sure there will be those who say "We could never sign someone of that profile for Everton," but they said the same about signing a top manager before Don Carlo joined us.

I would rather be signing players on the up who look the part (like Caglar Soyuncu did at Freiburg) than paying a fortune for those for whom Everton is a step down. There might be room for the odd free veteran like Barry but 27- or 28-year-olds from Champions League clubs are not the answer.

Leicester, Wolves, Dortmund and Leipzig all have a fairly simple strategy and it works very well. We just need to copy it.

Robert - fully agree.

We have been signing players who are simply coming here for the money, and not necessarily because they want to prove something. Do we honestly think the likes of Mina, Digne, Bernard etc would be here if we didn't offer them a fortune? They're naturally not going to give everything for the club.

Similarly, players like Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson, who have got big contracts in their late 20s.

Compare them to players who we've bought with a point to prove in recent times and some of the younger players, they give a lot more for the club and either offer years of service or a decent profit. Even the likes of Lukaku had a point to prove and we made £50million on him.

Moyes had it right at times with Cahill, Arteta, Lescott, Jagielka, Baines etc. They all came because they had a point to prove and not for the money.

If we don't get a centre-back, it's not the end of the world. I hope we sign two dynamic midfielders, like Allan and Sangare.

I don't know the player but a key position to improve.

We need a big, strong, pacey central defender that's consistent and doesn't make silly mistakes.

If they can also be a leader and comfortable on the ball, great as we lack leadership and most managers want central defenders to play out as long as it's not at the expense of sloppy, risk-taking play.

Encouraging reports of interest in Salisu this morning. Very aggressive player. Very good too. Would close off Gibson's route to the first team as barely any older but him and Holgate could be an excellent (albeit youthful) pairing.

Feels very likely that we'll get a centre-half in now. Probably a bit of game playing to keep the fee respectable. One of Gabriel, Salisu, Zouma or Todibo. All good players – albeit I could see Todibo in the role earmarked for Gbamin until he matures enough to be relied on at centre-half.

I'd take any of those 4 Robert. Gabriel would be my pick though, he was in the press yesterday saying that playing time and a coach that could improve him is important as well as getting into the brazil team which could bode well for us. Though he also mentioned wanting to play at highest level which may not sound like us!

Again Sam it will bite us not being in (or nowhere near) the Champions League. He also may just look at what's happening across Stanley Park and think I want some of that. Carlo is a known winner in football at least, but he has a task on his hands trying to convince better players to join a team that have had no presence in Europe for a long time.

Yes Joe, I think it would really help us if we could sneak into those 7th/8th spots and get a place in Europa. Not that these players are excited about playing in Europa but it shows we are on the right track.

Tough ask though with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs above us and with easier run-ins.

Another English club bidding on him now apparently (according to French media of dubious reliability). Can't see this one going our way which is a shame as I think he would really compliment (and improve upon) what we already have.

Jesus, how long has this saga gone on for?! He's in the papers again today with every club and his dog interested...

Just sign for someone, lad, I'm over it already.

Sounds like this may be rumbling closer to an outcome. The gossip online suggests that it may be between us and Man Utd with Napoli not having matched our £30M offer.

£30M seems a lot for someone who's had basically one good season after struggling on loan at Troyes and Zagreb. But he does seem to have some qualities that we lack, ie pace and very solid left-footed distribution.

Strange that we reportedly had a £22M deal almost wrapped up before Covid but, since then (despite not playing), his price has gone up!

More stories this morning, with the Daily Star quoting the dubious Football Insider website (these jurnos do dig deep... not!) and not providing anything new at this point.

The saga continues.

FFS – just sign for someone already! Jeez, drawn-out saga or what?!

Steve, I can't believe he will choose us. If the other options include the likes of Napoli, Arsenal and Manchester United, even I'm not sure I'd pick us!

Nor would I Sam but I just want him to pick so we can all move on, its been rumbling on and on and it's not such a tough decision is it? If I were him I'd have signed for Napoli a month ago.

If we really do have as much of a hard-on for this guy as the press make out, then that does say a lot about Carlo's plans for next season.

I am convinced we are going to play with wing-backs and a midfield 3. If we do that and have both wing-back spots with good cover, then do we need the highly coveted right-midfielder? Gordon, Walcott and Richarlison can all fill in there if we switch formation.

I wonder if a wing-back and a centre-midfielder are now Carlo's priority signings? All speculation but I'm bored out of my tits with it all.

Have Napoli, Arsenal or Man Utd even made a bid?

Who knows, Darren??!

Steve Ferns,

"However, I want someone who speaks English, knows the Premier League, has leadership qualities and inspires confidence, can organise the back line, and is good in the air."

I remember it was exactly those qualities that made us splash out £12 million on Williams. That was largely hailed as a coup. Then it turned out to be shit.

Those again were the qualities that took us to sign Keane. What a player... oh yeah, that hasn't exactly worked out how we hoped.

If we go for 'knows the Premier League', we are gonna get below average. We are gonna get has-been in the Premier League but isn't good enough for the top teams.

We've tried 'knows the Premier League' and it's failed (Sigurdsson, Bolasie, Delph, Iwobi, Walcott... endless list).

I remember when we were linked with Van Dijk and many on here exclaimed 'fuckin SPL ain't shit'.

I hope we sign players that are good enough, don't give a hoot of their current club. Championship? Scotland? France? If they have quality and come, great.

But 'Premier League proven players' that are good enough either won't come or will cost double their value.

He was signing for Everton, covid stopped that. He was signing for Napoli, not happened. He was signing for Arsenal, put on hold. Of course this is paper talk and rumour but he and/or his agent would appear mercenary.

Gotta laugh over people becoming irate over this.

It's like arguing over fucking unicorns!

If we need a centre-half then why even consider one of these Euro boys with no track record in the Premier League?

Why not go out and get Dunk or Mee, or look at the stats for headed clearances (last season) top is Tarkowski, Fernandez (Newcastle) 2nd, Basham 3rd, Maguire 4th... oh, and a certain Keane 5th!

Eddie, because (as you illustrate) we already have Keane who is v good at the things those others are good at – playing a deep defensive line for a limited team (apart from Maguire). And they would all cost big money.

What we really need is a tall, fast and agile partner for Holgate that allows us to play higher up the pitch which in turn allows the midfield a greater grip on possession and the chance to run in behind.

If we still need a pacey left-footed centre-back, get Zouma in. Current market will be better. Premier league experienced and still young.

Even test the water with if they want Pickford ??? We get Zouma and £10 to 20 mill; they get Pickford.

I'm with you, Ian, next best option for us is Zouma.

I have only seen Zouma a few times this last season and he was making mistake after mistake. Not enough of an all-round defender for me.

Zouma is the new Manuel Fernandes. An up-and-down loan spell followed by a weird desire among some to vouch for his return every window as if he's the Knight in Shining Armour – even though he's not that good...