Everton an option for Eriksen

Bernard's meant to be on £120,000 a week. Get him off the wage bill and then this deal would make a lot of sense. Eriksen would be a massive upgrade.

I'm not entirely certain we could have Eriksen and James in the same team. He'd only come to be a starter, I'm guessing. He is quality on his day but, for his last half-season at Spurs, he was dire, and the same at Milan, although I've not actually watched him.

Anyone else seen him play at Inter? Was he just not a Conte player or has he been that bad?

An upgrade on Bernard for sure but he's another creater, a passer.

We need a runner, someone with pace and energy to find the space for Gomes and James to pass too.

We only have Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin to stretch opposition defenders.

He'd be a good buy but I'd rather have Dele Alli for his energy and movement.

I expect PSG to get Eriksen.

I think Bernard is on £150k a week, Gavin which would make him our highest earner. Because we acquired him on a free, he was able to reap the benefits with a higher salary. I honestly thought we were getting a gem but he's never really convinced despite me being desperate for him to do so.

Eriksen is a top player on his day, obviously, with the added benefit of having plenty of Premier League experience. A loan would be fine with me but I would doubt the wisdom of singing him permanently as he wouldn't come cheap.

Looks like Carlo isn't a fan of gegenpress, but I agree with the other poster – could he be in the same team as James?

Everton already has Gylfi Sigurdsson so there is no need for Eriksen – very similar players – and I am quite certain Ancelotti is not there.

He was poor at the end of his Spurs career, has disappointed at Inter. Steer clear.

We need dynamism in the middle. Not Gylfi Mk 2.

Justin, I have got to agree, we need someone with pace. As Alex @2 said, and I also agree, his last season at Spurs, in which I watched a lot of games, he was either anonymous or stood out for his free kicks or set-pieces more than his general play.

I see we have also been linked with Damarai Gray from Leicester, a player we were linked with when he was with Birmingham. You have to ask the question, why will Leicester be willing to let him go?

From what I have seen of him, he has a good turn of speed with the ball, and certainly has the odd goal in him but, having said that, his end product is all too often wasted by going for glory rather than passing to a team-mate in a better position.

Bollocks to the negatives. Get him in. He was a part of one of the best attacks in the league when he was in England. He is a player who can make things happen.

We need to get rid of a few midfielders first – reduce quantity and then slowly build quality. At the moment, I can count:

Sigurdsson
Gomes
James
Davies
Doucouré
Allan
Gbamin
Delph
Bernard
Iwobi
Besic
Baningime
Bolasie

That is 12 midfield players vying for about 4 starting positions.

I am sure Everton are looking to offload Besic, Bolasie, Baningime, Delph, perhaps Bernard or Sigurdsson also. Then add a quality midfielder this window – we need to find our own Grealish, Ward-Prowse, Maddison who can take on defenders, confident on the ball, strike a good free-kick. Easier said than done, I know, but Brands should be scouring the globe for such type of players.

Good luck to him!

Although £28k a week for a 3rd-choice keeper probably isn't the best use of money especially as Virginia could fulfil that role!

Loosely on this topic I'm also against having him and Olsen on the bench! Get Simms on the bench, I'd say.

Stephen, I think you're on the wrong rumour. Lössl?

Eriksen is a Sigurdsson as has been said above, but better.

Can we do a straight swap with Inter for Sigurdsson and Bernard for Eriksen? It not going to happen is it, so I think we can scrunch this one up and slam dunk it into the bin.

I am hoping we are focusing our efforts on a different type of midfielder altogether. Someone younger who will bring energy and drive, goals and assists to the team. The right player in to do that will transform us.

Don't worry too much about his time at Inter. He wasn't a Conte purchase. Conte plays a completely different system than Spurs did.

Eriksen needs to have a system designed around him, just like Sigurdsson as well, keeping him free to act as an 8 or 10 and get in the space between midfield and defence.

Conte plays with high-energy box-to-box midfielders, he wants them to play very much like he did and the idea of a luxury player like Eriksen to him is bonkers from what I understand.

I don't see how we get him in, he is better than Sigurdsson but why pay another load of wages for yet another Number 10 when we need more elsewhere.

Unless we are replacing Sigurdsson, I can't see this happening.

I think Justin @2 is right. We already have the passers in the likes of Rodriguez, Gomes, Iwobi, Sigurdsson etc; what we need is some runners to find space with only DCL, Richarlison and ocassionally Doucore doing that currently.

And ideally this runner might also be able to dribble well as too few of our players can beat a man to open up some space for others or himself as we saw Eze doing last week. Our best counter-attacking teams in the last decade had the likes of Mirallas, Lukaky and Barkley in their pomp who could beat a man or two with ease and then finish or play someone else in. Currenly we only have Richarlison and sometimes Iwobi who ever seem able to beat a man and open up space.

We can't afford another luxury player in our present team, we need ENERGY and skill. Someone like Colin Bell in fact.

If there's an older PL player i'd consider taking back it may be Arnautovic. The tall Austrian is only 31 and apparently bored of the Chinese league.

He can play across the front 3 and can dribble, hold the ball up well and score a few. Could be a decent short term move to give the likes of Richie and DCl a break when they need it. Though possibly his wages would be too big.

Sam @18,

He is an utter cock. And has had 2 good seasons, not consecutive. Sod that.

Jim, I've no idea what he's like personally. Have you met him? Or are you just going on rumour?

But he's definitely had more than 2 good seasons. In 3 of his last 4 season in the Premier League he scored or assisted 15 goals or more for mediocre teams.

We could use a little more firepower and I don't think he'd be a terrible solution. If he really is an utter cock and Brands has evidence that he'd be bad for team spirit and training etc then I'm sure it won't happen. But there's not that many forward players around who are available and almost guarantee Premier League goals and assists.

Arnautovic as a backup to DCL, I’ve not even thought about that one , it is an interesting one. The player has an edge, an attitude problem and probably is an utter cock, I remember he was agitating for a move from West Ham for a while and probably didn’t do team spirit any good.

I’ve got to the stage now that I don’t give a flying shite whether a player is a total piece of shit or not. I’d rather have a an obnoxious twat like Costa who scores 10-15 important goals saving and winning games from the bench and as a stand in than a choirboy who is a lovely lad to have around the place who scores 3 a season. It can mean the difference between success and failure. If he was content to have that role I don’t think he would play the big cheese to Ancelotti.

As Sam says, We’ve not met him, he may be a smashing fellow.

Clive 12

Ha sorry wrong thread !!

Stephen, probably wouldn’t have noticed later tonight!!!

Exactly Tony. Tosun by all accounts is a good pro but has done absolutely nothing coming off the bench for us. Nor has anyone else. Think we are one of only 4 teams in the PL who have no goals scored by substitutes.

If Arnautovic was going to come for a 6 month loan to get in shape before the Euros, be a bit of a bell-end but score 6-7 goals that get us into Europe that looks a reasonable gamble. May well be better options out there but i've always liked him as a player.

Winning teams usually have a few "utter cocks" in their ranks.

So what we are saying really is that we would rather have an “utter cock” than an “utter fanny”.

I think a Costa or Arna would mean a change of system and style. Both good players and bring strength and goals but they don't fit in like Tosun.

They lack the work rate and pace that Carlo wants from DCL and Ric, even Siggy runs around chasing and closing, just far slower.

I'd prefer a King or Anderson, the hammers Brazilian left winger who went on loan. Both have pace, strength, assists and goals in them to play as the wide forward.

I'm more encouraged by the possibility of signing Moises Caicedo, the young Ecuadorian - with his move to Manure seemingly now off. I doubt we're remotely interested in Eriksen. Nice player, lost his oomph a few years ago though, and we already have a few too many such players on the books - and we can do much better in summer. Costa & Arnautovic? Who knows. 6 month deal for either might be good fun. Seems worth a shot if they don't demand silly money.

Robert, Moise's out, Moises in?

I was reading about this young player, sounds like a top prospect. I am sure he will be on the Brands radar. It would be interesting to hear what any of our South American based posters make of him if they've seen him play.

Arsenal asking Norwich about Buendia, Norwich slapped a £40M price tag on him. Arsenal trying a player-plus-cash offer but I think there is too much at stake at the moment to let him go. We've missed the boat at those extreme prices.

Robert #28

Just had a look on YouTube. Now I know it can make average players look like stars in short clips, but it is obvious the young lad is a player.

First thing that struck me is his calmness on the ball. He can play off both feet, right-foot is better. Strong in the tackle. Aggressive. Plenty of pace.

Scores different types of goal.

It would be very interesting to see if we are in for him.

Caicedo - only seen the clips but he looks an all-round player.

Tony #26, one of each would go together like hand in glove

Sam #20, I'll pass on Arnautovic. My recollection of him from his six Premier League seasons is lots of missed sitters and a remarkable inability to head the ball, especially for a guy that big.

The raw numbers aren't glowing either. In the prime of his career, his 20s, he made 184 appearances with 43 goals and 33 assists. That's not terrible, but it's not the level of production we're looking for, and he's not in his prime anymore.

I think we can do better for less.

Eriksen is 29 next month. Just saying.

Mike@33, he's not my dream player for sure! But getting a goal or assist per 2/3 games is not too shabby for someone who played wide a lot. We could use that sort of productivity at the moment in a team where the goal burden seems to fall heavily on one or two players. As a short term solution, I don't see a lot of obviously better and available alternatives but let me know who you're thinking of?

Robert@28, yes, I mentioned Caciedo on another thread this morning. Would LOVE him, read a few very promising analyses and sounds like just the sort of player we could use. Sounds like Man Utd are favourites to get him though.

If we ended this window with Caciedo, Zeki Celik and Michael Olise, I'd be very happy!

Sam, various sites are saying Caceido to Man Utd is off. Here's hoping. Hard to know what to believe, especially in January. Celik and Olise would be brilliant. Although I'm hoping for Dagba at right-back as part of the Kean deal if that ever happens.

Another one you drew my attention to ages ago, Ferguson of Aberdeen, might be moving in January. Won't be a big fee. He's got some ability and is certainly wholehearted. Might be worth a punt for a couple of million.

I agree with Clive, he's past his best and we don't need any more injured players. We have too many very late 20s and players in 30s. Please no one say well back in 1983, Peter Ried and Andy Gray were being written off etc.

Everton are linked with any player on the market in Italy, but in this case I don’t see any foundation or priority purpose of getting Christian Eriksen, to Everton, but who knows, he’d be slick on the transition from midfield to attack.

May be there’s some Italian media foiling going on, and perhaps this will mean some Serie A players coming in on loan this month.

Lyndon (4), Spotrac has Bernard and Mina both on £120K/w each, not £150K

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/everton-fc/payroll/

I think Eriksen would be an upgrade on Siggy in the no 10 role, but Dele Alli would be a better long term option.

That said I think one or both of them will end up at PSG now that Poch is there.

Sam 35

He ain’t the crack. Hot and cold player who has ants in his pants. Had a good stint at Stoke, binned them off. Was bang average for Hammers until Moyes got him playing, no sooner he started paying back the faith put in him he opted to take the cash in China. This guy is no Costa in terms of quality either.
And whilst I agree, being a nice guy is no indication or pointer to success on the pitch, being a disruptive diva can have effects off it. For examples at our own club see The Rat or Eto. Not worth the hassle.

My opinion obviously. Others will of course see it differently

Aspiring for top 4? The quality of the signings need to be equivalent to that of the teams that currently hold those positions. We havecc C a good forward who is in form, should be looking for at least his equal if we want to progress.

I honestly don't believe we have any interest in signing Eriksen. Ancelotti seems to like Sigurdsson - and for reasons Paul the Esk has identified in his excellent analysis the other day - may even give him a new contract. There's no obvious room for a new / waning high earner, classy as Eriksen is / has been. He doesn't address the glaring deficiency we have now, either, which is pace and athleticism in forward / wide areas (ie replacements for Walcott and Kean + cover for DCL and Richarlison).

Might need to resign ourselves to the fact that Tosun and (no bad thing) Gordon may feature more as the season continues.

Caicedo is a kettle of fish, who would be bought for the future - bit like Branthwaite - so might be bought now if available.

Olise would be similar, especially if the rumoured £8m buy out clause is true.

Jim @40,

Have you watched Costa for the last three seasons? He's been pretty terrible. I'd definitely take Arnautovic over him.

Don't get me wrong: the Austrian is not my dream signing by a long shot but, in the January window, pickings can be slim and I'm only imagining it as a short-term move.

I highly doubt you'll find anyone to be Calvert-Lewin's equal in January. If we're looking for real quality, then it will be in the summer, which is when Brands usually buys.

Eddie @25,

Winning teams usually have a few "utter cocks" in their ranks. I know we have a few "utter knobs" does that equate or count?

I like the links to the players for the future Caicedo, Olise and Zeki Celik for the present, if we can also get a quick midfielder in it would represent a great Window for a January which are normally fairly quiet affairs, or am I only dreaming?

Sounds like a song there, but even if we secured the signatures of Caicedo and Olise and let them play on till the Summer with their Clubs, that would make some sort of sense and a possible solution.

The Italian press have a fixation with Everton.

Rabiot for now. Class in, dross out. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam 42

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest Costa was an option, he wouldn't be on the pitch long enough anyway with VAR!

Cracking footballer, but i'm thinking we have enough craft and need more graft in the midfield

Thought I posted maybe you decided not to show it, it wouldn't be the first time.

My post was maybe Zaha would be a good call if the price was right, if available in January.

I think about what we need sometimes, think about how many average players we have got in our squad, and think about how many players we need to improve us. I then think, imagine signing Zaha, and getting him and Richarlison to play either side of DCL?

Both quick, both interchangeable, get Rodriguez, playing ahead of Allen and Doucoure, and I think how just one player could change the dynamics of our team so rapidly?

That Tony is the key to any faltering hope we have of qualifying for a European place 😷

Tony that would be great and would give us an awesome first 11 but we saw today what is left when the first 11 aren’t all fit or available. We need a good, not meh, squad.
Gomes, Siggy, Davies (makes me sad to say it) Delph, Tosun and Bernard are NOT top 6 quality. We need top 6 quality on the bench as well as on the pitch.
I trust Carlo to demand and attract such quality.

We probably won’t sign him John, and if we did, he might be a flop just like he was at United, but if he hit the ground running and everyone stayed fit, (big if, the way the game is played these days) I’d say anything could be possible, and also think he’s the type of player that could rejuvenate Richarlison, and would also be perfect for Rodriguez, who would probably be in heaven, having those two skilful runners either side of him?

Tony you have a bigger prophile than me on this site maybe you could bring the Zaha issue to a more recent forum or create a new one, I will follow and contribute.

I don’t think it would give us an awesome eleven Mark, but I think it would give us so much more dynamism than we currently have, and this would be without having to make major changes.

I remember the fans having a whipround to buy Terry Curren, because he really lifted what appeared to be a poor team, but when the club eventually signed him, he never really made it, but a lot of the players who were already at the club, and not really pulling any trees up, had really improved, although that was probably down to the spirit and attitude that both Reid and Grey, brought into the team?

I think we need another forward, I think we need another midfield player, but more than anything we need some fast and direct forward running, otherwise it completely nullifies having Rodriguez, who is also so much better playing inside (imo)

With all due respect Tony curren was not in the same calibre as Zaha, and I remember him tricky but with no brain or team play good hair though.

Of course he wasn’t John, my point was that he lifted the place, when things were not that great, and this is exactly what “OUR WILFRED” could do, lead us on to better things!!!

That is so true Tony if everyone thought the same especially our recruitment policy makers, anyway getting a bit squiffy now so good night from Ireland up the blues.