Contract talks with Michael Keane restarted, Idrissa Gana Gueye set to stay

Contract talks opened.

I think if we do not get a right-back then O'Brien seems to be the choice and Keane as cover if either of the other two fall over.

It may just be a 'needs must' 1-year deal to ensure we have enough cover? Suppose there may be a few more games I have to watch through my fingers!

He just cannot read or recover quickly enough, but if it's needs must, I would rather have had Calvert-Lewin as a make-weight.

Liam, I can hear the men in grey suits in central London now.

"Have you seen what the Scouse bar stewards are trying now? New rich owners. New iconic stadium. Now trying to break our beloved inner circle of clubs. We need to act"!!!

Are we getting the Everton we all fell in love with back?

Are Hibbo and Ossie coming back? Faddy could still do a job...

He clearly isn't good enough to be first choice.

If he had played more games last season, he would have scored more than Calvert-Lewin.

In the past Premier League season, Michael Keane made 4 errors leading to goals. This placed him tied for 3rd in the league for that statistic. He also had 2 errors leading to shots in one specific match.

He's also conceded 1 own goal.

Pretty impressive when youve only played 1,049 minutes or 12 equivalent matches.

He is so error prone. I can't believe anyone wants him anywhere near the side. He's a fucking liability.

It feels like this is going to be a stop-start window for us… linked to players with a bunch of other clubs, clubs fighting to retain players (Tete) etc.

We urgently need a striker or two, right-back, pacey winger, left-back cover, goalkeeper cover. Just for starters.

He isn't even as bad as made out – and was the best of our centre-backs in the early season poor form last season.

But even so. It's a bit dreary isn't it?

I was hoping for the signature of a very cheap (ie, less than £15M) young player whom we could start to develop.

I wonder how much input Moyes is having on all this? He's always been hesitant, to say the least, in the transfer market, hence his nickname.

Go and watch the Spurs and Man City games again. The Spurs game, go and look at Richarlison's goal to make it 3-2. He's oblivious that he's behind him.

His last game for an extended period was a defeat against a woeful Southampton. Probably one of the worst Premier League teams in modern times.

You mention he was decent at the start of the season. How many wins did we get in that period when he played? At what point did form pick up in prior seasons when Mina and Branthwaite came in?

He's is costing nothing only his wages and has come up with vital goals.

As for other signings, players and agents will delay and delay to get the best deal possible its not always the clubs fault.

At 32, he should be experienced. But, forgetting footballing and defending ability, he doesn't play like an experienced player. He seems very timid to me.

When Tarkowski got injured, Moyes opted for Branthwaite and O'Brien. It was only when Branthwaite dropped, Keane got starts in the last two matches

Not my choice, but I said weeks ago that it wouldn't surprise me if we kept him on.

No major concerns with Keane for cover as far as I'm concerned.

Or did the lad want regular football?

The speculation around retaining Keane, signing Tete etc does hint at there being a fairly restrained approach to summer spending.

Maybe we'll go big on the centre-forward and (vitally important) right-wing positions.

However, keeping Keane is a mistake – he pops up with the odd goal (and good ones too), but his primary role is to be a solid centre-back. He won't ever be that.

England U-21 and Burnley (of the record-breaking defence) centre back CJ Egan-Riley is also out of contract. You never know the finances and the personal angle as fans, but I suspect he's cheaper and more of an appreciating asset than Keane.

I agree with the general idea of signing 5-6 frees and going big in the attacking positions if possible.

Unfortunately he's joined Marseille.

We've not much to offer other than what other clubs have.

Much as I hate to admit it... I have to agree.

The main reason we don't get business done early is because most players we are after think they can do better and keep their options open for as long as they can.

It's been like this for years. I just don't get the angst.

Having experienced fans up the East Lancs, in the North East, in the Capital, and also on the Continent, coming home to Everton can only have increased his love for us.

Do other non-Evertonian players see it the same though?

Do they buy into the love in?

Do their agents push the narrative of us being a genuine giant being reawakened in our magnificent new Cathedral, on the Banks of the Royal Blue Mersey?

1 July tomorrow! I guess we are about to find out over the next 2 months…

Up The Fucking Toffees.

💙

The idea Moyes wants to bring players in from the end of August is ludicrous.

As if Moyes is sat there, refusing players like Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez because he wants to only sign players as late as possible!

The odd good game when Keane's lack of pace and ball judgement is not exposed is, for me, insufficient reason to continue to overpay a Championship-level defender.

No, mostly they talk about money.

Stadiums don't attract players. Money does

Last summer, I'd never heard of Jake O'Brien or Ndiaye. Even Alcaraz when he arrived in January.

Apart from our Cumbrian supporters, had anyone heard of Branthwaite before we signed him? Tarkowski on a free transfer.

There's always a few surprises. Good scouting and astute deals can count as much as spending a lot of money. We should know that from recent years.

Smart business by Toulouse.

We can surely afford €20M for a player who will be worth double that in 3 years time.

Perhaps Gana couldn't be categorised as dead wood but he's certainly ageing.

It appears our recruitment budget isn't as healthy as some had hoped if we're not in a position to recruit a replacement for the likes of Keane.

Dear oh dear.

That said, there's continuity with Keane and if he signs he accepts he's 4th choice. I'm guessing the other two will still be able to get 1st team football elsewhere so not a given either would sign.

We can still buy a teenager who could be the next Branthwaite, like the Serbian centre-back we were linked with last month. His price was supposedly under £9M.

I reckon they (Moyes mainly) are nervous about starting the new season with half a dozen or more new signings with so little time to get them all working together.

Apart from Forest, who I recall bought something like 23 players a couple of years ago, that doesn't seem to work in the toughest league in the world.

This rebuild won't happen in one window.

We'll even throw in a few skirts...well skorts.

That Zouma??

Seriously????

He obviously didn't want them to continue with the same style, combinations and tactics that got them into trouble in the first place, so what he managed to achieve with players he wasn't formerly familiar with should be a good reason not to be so cautious when it comes to recruiting a number of new players for the new season.

I suspect the reasons for any reticence in the transfer market may be more financial than operational, as despite Moyes getting a better tune out of the current squad, it's obvious a good few of them need replacing.

And they're right.

And they're right because of our decades-long failure to even look like ever being comparable to any of the other founding elite clubs of the Premier League, of which we were one.

In contrast to the rest of them we're perpetual also-rans, if we're to be kind, and that's all down to one self-serving shyster who was at the very top of our withering club throughout that time.

He's left us a legacy that still inflicts major financial constraints on our new owners, and their choice of manager, right now.

It'll be years before we're going to be able to move on up, despite the arrival of our new modestly crowd-accommodating capacity built in a part of the city where nobody in their right mind would consider attractive.

Still, after thirty years of dross, what's another decade or so?

..........Except I'm 70, pissed-off, bitter as hell, and profoundly disenchanted with the current state of football and its, ahem, governance.

That's what I said. We've been linked with Lindelof on a free several times, but I don't think it would be likely....

Unless we were in a European competition when he could probably get 1st team football week-in, week-out elsewhere at a promoted Premier League club. Same with Zouma on a free.

As Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, Palace, Forrest, Wolves and other "lesser" clubs are able to churn out coveted, contracted players available at several tens of £millions minimum each, just whose fault is it that we've never since Rooney been able to produce just one such player?

I'm okay with Keane being 4th choice at centre-back if that is what actually happens but I suspect he would be much closer than that to starting games. Tarkowski is out at the start so presumably he would be on the bench behind O'Brien.

However, it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that Jake continues at right-back and Keane starts in the middle if Moyes thinks that is a better option than our current other options at right-back.

I like Keane, think he gets more criticism than is warranted, and will forever be grateful for his part in starting the comeback against Crystal Palace but signing him up is a backwards step.

It was probably unlikely that all the players coming off contract would be going though... it was always going to be possible that we would have to keep some we otherwise wouldn't have.

Let's be honest, if he is called into the starting side, we will all be shiting ourselves.

He'll do nicely for early rounds of the cup etc or when we are 2-0 up and someone needs a breather….

I also appreciate that even in the darkest days he has never tried to hide under the Goodison lights and has actually stepped up big time for us on multiple occasions.

The streets absolutely won't forget the first goal in the Palace comeback or the Spurs screamer. He stepped up when we needed a hero on more than one occasion.

I think sometimes it's easy to remember someone's mistakes but lost sight of the full picture. For those own-goals, I remember quite a few relate to clipping a cross or shots that lead to goals.

Remember he got himself into the right position (anticipating the incoming ball in the first place) to attempt clearance or block. I think it's better than someone who cannot even read the game in the first place. They won't get an own-goal because they are never in the way.

His wages of £75k is the problem though.

And if it's true Keane is on £75k a week as a 4th choice centre-back, then surely we could get a couple of promising youngsters in for that and develop them.

And why wait until the contract has expired to start negotiations? It could have been done at any time before. Now he's a free agent, he'll be looking for a signing-on fee!

Whenever I see him come on, I know we are going to let a goal or two in.

I don't think you say anything that a lot of others think.

The mismanagement of the club, I would say since we won our last league title, has seen steady decline.

Brentford is an interesting one on a number of counts. One, they interestingly got rid of their academy back around 2016, opting for a B-team model. They have since reinstated it, but encourage younger players to carry on playing grass roots football. And then there was Thomas Frank's influence, with the club using Denmark, Norway, Holland and Germany to find players.

It will be interesting to see how they fair without Frank as he has been so influential to building them over the 7 or so years he was there and the sharks are already circling for some of their best players.

Our academy has underperformed and must do a lot better. Aside from Rooney, I can only think of Barkley, Tom Davies, who it didn't work out for and Anthony Gordon, who at least we got a decent transfer for.

At the end of last season, he started and played well in two impressive away wins at Fulham and Newcastle, even scoring a goal at Fulham. In fact, since Moyes arrived, Keane has made 3 starts and we won all three. I'd be happy to see him upgraded but can see the sense in Moyes wanting to keep him for another season or two.

Thanks for pointing out that Egan-Riley has joined Marseille, I must have missed that story. The fact remains that we could have tried to sign him but didn't. This makes me question our strategy. Someone at Everton would rather have Keane than an U-21 international who would instantly have a transfer value of around £10-15M before playing a game.

Or perhaps this is due to not having the leadership team in place quickly enough? Either way, we're missing out on some potentially very astute free transfer signings this summer.

The point of "negotiating" a new contract is that negotiations take place.

He and his agent know he is no longer No 1 choice and a guaranteed starter for the first team. This, of course, will be reflected in said negotiations and the weekly wage that is finally agreed, if an agreement is reached. He may still leave if he has better offers from elsewhere.

Astute signings only become so if they a) sign; b) stay injury-free; c) play consistently well. Otherwise they become the next set of "stealing a living" "Championship at best" "Dour Davey" waste of a contract for us to all moan about.

The problem is, especially for those who are out of contract, there are many options for those who we think may improve us and we may not be the most attractive proposition at the moment.

Our (new) recruitment team also needs to do its due diligence and the rest is a gamble. Whatever happens, we do need at least 8 players incoming in the next month to get even close to a full squad, just in terms of numbers, let alone quality.

Good luck to those responsible for our recruitment – it's going to be a wild ride!

This window is about sticking an Elastoplast on the squad and hoping for the best.

Sounds like desperation to me and that the preferred(?) Tete as replacement deal has fallen through and leaves Keane in a better negotiating position.

In the summer, I would call it 'catching flies'; in the winter, I would describe it as 'getting caught frozen', but we all see a different game and because it's hard to argue with stats, then maybe Michael Keane is a much better defender than I give him credit for.

Everton have been pushed so far down the football ladder, for over 30 years now, that it's hard for us to compete with teams like Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton etc… Teams who 30 years ago were fighting to stay in professional football.

Of course we'll still be able to attract the odd gem eg Branthwaite, Ndiaye, O'Brien etc… but only because they've been overlooked by the factory trawlers who scoop up, willy nilly, every young prospect they can find.

Ours is a long road to redemption. The kenshite curse will linger on for many years to come. Many of us will not live long enough to see Everton back on the top where we should be but we should be feeling a tad optimistic about the future.

TFG are going to have to be creative, inventive, hardworking and focused to begin the rebuild. It may take several transfer windows to do this but they must start now.

A new stadium isn't enough to restore faith and optimism, at least in my case, we need to see real intention.

UTFT!!!

We'd have to pay to replace him.

Never argue with stats, just ignore them – especially when it comes to players like Keane. Applaud what he has done at the other end of field but then remember what you have seen at the other end of the field with your own eyes: a slow thinking player who hardly ever anticipates the next move and is consistently seconds behind what is going on in the penalty area and 6-yard box.

He has been on £75k a week — Jesus, if that's true, that's one of the stats you should definitely take notice of.

Don (44) Fuck the disdain, I love your posts! Never let Thingy get away with what he did to our club, keep them posts coming!

Being serious though, I do feel some of the fanbase have played a part in the club not moving on. Clapping Kenwright's Mush, still living off a team 40 years ago. And recently those thinking keeping Seamus in the squad is a good thing.

This football club has to move on.

If we have a youngster coming through then maybe let him go. But we need a 4th choice centre-back, especially when one of the other three centre-backs might be required at right back.

Of course he might just decide he wants to play regularly in his twilight years and drop down a division which would make Everton's position irrelevant.

One of the less interesting contract sagas imaginable.

Flog him to Burnley. We won't move forward with him anywhere near the team. There are numerous calamities in which he has been involved over the years.

I can still see him performing tricks away at Tottenham, 20 yards behind the Liverpool forwards at Anfield when we were hammered, and the comedy double act with Holgate at home to Spurs.

Likeable guy but will never be good enough if we want to improve.

My optimistic cup has just lost some of its taste.

I don't get people saying good as a 4th option, if we get injuries are we happy with the 4th option? I will be dreading it when he comes on!

Link

Sam @55. I'd agree with some of that. Keane is not actually a bad footballer. Just not consistently a good defender. My opinion has been forged over watching for the several seasons he's been with us, not the odd performance.

He did play well in those last two matches. I think I gave him man of the match against Fulham and not just for the goal.

A great link. I hope we see more of that and Ndiaye is one player who we should be giving a new contract toright now before he is able to slip away for next to nothing.

Ernie, being honest, would you have offered Micheal Keane £75k a week at any stage of his contract?

Not true mate. I always look forward to you shoe-horning an anti-Kenwright opinion into any discussion. Not being a fan of Chairman Bill myself as well.

That said, bit frustrating that we're re-signing Keane – but then we aren't likely to be awash with cash and he's presumably been retained for experience and stability (even if he won't play much).

Can see the sense, as a cover player. There are 3 centre-backs ahead of him. His last few performances were sound. He's a good pro, won't be crazy wages, and if he signs for 2 years could get some form of fee for him next year.

Got to get Gana tied down.

I mostly only go on the official website for ticket news or to watch some of the interviews and "Tunnel Access" videos.

No news on these two, just that we've signed a young Dutch player for the women's team and Eli Campbell, the young defender, has signed a new 2 year contract having come back from Ross County after his loan period.

Interestingly, he said he is here as an Everton player and wants to progress, hopefully to the first team squad, but is happy to go back out on loan if it helps his development.

I suspect the salary was a roll-over as by 2021-22 season when the first contract ran out, he was starting to face competition from Godfrey and Holgate. Following season, we signed Tarkowski and Coady (o loan) so he was already no longer first choice.

He played two games at the end of the season which suited him. Low block. But with his purchase fee written off, then as far as PSR is concerned, the only issue is how much will he be paid?

Take an alternative player we buy on a 4-year deal. For every £1m we spend purchasing, he will cost us £5,000 per week. So Keane on £75,000 (and I am not arguing that is what he is worth) is the same PSR hit in 2025-26 as a £10M player on a 4-year deal on £27,000 per week.

Financially it is not a stupid decision to keep him.

Fair point, my message was probably from feeling a bit underwhelmed by the news. I must admit I thought he would be first to go. Just hope he doesn't get the chance to play many games.

Barry close to signing, personal terms agreed just reported.

Keane is a decent player, they all make mistakes, don't they?

We can't afford to lose any more players we won't have enough to put a team out.

None of us know what the squad is going to be like so it's no good sqealing yet, but my gut feeling is we will be looking at middish table again.

Not championing a new contract for Keane, just don't see it as end-of-the-world stuff.

What's done is done and he's surely not getting anywhere close to £75k in these negotiations.

If Keane is lowering from a £75k to £50k weekly wage I'm guessing the negotiation is around a sign-on fee of aprox £1m+ to take him back up to near full salary.

Then there's length of contract vs age. He'll want min 2 years to get him to 34 otherwise trying to find a good wage at any club 1 year down the line becomes harder for him.

Tete has done the same thing at Fulham. Use other interested clubs to get a better and longer deal.

So who's interested in Keane that would pay £75k? Probably no one. Let poker face agents resume playing their game.

I think we can get better 4th choice experienced value elsewhere. I think Keane should be looking to play football but I believe he wants to stay in the North-West. Maybe Wrexham at a push.

They couldn't do worse and it would be a fresh face at least.

Perhaps you can tell us, your qualifications and why you have come up with the above.

I for one, would be very interested in what you do, or have done in the past.

Well, I hope common sense prevails under these new owners and sincerely hope he is getting a wage that suits his usefulness to the club as a fourth-choice player in his position.

Name me a defender who we could get for 7.5m?

Given that we already have 3 senior CBs I would have been happy for us to go down that path too. But I can see the flip side too - given the squad overall will be very light on experience. Certainly a CB any any experience / quality would be more than £7.5m (unless free on fairly high wages).

It is hardly the most important part of our summer business in any case.

Never 100%, but the Bobble reporting Keane has signed an extension.

On ready made for the Premier League. Where Branthwaite and O'Brien? Well not until they played.

Crucially it allows us to spend transfer funds in other areas and I'm still waiting for what I feel is the most important move of our window at RW.

Far too many other things to sort out this summer though.

Ryan # 96 I think I answered most of your Qs in post 95 - with the exception of whether the young prospects are Premier League ready. Well (and I know you know this) probably not. But they don't particularly need to be since (a) they won't play much and (b) it's unlikely to be in any way decisive in a season where we shouldn't be in relegation trouble and probably won't be challenging for Europe either.

Still easier and economically sound to keep him on rather than seek out a decent centre half whose happy to warm the bench.

Gana - give him 2 more years and be done with it. We need him.

Good news if he has signed. Despite the occasional brain farts, he's solid and an all round decent bloke. The newly promoted sides would love to have him.

It's not their fault but the fault of the idiots who bought them in the first place. It's not “a degree of luck”, more like blindness.

I'd happily take a year deal on £75k a week for 8 years, and then get offered another 2-year deal.

It's fucking madness.

If it is a 2-year contract, we could also probably recoup most of his wages selling next summer to the likes of a Wrexham!

It also means we can save some funds for the two full back positions where we definitely need a starting right-back and some cover for Mykolenko.

Who is buying him next summer, when they could have him free now?

I don't think he has ever been superb.

However I do see the sense in not having too much disruption all at once and for a comparatively low cost keep him around as emergency backup while we concentrate on other important incomings.

I don't get the hatred for Keane on here, the lad had to play alongside the likes of Holgate at times, no wonder he got a torrid time.

His goalscoring record for a centre-back is excellent and I for one am all for keeping him as a back-up centre-back.

I think a lot of our fans have been blinded by the Tarkowski - Branthwaite partnership.

Somebody can sign him now on a 2 year deal for say £50k a week.

Next summer they arent paying £50k a week plus a couple of million in transfer fee, for a player 12 months older. If you want him, surely you get him now?

Id fully expect us to spend £2.5m+ in wages, and he leaves for a nominal fee of next to nothing. He'll play about 5-10 games. In minutes about £0.5m a game.

If people think that's good value, or he'll be an asset, then fair to play to you.

Thats the mindset when he's earnt what £31m in wages so far with us, and will earn another £5m over the next 2 years as a basic.

This suggests that either we are not trying or Gana is playing hard to get, neither of which is satisfactory, particularly as there is others, in France, being mentioned as interested in signing him. Come on and get your fingers out and give him the two years he wants.