Everton set to activate buy option for Carlos Alcaraz

Is it too early to say YES!!?

That’s good news, and good business for us.

The early actions to solve the Alcaraz and Gana situations bode well for this window. Even the public Delap chatter, I think that was intended to impress other candidates.

Excellent news, even if he flops we should be able to move him on quite easily given his age.

My Dad told me about a player we loaned in the 70s or 80s who was brilliant until we actually signed him...was it the Rod Stewart lookalike who turned out to be shite?

Let's hope Charly has finally found himself a home after quite a few moves for such a young player.

Good forward thinking player with pace who can play in Doucoure’s role and also on wings if we are short

Sounds good.
Need a statement from Everton to seal the deal.

This is better news than Delap choosing Chelsea. I can see Charly becoming a mainstay for us, and is already a fan's favourite, just gana to re-sig and we can start to build !

Huzzah, hail and hallelujah. Looking forward to watching those rampaging runs for seasons to come.

It could have been Terry Curran, Lee.

Best news of the day.

Charly resigning, Gana about to and Delap choosing the players graveyard.

Sounds more like Alan Biley, signed by Howard Kendall in the summer of 1981. Had one good game on his debut and then did nothing.

On another matter; where do Everton statements emanate from these days?
Is it Bramley Moore?
Where is the ticket office now? Has everyone moved?
Just musing.

Glad to see Alcaraz being signed. Good positive player and combines well with Beto. Those two could be quite prolific next season, just like Lukaku and Mirallas were.

Jay!!

One minute we announce he has arrived and next thing is you have the news he is resigning?

Good news. Ryan Holroyd will be very restrained if he doesn’t pop up on this thread with an I told you so.

Phil LOL,
not the best grammar I grant you.

Excellent news, now I just hope the rest of the transfer window is as positive.

He could become a key player for us, especially with a full pre season behind him

Fabrizio Romano, the same fella who told us all about Delap and the Everton "project". Great news if true, forgive me for delaying my joyous celebration for a little while.

Paul, stop being so cynical. For what it's worth I just think there is a lot of hype about Delap, like there is around many British strikers, particularly England. Most aren't the next Shearer, Owen, Rooney or Kane.

Lee, it was Alan Biley, indeed a Rod Stewart lookalike.

I was at his debut, I think he scored two ? then nothing after, certainly wasn't a case of "Hot Legs", more like " I don't Wanna Talk About It"

Pleased Charly is sorted ? and if there was a hypothetical scenario on whether we could only sign Charly or Delap, then I would choose the former.

Charly could turn out to be a really top player and a great bit of business.

Moyes will have alternatives to Delap should he indeed move to Chelsea.

The lad from Stuttgart Nick Woltmade looks really good but maybe Bayern are in for him ?

No Robert. I just didn’t see the need to wet the bed when the season just finished 4 days ago. It’s not like we’re signing Lamine Yamal

Thanks gents, it's definitely Biley or Curran. I'm sure my Dad told me he was initially on loan but I'm not sure, it's been a long time since he told me this.

Nice to see we're doing some early (expected) business, let's get that right hand side sorted now. Pace and power is what we need, along with a few goals!

Alan Biley - there's a blast from the past.

Not at all cynical Joe (19). That was a throughly reasonable post with reasons stated for waiting for something "official". You seriously believe that we should read a journo and act accordingly before a word from the club? Cynical only comes into it if you have reason to distrust the integrity of journalists.

Hopefully good news on Alcaraz.

(Can’t remember much about Biley.
But Terry Curran was a world-beater on loan - and really crap after signing).

Steve and Lee, apparently Alan Biley and the singer of The Sweet were never seen in the same room together.

Don't worry my coat is already on!

On the edge of our seats til 31st then. Surely we can’t mess this up?
On the Biley/ Curran debate, I remember well Curran’s loan debut against Luton if memory serves correct. He was a revelation at the time and the street end sang “Let’s all have a whip round…”
Suffice to say once signed permanently he was pants.
Our first loanee I think.

.
Fun Sweet lead singer facts.

Brian Connolly was adopted by Taggart's mam and dad and was known as Brian McManus until he was 18.

When he discovered he was adopted, he changed his name to Connolly (his real mam's name).

He once had 14 heart attacks in one day.

He was a chronic alcoholic and eventually died of (surprise surprise) heart attack and liver failure.

Er...that's about it really.

(btw, I never saw him kick a ball, but he couldn't have been any worse than Biley)

Mike 25, spot on. We thought we had won the lottery with him. He had great hair though.

John @11. Alan Biley. Did you have to? You made me think of Mick Ferguson!! They both had fine flocks of hair mind!!

I'm glad you picked up on that Phil @14. When I read it, I thought we'd lost another 2 players, not re-signed 2!!

Lee @22, totally. Let's get this type of business, Charly and Gana done early and then concentrate on adding to the squad. Hopefully in place for pre-season in the US.

Yes yes yes yessss!

First time since Richarlison signing I'm enthusiast about an Everton signing

Keep suprising me Everton

EUGENE (28)
His son, would you believe Brian Connolly jnr, performs now. He's the double of the gay lad on Corrie - and makes reference of the fact in his show - and performs mainly Glam Rock stuff, a lot of Sweet, obviously. Thought he was stretching 'Glam Rock' when singing Shang A Lang by the tartan tosspots, but the missus enjoyed it.
There was no other entertainment on the Cruise that night!

Great news about Alcaraz and Gana Gueye. I wasn't overly impressed by Delap against us so I can't say I'm disappointed. Throw the net wider, lots of fish in the sea!

If this happens - I will take the scarf round his neck than a journalist’s say so - then I will join all those delighted by the news!

Impressed Nicolas #31

Your first thought after climaxing is to post on ToffeeWeb.

I still hanker back to the good old days of having a cigarette immediately after.

(For the avoidance of doubt I mean I don't smoke anymore)

You celibate these days, Brendan?

No Colin #36

Just off the fags

Aw FFS!

Keep on digging, Brendan 😂😂

It's refreshing that Brendan feels comfortable sharing such things with his ToffeeWeb family.

£200 a session for a therapist Paul #40

Zilch for sharing on ToffeeWeb.

And no... "therapist" isn't an euphemism.

hahahahaha

Not to be negative but et's say Kinahora to ward off any negatively on Charlie and our hopefully other good signings.😀

Met Brian Connolly in the Isle of Man at the casino, sat and had a drink with him and got his autograph on a fiver which when I handed it to him he gave it to his minder and said give me another and I'll give you an autograph. The sweet were very heavy but weren't allowed to be on the singles.

You wouldn't think there would be any issues, but we haven't actually signed him yet have we?

Fabrizio is respected and his rumours are credible... but I'm not sure I'd call him a reliable source of news.

Brendan @35. Overshare, but funny.

I never smoked, so my first question was to discuss Everton. That killed any romance!!

Keith @ #32. I’ve seen Brian Connolly Jnr on a cruise too. Had a chat with him in one of the bars. He never knew his Dad. Died before he was born. Yeah Shang-a-lang was pushing it a bit!

I should have said, he doesn’t remember his Dad. He died when Brian Jnr was a baby!

Anybody on here done the Rhine cruise to Amsterdam and Budapest. My missus is just recovering from a heart problem scare and I'm looking for a relaxing holiday. Living in Australia, I have previously steered clear of river cruises in Europe but am now changing my mind. I'd appreciate any recommendations from those who have done such cruises. Maybe I can see a game at BMD before or after?????

Bob @49.

Try the Mosel (German) / Moselle (French), that stretches from France, through Luxemburg into Germany.

Beautiful part of the world with it's steep vineyards and hills.

Trier, apparently the oldest city in Germany and the town of Bernkastel-Kues is a hidden gem.

The ferry boats take you up and down the river.

If you're over, the Everton Stadium is a must on the itinerary!!

Thanks Danny. I'm one of your fans on TW. I'll take a look at what you have suggested. Would love to catch up with you and others in one of the pubs "WHEN' we get over. Irenes's a Geordie, but we can excuse her in such precious company, hey?

Bob # 49…….a Nile cruise is fantastic, though maybe a little bit hot for some. Sail down from Luxor as far as Aswan, having some fantastic stops along the way to take in some of the ancient Egypt sites. We done one in 2019, with our last night being the night the RS played spurs in the CL final. I still haven’t seen the goals from that match! 👍👍👍

Thanks Rob. Isn't TWeb a fantastic site. Also, I read your comments just about every day. I mentioned your Nile recommendation to Irene and she said, "this is something we should think about as well". We're both in our late 70's and, although we've travelled a lot of the world, the middle east has been missed. Hopefully catch up when we come to BMD.

Am sure it's been mentioned before but does Carlos Alcaraz have the potential to be like a modern day version of Tim Cahill.

Alcaraz has signed permanent contract.

Charly! Great news.

Why only two years?

Doesn’t say on the club website, Rob. Sure we’ll find out soon enough.

Confirmed by the club. Never in doubt really. Looks a bargain buy.

Thinking about the two year deal it could be this is the shape of things to come. Low transfer fees, short contracts and longer contracts earned only after sustaining a high level of performance. Down to Charly now to perform consistently at the level we need.

Rob Williamson, I can only assume that was in the clause.

We've got him for two seasons and can negotiate an extension on our own terms now.

Bob & Rob, I did a Nile cruise but in my younger days so it was on a felucca sleeping on deck!

Always planned to do a proper one for my honeymoon since the missus lived there for a while and speaks the lingo.

Will get around to it one day, 23 years later and counting!

Danny, it would be highly unlikely that the selling club would be able to dictate the length of the clause that the player can be signed for.

More likely a player / club preference. The player so he can get out to a bigger club if he's a hit, the club so they can get rid if he's a flop.

That's possible Eric. A valid point. The player and agent will have played a part, no doubt.

Eric, was that a Nile cruise, or a Nile crossing?

There is no advantage for us in this deal if it's for 2 years. this is all from the player. We've laid out over £12m for the privilege of being able to call upon his services for 2 years, whereupon he then leaves for nowt. Effectively this is a James contract, the boy will be costing us a million pound a month. Now you can say 'what if he agrees a lovely long deal in a years time'. well if he's playing hard ball now I can't think he's suddenly gonna go soft when he's played 30 games for us.

If he fires us up the league by two positions over the next two seasons, he's paid for the transfer himself Kevin.

We can ask him to sign a deal, or have 3 transfer windows to recover the £12m on a 22 year old.

If he performs well, you could get more than £12m from European chasing teams for a player that's costing just £2m more than Dobbin.

Ian it's just such a depressing trend. It means we are paying sky high wages and/or then not getting any value at the end of it. how do we build a good team spirit with a squad full of players who are hoarding all the money for themselves. The more players we have on these short term contracts the more vulnerable we are, they can all leave at the drop of a hat.