David Moyes approves Kyle Walker as “ideal target” for Everton

Apparently Kyle Walker has agreed a deal with Everton already.

Walker, for fuck's sake! He can't handle yje Premier League anymore.

He's good for diving and getting women pregnant. This won't help us.

Walker. Ideal replacement to compliment exactly what we already had last season with Seamus and Young, only probably on much higher wages.

Was this an Angus move? Or is Moyes finally done dithering after trying to sign him from Sheffield Utd about 15 years ago?

We all complained when Ashley Young signed for us, and by-and-large, I think his signing was a success. The club clearly see the same in Kyle Walker so who are we to argue?

He's still quick, and has bags of experience. We need old heads in the team as well as younger ones. That balance is important.

Despite the off-field nonsense with Walker, I've always rated him as a player.

Kyle Walker supposedly on the verge of signing.

Terrible deal if so. We don't want any more retirement home footballers, however good he once was, he's not that player anymore. Why waste part of what little budget we have on a 35 year old , for fuck's sake?

Surely our new recruitment team should be scouring Europe or the world seeking a young, fast, dynamic right-back with resale value? Walker would be such an uninspired, shit signing.

Walker seems to be going downhill fast.

Man City don't want him and AC Milan have seen enough.

Looks a bad deal to me.

Kieran, good to see you lurking around here, haven't noticed you in a while.

While I feel like it goes against all my good sense, I'm not totally opposed to Walker on a one-year deal. He likely replaces Ashley Young in the aging player who can fill in on the left or right as needed, but also might just end up winning the right-back job outright if he's healthy

Ideally, we still sell Patterson and bring in another right-back but, if the wages are reasonable, I think I'm okay with this (from a footballing standpoint).

I think.

I read that Walker had become total rubbish in Italy?

Please say it isn't true.

What are the chances we're after a right back and they're both called Kyle Walker?

Some of you need to start smelling the coffee and the situation Everton are in. We need to replace nearly a whole team.

If true, Walker would be a great buy and he is far better than what we have at present. He could also play in a back-three.

Everton are not going to turn into a trophy-winning side in one season.

Kyle Walker signing on a 1-year deal apparently. Some would turn their noses up at that? If not silly wages then it seems a no-brainer to me — he's an excellent player with pace to burn, even at 35.

Money to spend elsewhere whilst getting in a really good right-back for the season. Yes, please! ✅

According to the Sun, Kyle Walker is about to sign a 1-year contract…

BBC Football Gossip proclaims this evening!

Why, oh why, oh why?

Metro reporting Kyle Walker on a 1-year deal now also.

Best thing I can say about Walker is he looks great after his hair transplant and getting new teeth. Pity he's 35, a party boy and he's done it all before.

No contract at City tells you something. Last big pay day for him, let's hope he fucks off to the Devil's team in Saudi instead of us.

Manchester City and England defender Kyle Walker, 35, has agreed to join Everton on a 1-year deal. — BBC.

Nooo!!! Say it ain't so!😕 Two full-backs combined age? 71!!! Top 10, here we come!😁

Keiran,

Moyes attempted to sign Sheffield United left-back Kyle Naughton, not Kyle Walker, but was gazumped by Redknapp who signed both Kyles from the Blades in a double deal.

35, nearly 36, no other fucker wants him, comes with loads of baggage around his neck, and cannot keep his dick behind his zip — more than likely impregnate the Toffee Lady.

Everyone else chasing 20-year-olds — we chase the has-beens, the crocked, or those looking for a bumper bonus at their footballing end of life

So basically the plan is to rely on a 35 (Walker) and 36 year old (Coleman) at right-back then...

Patterson hasn't cracked on and is likely to be shipped out, either on loan or permanently.

One would think that Walker-Peters would be the best fit here with his age and ability to cover multiple positions. But this is Everton... the mind boggles.

So far: the England right-back, centre-back, left-winger, and Brazilian centre-forward are all linked to Everton but are absolute shite.

Has anyone watched us over the last 4 years!

Being an Everton fan, I am sure things will be looking up now…

Ian,

You’re right, mate, better memory than me.

Kyle Walker to sign for 1 year — BBC.

Short-term thinking or a necessary short-term signing?

The latter, I think

Signing Walker might be part of a plan to persuade his mate Grealish to join on loan with an buy-option?

I love the wild-eyed optimism here.

I've watched Man City and Kyle Walker a lot and he was a superb speed machine and a top wingback in a very good Man City side over the last few years… but for some reason over the last few months he has been absolute dogshit for City and England.

Whether it's Father Time, personal life, or a temporary blip, none of us knows… but on his wages I'm sure we can do a lot better.

Optimism is a good quality, Mike!

Kyle Walker? Gosh. I guess it depends what deal he is on but his form has fallen off a pretty steep cliff last season. He has always relied a fair amount on his blistering acceleration to recover which is unsurprisingly fading at the age of 35.

Perhaps it makes sense if it allows us to invest well in other areas but we have needed good, long-term right-back for about 4 or 5 years now. Really hoped this would be addressed this summer.

Walker has lost some of his pace and an edge to his overall game. Man City saw this coming, but I'm sure Moyes does too, so a PSR compromise signing.

Still room for Kyle Walker-Peters though?

I had thought Seamus would stay to maintain dressing room morale and develop as a coach. I don't see that ageing fullbacks are an answer, so it's stop-gap surgery, like it or not.

We won't sign all the players we need in one transfer window. A couple like Walker will be stop gaps for maybe a season.

Up front is where the big money will be spent.

Kyle Walker is the best we can do for the right-back position!!?

He has lost his pace, his positioning was never great and he is 35 years old. Way to go on improving the squad, guys!

Another underwhelming window on the way, it would seem. I sincerely hope we sign some better and younger quality before the window closes again. Otherwise, it's going to be yet another long season

If we sign Walker and not Walker-Peters, then it's obvious that the club will not be moving on over the summer.

I think this is a decent signing and someone I thought we'd be in for.

I'd have preferred younger and some of the media stories are a bit weird, but a 1-year deal, no transfer outlay, quick, and he has Premier League experience for a current England international who is still better than half the right-backs in the league is good business. He can also play centre-back.

Put him in that back 4, and it's better than before, particularly if we've lost Tarkowski's experience for a while.

We aren't signing players for £40M in every position...

We've got to be very careful about buying over-the-hill ageing full-backs from Man City…

I think the last time we did that, we ended up winning the league.

Walker is not the player he was but is so much better than what we have got.

Good deal for a season.

Sky have mentioned this morning Walker to us on 1-year contract… hope it's a wind-up,

He's lost his pace, 35, and Ashley Young is faster. I thought Coufal was following Moyes here?

John, he is also a considerably better player than Kyle Walker-Peters.

There are levels in every sport.

Seems like a Walter Smith type signing to me, and I cannot remember too many of them working out well.

No doubt he will improve our coverage in the Daily Mail.

I would be quite happy with Kyle Walker. He may not be up to Man City's standards, and whilst it would be great not to get their cast-offs (similarly, we didn't like getting Man Utd's either), he's a decent pro (perhaps exclude his lively family life).

Useful right-back and can also fill in as a central defender or as part of a back 3 or a back 5. Also, I imagine he's a leader so would help.

I was looking for past info because I remember David Moyes was interested in Kyle Walker before he chose Spurs. Stumbled across this article from ToffeeWeb, about 2011. Interesting comments, worth going to the last one! Also, some TW posters are still posting away. Loads of names I didn't recognise.

David Moyes Burned Again — ToffeeWeb, April 2011

Vijay Nair,

And O'Brien!

Barry,

I hung the boots up many years ago. Trying to get me going again on a football pitch would take some stretching exercises!

The club will decide what we do. We have two young right-backs. One who hasn't quite lived up to it, although I would caveat that with injury. The other has unknown potential on the top stage.

Yes, we need cover and ideally we find someone younger, but I'm not particularly ageist.

Ashley Young has been an important player for us, as has Gana since he returned.

We're not moving forward because we won't sign Kyle bloody Walker-Peters!!

Heard it all now…

Ian,

I think Kyle Naughton was Moyes's main objective rather than Kyle Walker.

The talking points on that link show that Moyes wasn't well regarded by a lot of Everton fans and he'd been here 8 years then.

He's lost his only real attribute — His pace. May as well sign Des Walker.

How crap can Patterson be? Why have successive managers kept raiding care homes rather than play him?

David Bromwell,

Gareth Barry, Paul Power, Ashley Young and a past it/injury prone duo of Peter Reid and Andy Gray, not to mention Nigel Martyn.

Oh, and David Weir.

He's faster than Usain Bolt… he's slower than a tortoise… he's 35 years old, over the hill… he's 5 years younger than Ashley Young, one of our alleged better players last season/.

It's amazing the differing opinions of a player we're allegedly signing. I'm pretty certain Moyes has more knowledge about Kyle Walker in his little finger than most of the so-called experts on here!

What are we? A retirement home for has-been full-backs?

No, no and no.

Great. But this type of "story" belongs in the Rumour Mill.

Well, Rob, I hope he's got enough knowledge in that little finger not to sign Walker.

Yes, 15 years ago, definitely but not this ageing one.

No thanks.

Great player in his day, but way past his best.

Dave A, agree.

I liked the bit that says Moyes has a 'reputation of spotting gems in the lower divisions and who could blame other Premier League managers for attempting to steal Moyes's targets. It doesn't take a lot of money to outbid Everton. I would imagine there are quite a few Premiership managers kicking themselves for not outbidding Everton when Moyes signed Seamus Coleman for £60,000.'

Not many can argue with that.

Please, Everton, you have been doing very well.

Don't do this.

I think this was recommended by the medical team.

They have a couple of beds free and worried about redundancy.

Ian,

I doubt if any Premier League managers or their scouts had heard of a 21-year-old Seamus Coleman back then and I doubt Moyes had.

Seamus was pointed out to Everton by someone who liked Seamus and Everton.

Sadly, this is probably true. Once a very good defender who has relied on his speed throughout his career when getting caught out of position, but was very rarely beaten.

Not the smartest tool in the box and seems to have gone downhill rapidly. He can play in a few different positions, but Moyes will need to work some magic to get the best out of him.

I'm surprised we are going for this age profile. Why can't we sign a promising right-back with a sensible price?

There are many options out there having the right age profile and experience who can do a good job for us.

Why Walker?

What an uninspiring list of potential right back signings. Is this the best they can come up with between the manager and what is now a significant recruitment structure?

Walker had a very poor Euros 12 months ago, signalling his time at the very top level was coming to an end. Man City obviously concur with this and hence why he was and is no longer in their plans.

We should be signing a right-back that the likes of Man City will want to come and buy from us in 18 months time.

Kyle Walker-Peters please, he will be right up for Premier League footy, would be a really useful right-back and squad player.

If Seamus is staying, which is great for the dressing room and training ground, do we need to sign an ageing failing player like Kyle Walker? Let's hope not.

The key word being 'free'. It is sad that Everton are linked with 4 full-backs, all of them are free agents. A stark reminder that EFC are are still not out of the woods as far as PSR rules are concerned.

The Everton right-back position is fast becoming a pensioners' paradise. This signing would be underwhelming to say the least, but kind of consistent with Moyes's belief of having a senior, proven winner to rally the troops. Phil Neville in his 1st reign at the club, now Kyle Walker.

James,

I'm not sure on what basis that the signing of Ashley Young can ever be considered a success.

I rated Walker as a player too before he was finished. He's finished at this level and there is only one direction his performances will go from here.

Whereas signing someone with potential and room to improve must be a better option.

If he's on a free and adds to squad numbers, I'm fine with this.
So long as he's squad and not first eleven.

Don't forget, we need around 7 minimum to fill out the squad. A free right-back cover won't do any harm. Ashley Young did okay in the end.

What an uninspiring list of potential right-back signings.

This "list" is one put together by media clickbait sites and journos merely guessing.

Why do people fall for this at every window and get worked up about it at every window?

I think he'd be a good signing on a Bosman. I totally get the thinking that people aren't on board with this – past his best, big wages etc. But we need about 10 new players – you can't spend money on everyone. And he's a winner, a leader, can play multiple positions.

Players are playing for longer now. Look at Gana, 36 and as good as he's ever been. Walker is clearly past his best but he could still do a job for a season or two. No-brainer for me.

Not every signing has to be a young prospect with sell-on value on a 5- or 6-year contract. You also buy players for the short term. That's how you build a squad.

This isn't click bait.

I mentioned on another thread last week that Walker wanted Everton. I had it from a 100% source.

Now, if the deal can actually get made is another matter.

Why not?

Signing Paul Power, Gareth Barry raised eyebrows but turned into inspired signings and even Ashley Young (an ultimate professional) plugged a gap.

We're asking Moyes to re-sign Seamus and Gana Gueye on short-term contracts to plug gaps, so giving Kyle Walker a 1-year deal is no great shakes, really. In a years time we can re-assess where we are.

Jamie. Agreed. We do need about 10 players. Desperately.

But some positions are needed more than others and right-back is one of those. We need our new right-back.

We also need a new left-back, although Mykolenko will do until a better player is identified to replace him.

However, there is currently no right-back and having a stop-gap such as Walker — who'll be on massive wages, has had a turbulent personal life and has massively lost form — is not the answer.

Brian # 12. have you heard the rumour that Moyes is interested in Aaron Ramsdale as back up for JP? Pretty strong rumour as well!

It feels like this one has legs, sadly Walker hasn't anymore and that was his only real asset.

May as well have extended Young's contract for another 12 months. He could cover both full-back positions.

We need to add plenty and not averse to a few experienced heads, but this one is uninspiring.

Any legs to this rumour? I've heard it from several sources now and it seems to be gathering pace.

We obviously need a right-back, but Walker will want big wages, even if he is on a free, Although I thought he had a year left on his contract at Man City.

If so, and Guardiola wants him gone, we may be able to negotiate a favourable loan deal and that would put a different complexion on things.

He is an experienced international full-back who could do a short-term job for us, even if he is not as good as he was. He's always had a mistake in him, but Pickford has played with him a number of times for England and seems to rate him.

My instinct is to go for him… but only if the deal is right.

Sansom, Eto'o, Ginola, Gascoigne.

Top players but not by the time they reached us. Milner and Henderson would be Moyes's types as well as Walker.

Young will be wondering why we didn't just offer him another year instead...

Rob, I suppose it would depend if Ramsdale is content playing second fiddle. Maybe one of the promoted clubs would make a move??

We go on about Everton strikers of recent times, but that keeper had an unforgiving and lonely existence at Southampton last season.

Regardless, we need backup in the keeper department.

On other supposed rumoured targets, I can't see us going for Grealish, even on loan. And I don't think he would be a good fit.

It would be similar to Villa taking on Rashford and agreeing to pay 75% of his £300k a week wages.

Young wasn't young any more, but is now old.

And Walker isn't said to be a runner any more either...

Could he be our Paul Power, Gareth Barry, or Phil Neville signing? — hopefully not Ginola and the likes.

Everyone thought Howard and Martyn were scrapheat signings but they proved their worth, so I'm prepared to give Walker a chance if he does indeed sign.

I'm not impressed with Patterson as a right-back; going forward, possibly… but, if this is a short-term fix, I would look to try and offload Patterson to Rangers and cut our losses.

Others might still think worth keeping but I'm not too sure about Patterson myself. Love to be proved wrong and eat humble pie.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Moyes may well have earned this club hundreds of millions by his shrewd analysis of players, but that doesn't give him the right to sign players on free transfers if I have genuine reservations having glanced at his age and stats.

This shall not be.

At best, it means the same problem next year.

Or we could just concentrate on getting Seamus fit.

Rob. Ramsdale won't want to be back up to anyone. That's why he left Arsenal.

I'd prefer them to look at Mitchell, Tete & Walker-Peters.

Even Firpo from Leeds.

Brian,

Tim was only 28 when he arrived so not on the old players' scrapheap.

Martyn was 3,7 so even for a goalkeeper he was an exception.

Pat Jennings was 40 but that's another story.

Andre Ratiu,

Romanian captain. Loads of experience. Decent age. Would be a decent price and affordable wages. Fast, strong, competitive and a good player.

Ramsdale is not very good.

Walker may be a decent stopgap for a season. Given PSR etc, we may have to accept a few signings like this over the next few years. Not ideal for idealists.

Avoid buying washed-up multimillionaire rejects from the Sky darlings. Look for young, ambitious, talented,d hungry players who yearn for success.

Build a young fit team. Look to build a team to grow together. Old pros are not the future.

There must be a competition between clubs to see who can sign the oldest player...

It's about the only competition we can win with some of the signings mentioned.

There was always going to be signings like this, when you're replacing that many players, a small transfer fund and still with PSR.

It's a player capable of going straight into the 11, and do a good job. He adds a good level at right back and can play back-up centre back.

If he stays fit, I think he will be a good 7 to 8 out of 10, and certainly way better than Coleman, Young, Patterson, Tete, Walker Peters, Coufal etc.

A right back is unlikely to win you a game. He's more than capable of doing a better job than an emerging player next season, and that's why it's a 1 year deal.

Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Obrien and Walker isn't a bad back 5, and has pace to play 10-15 yards further up the pitch, and in Walker, support the attack.

Free transfers sound like good value, but as we all know, their wages are often daft.

I expect Walker to be very expensive, but would he be an upgrade on what we currently have in that position? I'd say a big Yes!!!

Kyle Walker is past his best, cannot run anymore — according to the know-alls???

The man is still playing for England and getting picked ahead of Trent and other English right-backs.

What planet are these people on?

Joe Thomas in the Echo has said interest is ‘tentative at best'.

When your entire game is based on pace, nobody with ambition wants you when it's gone.

Kenny Tete has turned down a new contract at Fulham, it seems. He is a lot better target at 29.

I reckon that Ashley Young is faster than Walker, his pace is gone.

John the planet that says "Lok with your own eyes."

Over the last 6 months his form has fallen off a cliff and he is getting roasted every game.

Imagine Patterson worst game and that is the current Kyle Walker — not to mention he is on £175k a week — more than we were paying Ashley.

If he can't make it in Italy how do you think he's gonna make it in the Premier League.

Even if we could curtail his bed hopping and shagging anything with a pulse, I'd still say no.

He's cream-crackered.

Duncan, he's not a free transfer he's got one year left on his contract with City so if they pick up half his wages?

Still a No. We need someone for the future, another Coleman.

John, is that the England team that has Henderson in it and Branthwaite doesn't get into the squad of?

Walker is on £175k per week.

Not worth it in my mind.

Andrew,

"Look for young, ambitious, talented, hungry players who yearn for success."

So you think young, talented, ambitious, hungry players would sign for a club that hasn't had success since 1995? Is virtually unknown on the continent? Can't offer any kind of European football, and has been perennial relegation dodgers for years?

You must be supporting some other Everton that I don't know about. Because I don't see the kind of player you describe signing for Everton at all.

Not to mention the competition we would have for such players from top clubs right across Europe. Transfer fees and wages would be way beyond anything we could offer.

I think we have to be a lot more realistic about the type of players we can realistically hope to sign. Our best chances lay in the free transfer and loan markets. Hopefully with one or two "marquee" signings if we can get them.

I would also point out what happened to some of the younger players we paid actual cash for:

Patterson: Can't get a game. Probably be sold.
Chermiti: Looking to be loaned out.
O'Brien: Couldn't get a game until Moyes took over.
Virginia: Released.
Onana: Sold.

The fact is, Everton are a tough sell to young players and the pressure to perform is on them from day one. Whereas they can sign for more recognizable clubs with plenty of established players to take the pressure off them and keep the fans off their backs.

Ian,

One method is to make do of course. Another method would be to gamble now to get ahead.

Let me explain. If we breach PSR over a period of time then we will have points taken off us. This was potentially disastrous with a crap team and hardly any points.

However, just gamble now and invest heavily while everbody else doesn't. Spend on top quality with potential for resale value.

Because if it works and we have a squad capable of challenging for the Top 4. Then a 1-season points deduction in 2/3 years time when we are performing at the top of the table is a deduction worth taking.

Players with resale value also give you an opportunity to offset any PSR breaches and avoid a points deduction.

Newcastle Utd and Aston Villa have done exactly that. They didn't spend thinking that they'd end up as a bottom of the table club with no playing assets that they could sell.

Signing players like Kyle Walker now will just leave us standing still — or worse — going backwards.

I know Moyes wouldn't be for this because he would never have the “I've done well on little budget” excuse to hide behind.

Ramsdale and Walker spotted in a cab heading towards Finch Farm seemingly.

Third person in the cab too, wearing an Alice band but not identified.

Will all these people who think they know better than
the management team, directors, director of football. list their achievements in professional football.

If it's the Dog & Duck, don t bother.

Brian, sounds like Grealish. Exciting times!!

You could be right, Rob, as the person who spotted 'em said the one in the Alice band looked pissed.

Brian, was that Harry Ramsdale and Henry Walker?

Probably something to do with the catering franchises.

I think it could have been, Eric.

On a serious note, the Walker rumour is purely agent driven.
Walker's desperate to get away from Man City and Everton would be handy for him but it's not a serious likelihood.

John #86, considering the state that the management team, directors and directors of football have gotten us into, the Dog and Duck could be a great improvement.

Rennes now sniffing round Gana. Should already be sorted. Get it done.

There are better options than Walker. Had a poor time last year in Italy, was roundly criticised. Despite a surprising England recall (alongside Henderson) — that says more about Thomas Tuchel than Kyle Walker.

I can't think of a player that walks on a pitch, those I have played with, those I have watched, who isn't hungry, regardless of age.

Okay, it might not always come off, but there is a difference between ability, and desire. I would really struggle to name a player who didn't have that. They might just not have been good enough.

Try telling Gana, Tarkowski and Ashley Young that they didn't have hunger.

David Moyes approves Kyle Walker as “ideal target” for Everton?
Pep Guardiola said why he won't give Walker a contract is, the player's injury problems have affected his ability to train, and his performance level has dropped off because of that. I wonder what his wage will be?

Milan didn't offer him a contract but our manager thinks he's ideal for Everton. Is David Moyes telling us something along the lines of "knife to a gunfight" ideals?

Is Walker the level we are still at? If a 35-year-old is ideal for Moyes, then why not give Ashley Young a contract, and Jamie Vardy obviously fits in to Moyes's ideals at 38, hopefully we can get Modric in at a sprightly 39 blimey, with Gueye at 35 and Coleman at 36 we are all set for a push on to a European place this coming season. Onward and upward boys!.

As others have said, Kyle Walker's main asset was pace. Not positioning, or reading the game, or being a dressing room inspiration.

He's lost his pace, so this seems like a massive risk to me.

Frank #93,

Why is it then that clubs in the other major European leagues are able to sign young talent at low prices and turn them into top class players?

It's simple: they plan for the future and have an excellent scouting network. It's just plain lazy buying has-beens from clubs down the road. If you want mid- to low-table football, then they will do.

The Everton I support should be looking for much better things. I support the Everton of Harry Catterick and Howard Kendall; we can be there again, I have no doubt.

Yes Paul, this is our level.

We arent signing world class players at at £116m a pop.

Frankly if we get 2 or 3 players over £25m, we will be doing fucking cartwheels.

We've been through the tunnel of shit for last 5 years, that nearly saw the club relegated/sold to 777/ damn near go out of business.

Its going to take 5-10 years to turn this around such that highly rated youngsters want to come to Everton. We've over promised and under delivered for too long.

Brian #100, love your insider info. And I believe every word.

Well you know I'd never lie to you Mike. :-)

Ian,

Kinnear and Hammond are paid to recruit; is Walker the best they can do?

I'm sure a team of Everton fans could recruit better players than 35-year-olds looking to keep a large pay packet going for a bit longer. I bet Walker, if he signs, dosn't play 15 games this season on say, £100k a week.

If this is our level of recruitment, then nothing has changed. The Who lyrics, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" springs to mind. I'm sure you can think of other sayings that fit our current project.

Tell me, Kyle Walker-Peters or Kyle Walker? If Moyes brings in the older on more wages, then ask yourself, Why?

Lord help us if this is the type of player we're going after. A top player who wouldn't play for us at his peak but, now that he's gone straight downhill, he'll give us a shout?

Hard pass — and if this is the best our recruiters are doing, sack every single one of them.

Moyes needs to swerve this like the plague.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely not.

If this is what it's going to be like, Moyes, the much vaunted ‘recruitment team' and the Friedkins can all take a running jump.

The Everton home for footballers looking to wind their careers down lives on.

He's 35, really not what we need.

He may have slowed down from his prime but he was I believe the fastest player in the Premirer League at the time and so, even if he has slowed, he is probably still faster than 80% of the players in the Premier League.

Just because he had a shit game against Senegal doesn't make him a bad player. I think he would be great for a season with his experience. Ashley Young did a good job and he was even older and not so quick. If City pay half his wages, is this not a no-brainer?

If the long-term candidate for right-back is not currently available, then we need a stopgap.

If, for instance, we want to spend significantly on right wing rather than full back, then we need a stopgap. Is there a better free transfer right-back than the current England right back?

Danny.

"I can't think of a player that walks on a pitch, those I have played with, those I have watched, who isn't hungry, regardless of age."

Ivan Tony, to name but one, aged 27, was his desire to play for a top European or Premier League team? No, his desire was to go and p!ay in a league the level of our League Two. Hromis motivation? Trophies… medals? No, £400,000 a week, for an evil corrupt Government.

Most footballers, basketball, American football, all motivated by money. True athletes, runners, jumpers, swimmers, they are motivated by success, as in winning medals, breaking records, getting to Olympics standards, are footballers the same?

The issue isn't Walker – it is if it is only Walker – given Patterson appears to be redundant. Signing a promising young right-back who Walker could mentor and sometimes step in for would not be the worst idea in the world. Having Walker first choice would be.

As for attracting young talent, footballers around the world are gagging to get into the Premier League. Sure there is a pecking order but the best 3 youngsters in a position are not that much better than the 25th best and the latter is absolutely in our wheelhouse (we are 27th on Deloitte's ranking of the world's highest earning clubs).

It is perfectly possible to access this quality level though maybe accepting we won't have the finished article and might buy the odd dud (but that also happens at £50M plus).

Kevin 115. "Is there a better free transfer right back than the current England right back?"

Kyle Walker-Peters primarily plays as a right-back but is versatile enough to play as a left-back as well. He is known for his ability to play on both sides of the defense, particularly when his team needs cover in either position.
He is 28, 7 years younger than Walker, availability, free transfer, he was on £20,000 a week at Southampton.

No brainer, but tell that to our new recruitment team.

Positives:

- he'd be free
- he's got bags of experience (which we're light of)
- he can play anywhere across a back 4
- he is a good player (and not just a pace merchant)

Negatives:

- he's had very mixed form in the past year or so
- he's had injury issues too
- he's not got the pace which once really set him apart
- you could apply the same three points above to Seamus who is only a year older and has re-signed with us
- he's not the new long term RB signing we've needed for between 4 and 5 years

Other relevant points:

- we may have tried to sign Kyle Walker-Peters and discovered he's not interested.
- Kyle Walker-Peters is not exactly Hakimi. Let's not get too carried with him.
- it's a bit underwhelming, sure, but if we sign Walker, it doesn't mean the rest of the summer will be all doom and gloom. Summer transfer season has barely started - with very few deals done so far.

"Contrary to reports made earlier today, Manchester City and England right back Kyle Walker is not expected to join Everton imminently, despite concrete interest from the Toffees.

According to reports made by The Echo, a move for Walker is not currently a priority for the Toffees despite David Moyes's desire to sign a right-back."

I think The Echo has put up three articles going on about Walker today. And the BBC saying a 1-year deal... but guess what: It's all so much complete bollocks.

Oh, wait a minute. Maybe this latest one is complete bollocks too?

Ashley, City have told Walker he can go. They ain't paying half his wages, not now, not ever!

Minimum for him, wage £100k a week.

Paul,

The problem with Kyle Walker-Peters is he would be the long-term solution. And we may have our sights higher than him?

We may want to do right wing this year, right back next. In which case, Kyle Walker would be the better stopgap. Less money spent, by far.

Kyle Walker-Peters has played for a team relegated twice from the Premier League in 3 years, conceding 159 goals in the process. Some people say never sign a player from a relegated club. With his record I'd be staying well clear of him.

Just for the record, he played 31 times in season 22-23, and 33 times in season 24-25. So he has been an integral member of that defence conceding all those goals.

Paul, Kyle Walker is a better right back than Kyle Walker-Peters.

One is a serial winner, the other sold from Spurs (a team that can't defend for shit) to go to Southampton. One is in the England squad, the other isn't.

His level of performance would easily be good enough to secure a place in the Everton team.

Don't know where this 15 games nonsense has come from. He's played 34 games last season, 47 before that, and 39 before that.

Get him on loan, Man City paying half his wages. If it goes to shit, get rid at Christmas.

My expectation is that he'd nail the right back slot, and free up funds for a good quality right winger. He's still got a good pace and stamina to be a good attacking right back, and be an asset for Everton.

I see those criticising the move were the same that said McTominay wasn't any good. Won a title, and was player of the season...

Odd that those who complain about Walker's age are the same people demanding we sign Gueye on another 2-year deal even though he's the same age.

Also, they don't complain that we have offered Coleman another year long contract even though he's a year older than both of them and spent most of last season injured.

Apparently there are some older players we like and some older players we don't.

Rob. "Some people say never sign a player from a relegated club. With his record I'd be staying well clear of him."

McNeil, Burnley, relegated, no goals, no assists.
James Tarkowski, Burnley captain, relegated.
Godfrey, Norwich, relegated.
Pickford, Sunderland, relegated.

So on your advice,we shouldn't have bought any of those because they were from relegated teams, am I right? Apart from Godfrey, who was affected by injury and Covid, all the others have been excellent recruits, surely?

I get that everyone loves Seamus but Walker was, is and probably always will be a far better player.

Given the almost universal approval of offering Seamus a deal, I cannot understand the negativity about this.

I think Gana could be added to that list, Paul.

For what it's worth I wouldn't sign Coleman on as a player (sadly, too injury prone now) but I would definitely have him on the coaching staff.

I would re-sign Gana because he's playing well, just had a great season despite his age, and form shows no signs of dropping.

Walker's form is retreating, and he is becoming more injury-prone. I don't think we're about to sign him. City have made his availability known, we've sounded him out. He's an option...

Paul, there are plenty who might disagree with you about McNeil. Personally I think he has been an excellent signing, as indeed have Tarkowski and Pickford. The only big difference being we signed those players after one relegation. Had they remained at their former clubs, gained promotion and then relegated again, some would definitely be questioning their credentials to be a Premier League player.

I've never had any qualms about signing a player from a relegated team, but somehow Kyle Walker-Peters's credentials don't make impressive reading, and he certainly does not look good on his CV.

Rob, Aaron Ramsdale has been relegated from the Premier League three times, he's still in the England squad, and I bet a Premier League team buys him again.

I don't know how players who fail, still maintain player status, and you can definitely put in managers with players.

I agree Rob, McNeil has been a great signing.

His best game to date for me was the 5 - 1 drubbing away to Brighton a couple of seasons ago. I've already documented, we missed him this season when he was out injured.

Tarkowski is our leader on the pitch and Pickford saves (it's his job as Neville Southall would tell him!!!).

I get what you're saying. To be relegated twice doesn't look good. But to be honest, another player I haven't taken much notice of to comment on.

Relegated clubs are one of the first places we should be shopping for new players – because it is one of the very few chances to get a player with Premier League experience at reasonable value.

A first XI this season of relegated players would be pretty good:

Delap
Sulemana
Hutchison
El Khanoussi
M.Fernandes
Ndidi
Davis
Walker-Peters
Greaves
Harwood-Bellis
Ramsdale

4, 5 or even 6 of those would get in our starting XI – and all would improve the standard of the squad.

Past relegated players include the likes of Robertson, Maguire and, back in the day, Roy Keane.

I see Thiago Silva, ex Chelsea, is still going strong, and is playing in this Club World Cup for Fluminense against Dortmund.

He's 40 years old by the way.

Looks like the Goodison Park retirement home has transferred to BMD.

I thought the days of signing cast offs had gone. I hope this move doesn't come off, horrible individual.

We still need a striker.

Roger Milla is still alive, his shooting may not be as powerful though.

Tony, I cannot recall myself… but weren't the likes of Reid, Power, Sheedy etc all cast-offs in some way?

Robert @137.

I don't believe Sheedy or Reid were over 30. Not sure about Power. They all came with desire and perhaps something to prove.

I don't see Walker in that category. Plus, to be brutally honest, I don't like him. Just my opinion.

In Everton I put my trust.

If they can make it happen and be cost effective, then that's good enough for me. Grealish too.

Anyone watching the U19s England - Germany game?

England 4-1 down at half-time, then 5-1 down just into second half. England reply with 4 goals in about 10 mins, 5-5 with about 25 mins to go.

Interesting watch…

John Charles and Frank Crewe - absolutely spot on.

He might look finished at City, but look at the shape set up Pep is asking him to play.

He's still a quality right-back. At Everton he will be asked to play once a week, in a far more conservative team set-up. His body will cope with that.

Tony Heron @135, 138.

Do you know him personally?

Have a word with yourself.

Paul Power Mk 2 — I hope!!

John #127

So Walker was, is and probably always will be a far better player than Seamus??

John, you forgot to add, Walker cost Man City £53M; Seamus cost us €60k, so what's your point?

Okay, here's the irrational bit. I don't like Walker, the man I mean, and I don't think he is a good fit for Everton. Nothing to do with ability or age or even an ego inflated salary. Just my gut feel, it's a poor choice.

Sure, you can point to the titles etc but it just feels wrong. Too much money, too much ego and no role model. There, I told you it was irrational.

There's no comparison between Coleman and Walker on and off the field, may I add.

Why did Pep get rid of him? Lost his pace.

Can I take it Pep is coming in for Coleman? £52.5m, and he's yours.

Not surprised at the negative comments. 12 month deal sounds ideal to me. He will be playing for a new deal or a deal elsewhere, hopefully Patterson can learn from him and has an opportunity to learn from a former top right back. Can play centre back in an injury crisis.

Nominal fee, more of we offer him a new deal, city to subsidise wages meaning we can use what little transfer budget we have elsewhere.

No trainer for me.

Tony, Christine and Christy, do you believe that Everton FC are going to take any notice of your ramblings.
I think you know the answer, so why persist ?

John at 127, with the greatest respect, and no offence, get to Fcuk, fcuk off then fcuk off again to Fcuk and when you’ve finished fcuking off turn round and Fcuk off again!

John 149# first post on the topic, so hardly an ongoing persistance is it? Do I believe EFC would take any notice? No, of course not, but then this site is not and never has been in cahoots with the club, just a fan site.
But whilst the club may not take any notice of certain views, that's not to say the same views are not, or could not, be held by the club.
When buying a player, you're not just buying his skillet, you're buying the person. Look at Seamus for example, what a professional, look at his impact in the club and wider community, compare that to Walker and you can see the difference. So yes, it is a perfectly valid perspective. End of.

Murph, nobody expresses respect like you do.

Rob and Danny, I remember being completely derogatory about our McNeil purchase. Never mind the relegation -- how in the hell, I wondered, could we be spending £20 million on a guy who had managed to make it through an entire season as an attacking midfielder without scoring or assisting a single goal?

And he's been brilliant.

John#149 Regarding our "ramblings", you said in a comment earlier, Walker is picked ahead of Trent for England, Tuchel also picked Curtis Jones at fullback against Andorra, and he's not even a fullback, so don't be talking crap.

Mike - I have A LOT of Everton heroes.
But Seamus Coleman, all things considered, is probably my all time hero.
I absolutely and unconditionally love the guy.
Kyle Walker isn't fit to walk in his atmosphere, let alone his position.

Christy you are absolutely right there is no comparison between walker and Coleman on the pitch or off it.
Off the pitch seamus shines brightly on it walker is by far the better player.
Oh yes and he cost more ? So what I never said he was better value just a better player.
Mark there you go I have fcuk off.
Is good to know that’s what we tell other blues to do when we disagree with them. Point well made!

John #149, and yet with so many other daily activities available, here you are as well, posting your opinions just like the rest of us -- and in a persistently derisory tone.

The objective here is not to be noticed by the club. It is to enjoy a virtual pub atmosphere and trade views. Which you too seem to be doing quite actively.

Not sure you need to pick a right back against Andorra. You'd probably get away with a window cleaner or postie.

Do any of you read the BBC Everton fans' verdicts? I often wonder what some of them are on. One suggesting we sign Watkins, as if he would be interested or as if we could afford him. Bonkers.

Mark #150. Come on now, Mark, get a grip - that's one too many "fuck offs".

One too many but said with all due respect so all is fine.

John#155 I don't get your point, in all fairness lf Walker cost £53m more than Coleman, would you not expect him to be a better player, but I'll tell you one thing, in his prime Seamus was good enough to play for City.

I said earlier that Kyle Walker would bring leadership but in addition to that he's a crisp passer of the ball.

As long as he doesn't cost a packet he could be worth a try.

Not a progressive signing, and unfortunately that sets out the standard of where the recruitment is heading ffs.

Rebuild with youth and quality. Not has beens.

Very good Ian @ 162. I see what you did there !

Been a while guys !!!!

Some thinking that maybe Moyes could be mulling over.
Positives :
Does he improve our first team from last year ?
I'd say 100%.
Is it a long term solution? No of course not.
Will it fill a need while we spend money to strengthen in other areas ? Definitely.
Does he offer big experience when a few experienced players are leaving ? Yes

Negatives:
Is his form good ? Not recently I'd say.
He's aging.
He's losing his pace
Does he still have the motivation to play for a team like us ? This is my biggest concern.
The wages are big but not really a concern if it's short term.

My overall view is that if we get a motivated walker at even 70% of his city years, he's a massive improvement at right back.
If it means we can spend more cash on a striker and a central creative attacking midfielder then it makes sense.
We are not going to buy or sovle all our issues in 1 window.
There may not be the right long term Rb available right now.

It's the question of Does he have the desire to compete for Everton at the level we are at right now if Moyes is convinced of this it nay turn out to be positive, he could teach a young RB the ropes too.

I am not exactly excited by this signing if it actually happens.

Walker has had a great career, if we sign him he will only want to join us because we are a north west club in the prem.

We almost signed him and another full back from sheff United in a double deal for 3.5m but they both chose spurs.

Surely there has to be other young promising, hungry fullbacks available ?

@110 Paul

Couldn’t agree more. I would imagine the role of an excellent recruitment officer would be to absolutely veto a move for Kyle Walker. Especially in the world of metrics and performance measurement that we now exist within.

I don’t see many other Premier League teams signing 35 years plus players. I certainly don’t see any trophy winning successful ones doing so.

Who exactly are we up against in trying to sign Walker?

It’s a good sign when you have competition for a player.

It’s a bad sign when you’re the only show in town willing to spend what it takes. Much like we did with Sigurdsson when no other club would go near the asking price for him. The same for Keane. And Kean. And Klaasen. Vlasic. Cenk Tosun. Walcott. Nobody wanted Sandro on his release clause. The list goes on. Nobody else wants these players for those transfer fees / wages.

A Kyle Walker at 70% of what he used to be would massively improve what has been a problem position since Coleman's leg break in...2017.

He would also bring some much needed leadership and the now extinct trait of a winning mentality to a club that has become Loserville.

Hard to believe the club has changed ownership with this sort of shite. Have they not learned anything? He’s 35 and wants to wind down his career….Everton fucking straight in with a bumper pay day. Agents must have all sorts on the club.

Not sure how this would add up to being an “ideal” signing unless he accepted a massive reduction in wages and was able to rediscover his best form for a couple of seasons at least.
Paul Power was a very different player (and a left-back to boot) very ably plugging a gap in a strong first team, so that’s a dubious comparison.
“Ideal” would have to be something like the ‘new’ Kyle Walker, the relatively unfancied youngster who actually became the player that both Spuds and us were trying to snare.

toffeetv now saying links to KW are intensifying.

Unfortunately he beats Seamus hands down in every way. As a player.

We bang on about what a great signing Seamus was, But Spurs signed Walker and another Kyle (Naughton ?) for less than 10m. Assuming they were valued at around 5m a piece. Spurs made 10 times what they paid for Walker.

While Walker won everything playing for the best club side in the world. Seamus won nothing exemplifying the plucky Everton Moyes created all those years ago. The big boys didnt come calling for Seamus

Great, great, Evertonian though Seamus is/was. It's just plain daft to try to compare the two players in their prime. They operated on totally different levels

Anyway they are both finished and should'nt be anywhere near our squad next season

I don’t know what to think about this one. It looks like a kenshite move, not the “new Everton” we were promised.

Tommy, nobody over 35? - Christiano Ronaldo!
Not saying that Walker is in the same class but athletes should not be dismissed based upon their age.
Linford Christie made the final of the Olympic 100 meters at age 36. Carlos Lopes won the Olympic marathon at age 37.

Signing Walker only exemplifies the depth of the pit of despair on account of the catastrophic financial/football incompetence that Moshiri and his trusted one have reduced us to in nigh-on the last ten years of calamity.

...... And for twenty years minimum before Moshiri emerged as our supposed saviour through the slime of bent accountancy encouraged by the likes of Usmanov.

In terms of winning a trophy we're still fucked for seasons to come but, never worry, the playing squad, manager, FSG, coaches and whomever else will be obscenely rewarded despite the anguish we will have to suffer.

(For those who're unaware, aged 8 I fell in love with my club in 1963. I revelled in the - few - Catterick seasons, was massively stunned by his and boardroom decisions that denied us any trophy-winning for the next fifteen years after 1970 - which at the time I considered an eternity - revelled in HK's rejuvenation of the club as serial trophy winners, am bitter as fuck re the ramifications to us alone of swept-under-the-carpet-Heysel, even more bitter about the self-serving decades-long 24 carat shyster Kenwright guiding us to mediocre at a rare best whilst he sought out a sap, Moshiri, to make himself wholly undeservedly wealthy and then some).

If it's not asking too much, can FSG please in this transfer window give us a new signing or two to give me a smidgeon of hope that next season we might viably end up in the top half of the league at least?

Or is that asking too much, as it did for Moshiri, and for decades before him Kenwright, and for decades before them Carter, Moores and the rest of our boardroom dullards (and Moores, via Catterick, did introduce 15 seasons of banal football to us loyal fans, pre HK)?

Why are we, one of the greatest clubs in the world, always perpetually run by shyster, alleged wanna-be's?

I get the safe move for a skilled player angle but this could have an effect on team chemistry, which was the most uplifting feature of the season for me. If Walker were to immediately up the assist tally by finding Beto or give McNeil the space to do so, the tradeoff is likely worth the wages. However, paying Walker at the top of our wage bill is a bit of an insult to players like Branthwaite or Ndiaye, who are not getting what they deserve.

I thought there was enough shown by our core squad to place some trust in them and Hammond/Kinnear for transfer activity that advances Everton in the business of moving players and making profit. The Walker deal would be an expensive low-risk solution even if he stays fit.

I would need to see who else we sign to make Walker a preference. Maybe it would make sense to patch up at some positions so that we may have the extra room to get a deal over the line when a prime value target gets needy.

For me, the fullbacks and midfield is where we need investment. We will have to get lucky to compete in the striker market, and we probably already have enough with Beto. While a winger is badly nèeded, it is Gana's replacement that is crucial.

Dale, we made the mistake of starting a season with DCL as our only striker and of course he was injured. We need someone to cover for Beto when he picks up a knock or a strain or god help us, something more serious.

Don@ 175

'If it's not asking too much, can FSG please in this transfer window give us a new signing or two to give me a smidgeon of hope that next season we might viably end up in the top half of the league at least?'

Not sure why you'd expect FSG to help out unless I'm missing the poiht. TFG perhaps 😀

I can’t believe people are turning their noses up at the England right back for the past 10 years. If he’s coming it’s for a one year contract FFS.

Is he the player he was? No! But the player he was would want nothing to do with our club. He’s got one good season behind him and with passionate fans singing his name he will do really well and add much needed quality.

The outlay is minimal so let’s see it as a chance to buy young, high potential talent in other areas such as right midfield and attack. Calm down everyone.

The Walker story is just click bait and press releases by Walkers PR crowd. Makes a difference from his girlfriend or wife if he had or has one.

What is actually happening in negotiations with players ending contract. Those still in the frame are being negotiated with.Then there will be a attempt to sell some players under contract.

And transfer in speculation is just speculation.Doubt if much is true. It is more likely that Everton will be interested in loans and free transfers and the new transfer team will be beding in and hopefully have some players to know off from previous in the pipeline.

Kinnear got Hammond, but not Penrice( Scout) from Leeds.Smith arrives instead from Man City and seems to be more of a Moyes loyalist.Though both Penrice and Smith are both ex Everton.

Recently seen a Podcast on American Private Equity involvement in Sport.Seems the current buzz words is Continuity, based a Data.No heed is paid to Media or Fans views: get him. sack him or keep him.They don't have the data whilst the Club does.It seems that this is the TFG approach.Trying to keep what the have based on data, which really points to the above approach I have outlined.

A bad Summer will be not being able to keep players with the right data.The underlining trends will be trying to get the existing staff to adapt to new systems and accountability and gradually weeding out those that are not able or prepared to adapt.This will be a gradual and not a particularly noticeable trend.

Really I don't expect much to happen till August and then it won't be high profile stuff. May even be innocuous. Walker will be sunning himself, with some unfortunate women far far away from Everton for those who care to have a interest.How sick that would be.

Walker, Coufal, Soucek - all are aging, uninspiring options.

Don @175 what has Kenwright got to do with this thread? I could of course just cut and paste that to every comment you ever make on TW. Seriously, let it go!

If we sign him (and it is still very much an IF) it does not signal anything about the intended transfer stance of TFG. I suspect we've been given a chance to get him, would have to push ourselves out of the wage comfort zone and are weighing up if that is worth it.

It's an unusual signing if it comes off and the type that doesn't come around often. As mentioned above, if it enables us to bring in youthful talent in other areas then this is a no-brainer for one season.

Yep, assess the transfer window squad as a whole. Rather than assessing that every other transfer will mirror it.

Is the squad positionally stronger and have more depth than it started. Can it turn losses into draws,and draws into wins. Can a different player unlock the potential of the team? Thats what needs to happen at the end of the window.

Go back to Lukuku, Barry & Mccarthy window. For most of the summer Kone & Alcaraz wasn't going to make much of a difference, but it was the end of the window that counted.

A nice young replacement for Young. Even if he has lost a few yards of pace he will be faster than anything we have.
At the right price it leaves us spending power where we need it creative midfielder striker And pacy right winger. We had a top 6 defence last season and a bottom 3 goal creating and scoring attack.

Colin #172 Who cares how good Walker was, he was playing with one of the best club sides in the world, but for €60,000, Coleman was one of the best buys in the Premiership, and how do you know none of the big buys came calling, didn’t Man Utd enquire and he wouldn’t leave Everton, also didn’t Lampard say he was one of the best players and captain he ever played or worked with, and it wasn’t sentiment. Walker for his off field shocking antics, we should stay away, totally unacceptable. All this comparing Seamus to Walker, utter bullshit, we should be proud to have Seamus as our leader, a legend.

I saw some analysis, as I'm sure many of us have, and we're still suffering the ongoing effects of PSR this window. Looks like it's going to be low-end, stop gap signings for the most part with maybe one "marquee signing".

Although not the type of signing we'd all been looking forward to for the new dawn at EFC, we could probably do worse than Walker. It all depends on his wages and how likely he is to get injured.

It seems as though this window is about intelligently treading water, solidify our position around mid-table, until next summer when we can start to spend a little more freely.

Context is everything. Moshiri's mis-management fucked us for a while. The big clubs blocked any chance of being displaced through mass spending, via FFP and PSR.

Steve #179, why can't we buy young, high potential talent in Walker's position instead of Walker?

Lampard went a step further and described Seamus as on of the best "if not the best" person he's met in football.

In the past, I've complained about jobs for the boys. But Seamus is different class than some of those previously hired, who couldn't get near his boots, let alone lace them.

I hope the club find a place for him, even if not as a player. Humility, empathy combined with passion. And, although it is a cliche, he totally gets us.

I think he was one of the few who braved coming towards us after those 2 turning point matches away at Brentford and Norwich a few seasons ago. Those two matches when the Evertonians finally lost it with Benitez, letting our former manager and the club know in no uncertain terms. He always comes over to us, even when he doesn't make the pitch.

In other probably ridiculous gossip "news" with no substance, a Newcastle mate has just told me that Newcastle have approached Liverpool (yes that way around), with a view to transferring Anthony Gordon for £80M. Well, if that unlikely event came off, I hope we had a decent future sell on fee built in when he moved to the North East.

Steve 179, If it happens it will reflect poorly on the newly assembled recruitment team.

A lazy, uninspiring signing.

Would Brighton, Bournemouth,Brentford, wolves or any other prem team want to bring him in on over 100k a week?

There are 100s of full backs, why not actually scout a couple?

Richard it might not be quite as bleak. Given the scale of the rebuild needed I definitely don't think we'll have a Moshiri style binge, why buy one No 10 when you can buy 3, but after 30th June we should have some PSR room.
As I'm sure everyone knows we are only allowed to lose £105m over 3 years, in 22/23 and 23/24 we lost £89m and £53m respectively. Obviously those 2 years alone are well above £105m but even with the additional £45m for 21/22 we managed to hit the PSR numbers, thanks to the allowed deductions, and the last minute transfer deals of Godfrey and Dobbin.
The accounts for this year ending 30th June will replace 21/22. I have no idea what it will be but the expectation is the loss will be significantly less than last year and we are OK for PSR so no last minute sales.
Once we get past 1st July and enter the 25/26 financial year we will start to really benefit from the new stadium and increased match day income, naming rights etc. That extra income should provide some headroom and the year that will then be dropping out of PSR at the end of 25/26 will be the £89m providing some more room.

The big problem is that I think many people were hoping that, with a new stadium and new owners, we were going to make a splash in the transfer market and start competing again.

Unfortunately that was never going to happen.

As John # 191 points out there are PSR issues although they start to ease over time.

Then there's TFG's position on all of this. I don't believe they have said anywhere that they are looking to spend big or compete (whatever that means). Their priority is sorting out a financial mess - and also re-building the operational side of the club (which they seem to be doing effectively with a string of new appointments).

Given we currently have only about 10 players without question marks over their futures, it is going to be a challenging summer.

It was always going to be a mix of of loans, frees, low-cost speculative signings and a few mid-range players (i.e. £20m to £40m - being today's cost of players like Neville, Howard, Jagielka and Baines back in the day).

That sounds disappointing, I know, but it is a huge improvement on the period since 2021 when Moshiri pulled the plug on the club. It also enables us to build a team that can become really very good within 2 to 3 years.

John 191

That's a positive spin on our PSR position.

Come July, we can compete in the transfer market with the likes of the newly promoted teams and bottom half of the league.

Meanwhile the Club World Cup fills the PSR coffers of the big boys who stretch further and further away from the rest of the Premier League, who just make the numbers up.

Can you tell that I am not looking forward to the new season? Sky already plugging it as the best ever, most games live etc etc… zzzz.

I still think we'll spend close to £100M this summer and will surprise a few.

If that means getting a highly experienced right-back for one season whilst strengthening elsewhere, then I'm all for it.

I seen him play for Milan a few times last season and he looked like he was towing a caravan at times, he was a cracking player but come on ffs surely we can find some one younger, if he was still up to the job Pep would keep him, I like the look of Kenny Tete, 29, plenty of experience and can cross a ball

Steve # 194, I agree with you and can see the logic in signing a player like Walker.

However, to us, £100m net sounds like a big transfer kitty but that's only because we switched off spending nearly 5 years ago - just at the point prices and spending exploded. To all other Premier League clubs a £100m net spend is now a very unremarkable budget.

It's the sort of money Wolves, Bournemouth, Forest etc etc and even Ipswich, Burnley and Saints have been spending (and exceeding) in recent years. Some on multiple occasions.

If we spend less than £75m net it will be difficult to stand still in quality.

Of course it is not all how much you spend, but how well you spend it, but the more we can spend over £100m - the more we can add players of the right age / quality (rather than just the old, the injured or the average).

Christy @186, I agree entirely. Had Seamus played for a better team than " plucky little Everton", and he could have, and not suffered horrendous injuries, he would, in my view, have been one of the greats.
Loyalty and integrity don't count for much in football today but they matter. Top player, top man.

John the psr case, documented our psr losses for the period under review.

If I recall it correctly, our current 3rd year loss was around 63m of the overall breach.

We've no idea what the 2nd and current year is, as psr losses arent reported for those periods, but in aggregate they need to be less than £42m.

Seamus has been a great player and at his peak, he was definitely a Champions League quality RB. It's sad that we couldn't deliver him that stage.

Kyle Walker, at his peak, is the best RB England have had in the modern era (I can't remember beyond Italia 1990) - and one of the top 5 RBs of his generation.

Given age, obviously both players have dropped off massively since their peak. Seamus is now only capable of playing a very limited first team role now. Walker seems much more capable of playing a full season with us.

Whether he's any good depends on (a) whether he can stay fit and (b) whether he's really arsed any more.

Personally, I'd rather have invested in a long-term RB like Wesley (KWP would have been a short term stop gap too). But we'll see what happens.

Wow, the negativity here has reached new levels!

I can’t see why this isn’t a decent stopgap signing, whilst we strengthen other parts of the squad. I love Coleman, but can’t help but feel that he is finished as a PL footballer and has been retained as more of a coach or, for the cynical, mascot. Dixon isn’t ready, no manager yet has trusted Patterson, so we need to get someone in on the cheap for now.

Other clubs might well have been interested in Walker, he probably wants to stay in the North West to be near his families!

If people don't want Seamus compared unfavourably to another vastly superior player. They should not start the ball rolling by making the foolish comparison in the first place

Great professional - Tick

Great ambassador - Tick

Great Evertonian - Tick

legendary club man - Yeah thats another Tick.

Loyalty. Integrity. etc..Tick Tick Tick

But lets not allow our judgement to be clouded by the guys popularity. The idea that he turned Sir Alex down, or any other top club is for the birds...He was in his prime when we would sell anything that wasn't nailed down. Whether they wanted to go or not

"He was definitely a champions league quality right back. It's sad that we couldn't deliver him that stage"

And it's incredible that all those many managers who could, didnt bother to invite him.... Go figure

Andy @197,

It rarely gets a mention now, but that break was horrific.

It will have cost him at least 2 years of his playing career. Not just the initial recovery, that will eventually have caught up with him further along.

After that, he did well to not only come back, but carry on playing in some capacity until he was 36.

I always remember that barnstorming sprint the length of the pitch at Goodison when he came back. You wouldn't have noticed that the Donegal Warrior had suffered such an injury. No holding back.

Colin, a bit strange to single out my comments (albeit missing a few key words) given that we seem to be making the same / similar points.

There are quite a few Champions League quality players who don't get to play on that stage for various reasons. Eze and Bowen and our very own Pickford might be examples in this generation.

With Premier League players, the transfer fee is often prohibitive for most non-Premier League clubs except for the likes of Real and Barca. And even other Premier League moneybags clubs often go for something cheaper from overseas to manage the budget.

Colin #201,

It was John @127 who started saying how much better Walker was to Seamus, if you check again. I just reminded him that one cost £53M, the other €60k.

And just because you reckon he's a vastly superior player, doesn't make you an expert on all things football.

you don't need to be an expert to state the blindingly obvious.
John @127 was stating what is obvious.
It was you who came on arguing against it and spouting transfers fees.

Tottenham got better displays out of Walker than Seamus was able to produce - Evidently. Thats why they got 45m more than they paid for him.

If Seamus was able to reach the levels Walker did, somebody would have paid big money for him. Nobody did

“Tottenham got better displays out of Walker than Seamus was able to produce - Evidently. Thats why they got 45m more than they paid for him.”

Is it evident? Surely only circumstantial, so I’m not sure that it counts as proof Colin. Does anyone know that no other club was ever interested in recruiting Seamus? Maybe all got a clear knock back when they sounded him out and so his market value was never really explored?

Kyle Walker had great pace and can tackle well enough. He was wanted by a stupendously wealthy club during a period of massive transfer fees. It’s subjective whether his price was a true measure of his previous performances.

None of us knows whether there was never any opportunity that we could have sold Seamus or for how much.

Teams haven’t bought JP
Doesn’t mean he’s not cl quality
Leighton Baines didn’t play cl but he was definitely CL quality

Si#206 Sorry Si, Colin knows everything, and that no big club tried to sign Seamus, as for you Colin saying about me Spouting transfer fee's, isn't it a fact that Walker cost over £53m, and Seamus cost €60,000, when John was discussing the difference between them, the price difference is completely relevant, as for Tottenham got better displays from Walker than Seamus, is utter crap.

Bit late to the party on this one, but my view is that this summer will be a transitional period with a number of positions we need to fill.

Kyle Walker makes sense for a year with the option of another year. Yes he's 35 but he brings experience at the highest level both domestically and internationally.

With Patterson looking out of favour, and O'Brien also challenging for the centreback position with Tarkowski, we'll need someone who can cover at right back.

I feel there are three or four other priority positions this season (Forward, right winger, Doucoure replacement, an 8 and Gana's eventual replacement a 6) we need to look to bring in as first teamers and where the most investment will need to be spent.

Bringing in Walker buys us some time and one where we can review a permanent replacement next summer.

Fantasy time.

Pickford
Walker, O,Brian, Branthwaite Myl
Garner, Gueye
McNeil, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Grealish
Beto.

Not sure how that attacking 4 midfield players would work but it would seem pretty potent in theory.

Subs

Tark, Tim I, Coleman, Chermiti, Goalkeeper, Patterson, Onyango

Andy # 210, nice try but reckon the opposition will notice we’ve got 12 players

Steve (#183) restricted as some other clubs are, we, Everton, are still massively hampered by PSR when it comes to affording players and, from what I recall, there's only one former chairman responsible for that.

You don't have to know much to see the gaping holes in idiotic response to Johns post.

Walker cost Sheff United about 60k less than Seamus cost us. Subsequent Interest from three of Europes richest clubs is not conflicted by johns obvious statement...it's a fucking testimony to it.

If that doesnt convince. Try counting the numerous trophys one of the players has won and compare that to the million excuses and promises to do better from the other one.

As for Seamus being the best ever signing? I wonder if Daniel Levy let out a huge sigh of regret when he pocketed the 45m profit he made on walker. I wonder if the Spurs shareholders bollocked him for not signing Seamus instead ?

Robert, WHOOPS LOL. Take out Beto!

That looks like a nightmare than a fantasy.
I hope we will have a much better team and squad than that

Andy @210 that's not bad but I don't think I am being unrealistic to think its possible to see a new winger and a new striker in that side. If I am being really greedy then someone to interchange with Garner and Gana too, shame we missed out on Angel Gomes IMO.

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Let's try that again...

Posted by PabloMc [User Info] on June 18, 2025, 2:58 pm, in reply to "Solid work as ever from Paddy (text within for those who need it)"

. including my usual link and encouragement to subscribe to the Athletic - it's currently just £1 per month and well worth it IMHO

Everton’s new recruitment team is coming together – transfers are next

Everton’s recruitment operation has been in a state of flux.

Change has come quickly as key pillars of the old regime depart, including director of football Kevin Thelwell and head of recruitment Dan Purdy joining Scottish side Rangers, the latter after being offered a place in the Premier League side’s revamped setup.

In their stead, three new figures have already arrived: chief executive Angus Kinnear, head of trading Nick Hammond and strategy lead Chris Howarth.

Further appointments will be made in due course, with James Smith, Manchester City’s director of scouting and recruitment, set to replace Purdy in a similar role to the one he left behind on Merseyside. A new head technical director is expected to be named shortly, with Manchester United academy director Nick Cox primed for that role.

The belief at Everton is that they are assembling a ‘best in class’ team to rival any of their peers, and one that can be in situ for the long term.

Even at this stage, the pace and scope of the change should come as little surprise.

For Kinnear, the former Leeds United CEO leading the process behind the scenes, there has been little time to waste.

With so many of Everton’s players out of contract this summer — the total, at one stage, was 15 — a squad rebuild is coming. While daunting in scope, it offers the club a rare opportunity to kick on, backed by funding from their new owners at The Friedkin Group (TFG).

The biggest change behind the scenes has been moving away from the director of football model.

Thelwell was well regarded for his role in helping keep Everton afloat during countless financial pinch points over recent seasons but Kinnear believes in a “flatter structure”, one where a director of football’s responsibilities are divided among three or four individuals.

Negotiations with rival clubs and player representatives, for example, will be handled by Hammond, the former Reading and West Bromwich Albion director of football who held consultancy roles with Newcastle United and Leeds. He is in the process of engaging in contract discussions with the Everton players whose deals expire in the coming weeks, including Idrissa Gueye and Seamus Coleman.

Hammond worked closely with Kinnear at Leeds and was the No 1 target for the head of trading role at Everton. His focus will be on negotiating deals advantageous to the club, but he is also expected to offer insight on the market and specific players when needed.

A former goalkeeper at Swindon Town and Reading after coming through Arsenal’s academy, Hammond was forced into early retirement due to persistent back injuries. He engaged in scouting duties for Arsene Wenger in the Frenchman’s time as Arsenal manager and initially moved into the role of goalkeeping coach at Reading, before becoming their academy director.

At age 35, Hammond was appointed Reading’s first director of football in 2003 and was credited for helping them reach the Premier League three years later. Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and others were signed during his spell and were excellent on the pitch before moving on for a profit.

“He deals in facts and gets things done,” former Reading manager Brian McDermott, who worked under Hammond, told The Athletic last year. “He’s an incredibly clear thinker and isn’t driven by emotion. He never got distracted from the process.”

Spells with West Brom and Celtic followed, before Newcastle hired Hammond in an advisory role after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took over the club in October 2021. The following January, he helped the new owners navigate a tricky first transfer window as the club battled to avoid relegation.

In a 2023 interview with Training Ground Guru, Hammond said his role was “to advise the owners in relation to the players, the due diligence around the players and the financial aspects of the deals they were trying to complete”.

That winter window was chaotic but fruitful for Newcastle, with the additions of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Chris Wood helping them preserve their top-flight status, and a year later they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.

Hammond joined Leeds as a freelance football consultant in 2023 and was seen as a quiet but influential figure in helping them achieve promotion back to the Premier League last season. The 57-year-old is well regarded in the industry, with a thick contacts book and savvy negotiating skills. He never had an agent during his career, instead choosing to represent himself.

New director of strategy Howarth is another with Leeds connections. An entrepreneur who has built and sold three analytics companies, he moved into sports data by founding Insight Sport, a company that worked with around a dozen clubs across Europe’s top leagues. Insight Sport provided clients with player and tactical evaluations using data and AI, while Howarth was seen as an early adopter of player tracking data.

Insight Sport was sold to TFG this summer, with its bespoke data set to be used by Everton and the group’s other team, Roma of Italy’s Serie A. The idea is that Howarth will build club-specific models based on key requirements per position, and scrutinise the data to find value for money, with manager David Moyes feeding in the technical profiles he is targeting.

Moyes is seen by many as the key figure in Everton’s new transfer team, an old-school, hands-on manager who wants to be across the process.

He has been taking in games at this summer’s Club World Cup and no players will be signed without Moyes’ say-so. Howarth will assess names put forward by the scouting network to determine their suitability.

The impending arrival of Smith may be the biggest coup.

A sports-science graduate who coached the sport in the United States, he worked his way up from performance analyst to head of technical scouting during Moyes’ first stint as Everton manager over a decade ago.

Smith followed Moyes in 2013 when he got the Manchester United manager’s job, before moving to rivals Manchester City a year later. He rose to the director of scouting and recruitment across the City Football Group (CFG), the stable that has the eight-time Premier League champions at the top of its multi-club pyramid. He reported to director of football Txiki Begiristain and then his recent successor, Hugo Viana, before being poached by Everton.

One of his main duties at the CFG was putting in place the organisation’s scouting framework and means of assessing players. Together with senior scouts, he would flag players to be discussed higher up the chain.

Smith is seen as an ambitious appointment, with his decision to leave City and rejoin Everton being viewed by some at the club that this new project is ambitious enough to attract top operators in the game.

The link to Moyes was key.

In Michael Calvin’s book on football scouts, The Nowhere Men, Smith detailed how he had learnt under the Scot at Everton. “I’ve got an idea of players from him,” he said. “I kind of know what he’s looking for, what he’s thinking. My role is knitting it together, being a kind of link between the manager and the scouts.”

Smith will sit at the top of the scouting network and manage it, while providing a bridge between recruitment and Moyes. He is an organiser, another low-key presence behind the scenes who is not always a regular at games. Player identification and negotiating will be separated in the new setup, with Smith in charge of the former. Cox will handle other aspects of Thelwell’s remit.

Smith is on gardening leave from City and is not expected to officially join Everton until the end of the summer window.

The same is likely to be true for Cox who, as technical director, will be tasked with running many of the club’s other sporting departments, including medical, sports science and the academy.

A former academy manager at Watford and Sheffield United before moving to Manchester United, Cox holds a UEFA Pro Licence and a Master’s in sport directorship. He is credited with helping overhaul an underperforming academy at United, having hired and supported the development of coaches including current Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna and new Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Justin Cochrane.

Under his watch, United implemented an academy-specific recruitment drive. Youth graduates have accounted for 25 per cent of first-team minutes, which the Old Trafford club calculates to be the second-highest in top-five leagues for that metric from 2019-24, behind only Bayern Munich.

United have sold around £100million worth of players in the past three seasons, including Anthony Elanga and Alvaro Fernandez Carreras — a figure expected to rise due to sell-on clauses.

Cox has had interest from clubs in the Premier League and Europe, as well as governing bodies, but is believed to feel the prospect of working with Moyes, under new ownership as Everton enter a new stadium next season, is an opportunity too good to turn down. Coming from a development background, Cox is likely to lead the search for a new academy director, with incumbent Gareth Prosser leaving to join Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month.

In the short term, Purdy’s No 2 Lee Sargeson, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, has stepped up to help manage the scouting department until Smith can officially start.

Moyes will be key in this window and the ones to follow, but Everton’s aim has been to put in place a robust, talented structure for the long term — one that does not depend solely on any one manager or individual. They are now close to having all the pieces in place.

Positive steps, then — but the first significant test for the new regime is just around the corner, as they gear up for a summer they simply have to get right.

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. including my usual link and encouragement to subscribe to the Athletic - it's currently just £1 per month and well worth it IMHO

Everton’s new recruitment team is coming together – transfers are next

Everton’s recruitment operation has been in a state of flux.

Change has come quickly as key pillars of the old regime depart, including director of football Kevin Thelwell and head of recruitment Dan Purdy joining Scottish side Rangers, the latter after being offered a place in the Premier League side’s revamped setup.

In their stead, three new figures have already arrived: chief executive Angus Kinnear, head of trading Nick Hammond and strategy lead Chris Howarth.

Further appointments will be made in due course, with James Smith, Manchester City’s director of scouting and recruitment, set to replace Purdy in a similar role to the one he left behind on Merseyside. A new head technical director is expected to be named shortly, with Manchester United academy director Nick Cox primed for that role.

The belief at Everton is that they are assembling a ‘best in class’ team to rival any of their peers, and one that can be in situ for the long term.

Even at this stage, the pace and scope of the change should come as little surprise.

For Kinnear, the former Leeds United CEO leading the process behind the scenes, there has been little time to waste.

With so many of Everton’s players out of contract this summer — the total, at one stage, was 15 — a squad rebuild is coming. While daunting in scope, it offers the club a rare opportunity to kick on, backed by funding from their new owners at The Friedkin Group (TFG).

The biggest change behind the scenes has been moving away from the director of football model.

Thelwell was well regarded for his role in helping keep Everton afloat during countless financial pinch points over recent seasons but Kinnear believes in a “flatter structure”, one where a director of football’s responsibilities are divided among three or four individuals.

Negotiations with rival clubs and player representatives, for example, will be handled by Hammond, the former Reading and West Bromwich Albion director of football who held consultancy roles with Newcastle United and Leeds. He is in the process of engaging in contract discussions with the Everton players whose deals expire in the coming weeks, including Idrissa Gueye and Seamus Coleman.

Hammond worked closely with Kinnear at Leeds and was the No 1 target for the head of trading role at Everton. His focus will be on negotiating deals advantageous to the club, but he is also expected to offer insight on the market and specific players when needed.

A former goalkeeper at Swindon Town and Reading after coming through Arsenal’s academy, Hammond was forced into early retirement due to persistent back injuries. He engaged in scouting duties for Arsene Wenger in the Frenchman’s time as Arsenal manager and initially moved into the role of goalkeeping coach at Reading, before becoming their academy director.

At age 35, Hammond was appointed Reading’s first director of football in 2003 and was credited for helping them reach the Premier League three years later. Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and others were signed during his spell and were excellent on the pitch before moving on for a profit.

“He deals in facts and gets things done,” former Reading manager Brian McDermott, who worked under Hammond, told The Athletic last year. “He’s an incredibly clear thinker and isn’t driven by emotion. He never got distracted from the process.”

Spells with West Brom and Celtic followed, before Newcastle hired Hammond in an advisory role after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took over the club in October 2021. The following January, he helped the new owners navigate a tricky first transfer window as the club battled to avoid relegation.

In a 2023 interview with Training Ground Guru, Hammond said his role was “to advise the owners in relation to the players, the due diligence around the players and the financial aspects of the deals they were trying to complete”.

That winter window was chaotic but fruitful for Newcastle, with the additions of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Chris Wood helping them preserve their top-flight status, and a year later they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.

Hammond joined Leeds as a freelance football consultant in 2023 and was seen as a quiet but influential figure in helping them achieve promotion back to the Premier League last season. The 57-year-old is well regarded in the industry, with a thick contacts book and savvy negotiating skills. He never had an agent during his career, instead choosing to represent himself.

New director of strategy Howarth is another with Leeds connections. An entrepreneur who has built and sold three analytics companies, he moved into sports data by founding Insight Sport, a company that worked with around a dozen clubs across Europe’s top leagues. Insight Sport provided clients with player and tactical evaluations using data and AI, while Howarth was seen as an early adopter of player tracking data.

Insight Sport was sold to TFG this summer, with its bespoke data set to be used by Everton and the group’s other team, Roma of Italy’s Serie A. The idea is that Howarth will build club-specific models based on key requirements per position, and scrutinise the data to find value for money, with manager David Moyes feeding in the technical profiles he is targeting.

Moyes is seen by many as the key figure in Everton’s new transfer team, an old-school, hands-on manager who wants to be across the process.

He has been taking in games at this summer’s Club World Cup and no players will be signed without Moyes’ say-so. Howarth will assess names put forward by the scouting network to determine their suitability.

The impending arrival of Smith may be the biggest coup.

A sports-science graduate who coached the sport in the United States, he worked his way up from performance analyst to head of technical scouting during Moyes’ first stint as Everton manager over a decade ago.

Smith followed Moyes in 2013 when he got the Manchester United manager’s job, before moving to rivals Manchester City a year later. He rose to the director of scouting and recruitment across the City Football Group (CFG), the stable that has the eight-time Premier League champions at the top of its multi-club pyramid. He reported to director of football Txiki Begiristain and then his recent successor, Hugo Viana, before being poached by Everton.

One of his main duties at the CFG was putting in place the organisation’s scouting framework and means of assessing players. Together with senior scouts, he would flag players to be discussed higher up the chain.

Smith is seen as an ambitious appointment, with his decision to leave City and rejoin Everton being viewed by some at the club that this new project is ambitious enough to attract top operators in the game.

The link to Moyes was key.

In Michael Calvin’s book on football scouts, The Nowhere Men, Smith detailed how he had learnt under the Scot at Everton. “I’ve got an idea of players from him,” he said. “I kind of know what he’s looking for, what he’s thinking. My role is knitting it together, being a kind of link between the manager and the scouts.”

Smith will sit at the top of the scouting network and manage it, while providing a bridge between recruitment and Moyes. He is an organiser, another low-key presence behind the scenes who is not always a regular at games. Player identification and negotiating will be separated in the new setup, with Smith in charge of the former. Cox will handle other aspects of Thelwell’s remit.

Smith is on gardening leave from City and is not expected to officially join Everton until the end of the summer window.

The same is likely to be true for Cox who, as technical director, will be tasked with running many of the club’s other sporting departments, including medical, sports science and the academy.

A former academy manager at Watford and Sheffield United before moving to Manchester United, Cox holds a UEFA Pro Licence and a Master’s in sport directorship. He is credited with helping overhaul an underperforming academy at United, having hired and supported the development of coaches including current Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna and new Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Justin Cochrane.

Under his watch, United implemented an academy-specific recruitment drive. Youth graduates have accounted for 25 per cent of first-team minutes, which the Old Trafford club calculates to be the second-highest in top-five leagues for that metric from 2019-24, behind only Bayern Munich.

United have sold around £100million worth of players in the past three seasons, including Anthony Elanga and Alvaro Fernandez Carreras — a figure expected to rise due to sell-on clauses.

Cox has had interest from clubs in the Premier League and Europe, as well as governing bodies, but is believed to feel the prospect of working with Moyes, under new ownership as Everton enter a new stadium next season, is an opportunity too good to turn down. Coming from a development background, Cox is likely to lead the search for a new academy director, with incumbent Gareth Prosser leaving to join Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month.

In the short term, Purdy’s No 2 Lee Sargeson, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, has stepped up to help manage the scouting department until Smith can officially start.

Moyes will be key in this window and the ones to follow, but Everton’s aim has been to put in place a robust, talented structure for the long term — one that does not depend solely on any one manager or individual. They are now close to having all the pieces in place.

Positive steps, then — but the first significant test for the new regime is just around the corner, as they gear up for a summer they simply have to get right.

Ed 177, fair point. If the Walker or some similar deal allows us to get a winger that can fill the striker boots if needed it is probably a good move.

Reading through the rest now.

Steven @ 217, got to be a ToffeeWeb record breaker the number of words in that post.

Very informative though.

Colin @213

You're talking utter garbage, regarding your ridiculous petty comment about all the trophies he won. He didn't win them on his own, you forgot to mention the world class players that Guardiola bought for a net spend of nearly £800M, a bit more than Seamus and his teammates.

I won't be corresponding with you again, waste of time.

Steven #217

Lengthy and interesting.

If accurate, it suggests that the "flatter structure" is all about enabling Moyes in terms of recruitment rather than restricting him.

Si,

So the fact that Walker was winning all sorts of individual accolades at Tottenham had nothing to do with the massive fee. It wasn't just that he was getting into everybody`s Premier League Team of the Year — or Team of the Decade in the case of Sports Illustrated.

Okay, those accolades can be subjective... but as a Tottenham player, before he had even met Pep, he was actually voted by his peers (no higher accolade) as young Premier League Player of the Year.

He was also voted (again by his peers) into the Premier League Team of the Year, something he was to make a habit out of throughout his career.

He wasn't just sought after by Pep. He was the most coveted full-back on earth at the time. He could pick and choose. He was always going to play in better teams and win so much more than Seamus.

This one made me laugh though:

"As for Tottenham got better displays from him than Seamus. Utter shite."

While Walker was being voted (by his peers) ahead of people like Aguero and team mate Gareth Bale as Players' Player of the Year, Seamus was still waking up wishing Tony Hibbert would hurry the fuck up and retire.

A great thread this with 2 hotly disputed topics.

The first debate around who was the better player between Seamus and Kyle is from my perspective a bit complex. There is no doubt Walker became one of the best right backs in PL history and since he moved to City he took his game to a whole new level and has rightly earned all the plaudits and trophies that came his way. He has a CV to die for so when posters argue that in their prime there is no comparison between the two this is an indisputable fact in terms of the levels they operated in.

However if you want to widen the debate of who was the best right back in PL history for me this is unquestionably one man who isn't even in the debate usually. That man is Denis Irwin. Denis was so good that he played the majority of his career out of position to accommodate the young Gary Neville.If Cole played right back or Walker left do you think they could have so to be considered among the best? No chance. Denis was better in every facet of the game than Walker except for speed and athleticism, a better footballer, technician, defender, goalscorer, set piece delivery, man marker. He even has a better CV. He was the complete footballer.

Denis by his own admission became that player by luck. He was signed by Utd after getting the move from Oldham but he maintained his career was due to being the right man in the right place at the right time. He joined Utd before they hit the big time and evolved with the quality of players around them. He peaked when he had the likes of Kanchelskis, Sharpe and Giggs coming up against him in training.. As united became the dominant force so did Irwin.

Now back to Seamus and Kyle. Seamus peaked under Martinez. Walker peaked under Guardiloa. Kyle Walker evolved with the world class players around him. Seamus didn't have that luxury, some like Walker rise, others sink, with Seamus we will never know. I can't accept Colin's viewpoint that Walker was a better player for Spurs than Coleman was for Everton. In their first 6 full seasons at the clubs Coleman's stats blow Walkers out of the water in terms of nearly every metric goals conceded due to errors, duels won, goals scored (nearly treble) assists. The main area which Coleman fell down was availability and this makes Coleman's stats even more impressive and is a possible factor in why elite clubs (if they didnt come calling) may have baulked at our asking price. Moreover Seamus was widely heralded as being one of the top 2 right backs in the country at this time and family members (Utd and Rs) would often tell me they would love to sign Coleman. Walker had a standout last season for Spurs which had up to that point been one of inconsistency but obviously Guardiloa saw the potential in Walker. At the time however the Walker fee was heavily ridiculed as moneybags City were throwing money around like confetti and Guardiloa was desperate for 2 athletic full backs to operate his system hence Spurs were able to leverage the fee.

Despite Walker going on to achieve greatness my belief is that if both players had come through the Utd academy under Ferguson it would have been the Irishman who would have gone on to greatness.

As for the main theme in this thread I would absolutely love us to sign Walker for his class, his leadership, his experience, his winning mentality and the fact he is still a top PL right back. I do find it strange that posters want to sign his namesake instead who is a truly dreadful defender.Without spending 30 to 40 million I can't think of a right back to even come close. The only one I could think of would be Mukiele who is a player who I have wanted us to sign for a while but there have been no links thus far.

Perhaps I'm misrembering but I recall many past threads where posters would debate which Everton players would be coveted by the regular Champions League qualifiers.

Seamus...much as I admire him... rarely featured.

Hate the term " Bodies" as it suggests any player will do !
However can I use the term "numbers" instead?
We have needed a right & left back for 2-3-4 years?
That's 2 "numbers"
We've lost dacoure, lindstrom, Harrison,young, dcl, Keane & broja there's 7 more " numbers"

Potentially 10 players needed.
They are not all going to be 30- 40m wonder kid starlets!
It may be like Moyes first spell where we added the quality gradually, while filling gaps along the way.

May I just remind people that none of us really fancied Arteta when he was brought on loan, Cahill was a gamble that paid off, Marcus Bent plugged a gap, Distan wasn't a young hungry centre back. Pienaar was out of favour and form.

For every Coleman, stones, baines or jagielka who stay and cement place or prove to be world class, there are players who do a job, fill a gap, fulfill a role or make up the "numbers"

Some people think it's fantasy football.

Moyes was doing alot himself back then, it seems TFG are putting in a structure to support and use all Moyes experience

Conor (#223), Irwin was a very accomplished player but with a midfield, attack and fellow defenders all around him of massive skill and commitment he really never had to experience what Seamus, Hibbert and God knows how many of our right backs all the way back, and briefly on account of swept-under-the-carpet Heysel, to Gary Stevens.

He was the last right back we've had able to play, briefly, with justified faith in players all around him - and that goes for the other ten team members too.

Heysel fucked us over way worse than even Kenwright did and, coming from me, that's saying something.

Think we have to be realistic in our approach this summer.

As many posters have said, we may not breach PSR this summer but it will limit what we can do. The new players will be a mix of transfers, loans and frees and we currently have 13 players plus Harrison Armstrong on contracts for next season.

Despite some of negative response to the transfer speculation, Stones, Grealish, Richarlison and Walker would all be among the best 2-3 players at the club if we signed them. Regardless of injuries and form, they are superior players to the current talent in the squad.

It is always a risk offering a deal to a new player who has suffered recent injuries, but that is what we are doing with Seamus who has rarely been able to complete 90 minutes over the last 2 seasons?

@225 Dave

Distin was average at his very best

Arteta - Dithering Dave didn't want him. He wanted Scott Parker. Most fans recognised he was the real deal pretty much immediately.

Cahill - a gamble. Maybe. But he'd played in an FA Cup final and secured the winning goal to put his team into that final as well as being a threatening and consistently goal-scoring midfielder for a couple of years. and not the highest transfer fee of its time by any stretch.

Maybe we do need numbers. But not in the right-back position. We need a proper right-back.

We've had an awesome defence for 2 years without having had a proper right-back and a very average left-back.