Another day, another rumour plucked from the far reaches of the European transfer tabloids that makes us spill our lukewarm Bovril. This time, the alleged target is Scott McTominay, and the associated price tag is so ludicrous it could only have been invented by someone who thinks Everton still gets its transfer budget out of a Russian money-laundering operation.
Forget what you think you know about Everton's financial situation. Forget the PSR concerns. Forget the need for a proper striker and a full-back. According to reports — which appear to have originated from a Spanish outlet we'd never heard of before today — we are preparing a €70M (£61M) club-record bid to tempt McTominay back to the Premier League in January.
What is the problem with this picture?
Let’s be clear. This isn’t the McTominay who used to plug gaps at Old Trafford. This is the Serie A MVP McTominay who won the Scudetto with Napoli last season and finished 18th in the Ballon d'Or standings. The man is currently playing Champions League football and scoring overhead kicks for Scotland.
So, here is the inevitable reality check:
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The Finances: €70M? In January? With the entire football world scrutinising every penny we spend under the financial rules? We’re more likely to spend that on a commemorative paving slab for the new stadium car park. The sheer audacity of the rumoured fee is proof the story is pure speculation.
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The Player’s Ambition: Why would a player at the absolute peak of his career, flourishing under Antonio Conte in Naples, swap a guaranteed title challenge and European football for a mid-season relegation scrap — or at best, a comfortable mid-table finish — in England? The only logic presented is that Moyes sees him as a new Fellaini. With all due respect, that’s not a pitch, it’s a career-limiting nostalgia trip.
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The Timing: Napoli are in the middle of a campaign and would have absolutely zero motivation to sell their most valuable midfielder, especially not to an English club whose bid would probably be used to gauge interest from other European powerhouses.
This rumour is classic January fluff, born from the fact that McTominay is Scottish, David Moyes is Scottish, and we have a handful of players going to Afcon. It’s lazy journalism dressed up as a blockbuster transfer.
We’re crying out for reinforcements, but the answer isn't a £61M Serie A legend; it’s a striker who can hit the target and a right-back who doesn't need to be replaced every 6 months.
Verdict: 1% believable. File this one under 'F for Farce' and move on.
Where is the logic in spending our theoretical budget on a player who won’t even want to wear the shirt?
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