This is what so many of us have been waiting for the club to do - put down the money to land our no.1 target before pre-season training starts, rather than sifting through what's left on the last day of the window, after the rest have had their pick...only to discover that what we're getting isn't a bargain at all. I'd doubt that the quoted sale price reflects the up-front, pre add-ons cost. It's probably more like £45 or £50m + add-ons up to £60m. I understand that many don't like him or the way he's played for Everton, but we're finally acting like the club that we all want to be. If we overpay in giving Conte what he wants, I'm all for it at this point...plus this is actually ENIC's money for once...enjoy it!
I agree but to an extent. Overpaying for who the manager wants is exactly the attitude that got Everton into so much trouble in the first place. For example, Newcastle look to be pulling out of the Etikite deal due to agent fees - fees they can now afford to pay without blinking. But they've drawn a line in the sand and I respect that. In this particular case, Everton are widely reported to hold serious interest in as many as 4 of our unwanted players (Winks, Bergwijn, Lucas and Rodon). The point I'm making is that if we can't leverage any of them into the deal and end up with Richarlison, all four of them still here and pockets £60m lighter this time next week, that doesn't bode well and comes across more reckless than ambitious.
Everton need the money NOW. Maybe next week they will buy one or more of those 4 but can't include them in the deal as they need to show a higher income for this financial period.
Overpaying or underpaying isn't really what concerns me, it's more to the point of knowing how frustrating it's gonna be watching Richarlison getting KO'd by gusts of wind every match should he join - which does feel increasingly likely. He's a solid enough player on his day, on ability alone between him and Jesus I'd take Richarlison but his diving just ruins it all. Whether he costs us £20m + Bergwijn or £40m + Winks or £60m straight cash, it doesn't really bother me too much, it's just the fact I know that unless he changes his ways he's gonna be infuriating to watch, it's bad enough now when I catch a few glimpses of him in highlights, 90 mins of him falling over every week is gonna be painful.
Said it before but I hate diving. I'm not one of those who condemns it in other teams but as soon as our players do it I think it's fine. It isn't, and if we get Richarlison and he behaves as he has done for Everton I am going to be mightily embarassed / pissed off / annoyed, and may not even watch games he participates in. Of course many people will assume I'll think differently when he's our player but I won't.
If players go the other way I think they’ll be separate deals. Swaps make it tricky for the accounting and Everton need the numbers. Wouldn’t be surprised if Richarlison comes, that it’s announced say this week and then Everton announce whoever they’re getting in a few weeks time to put it in a different part of their accounting.
Yeah I've prepared myself for his arrival already, seems inevitable it happens. I'd be very surprised if we head to Korea and he's not on the plane. I've said similar about Everton wanting straight cash. I think they'll also try and do a loan with option/ obligation for Winks to avoid paying out this summer. Hopefully they stand firm on Gordon though, really don't see anything special in him and they'd likely want silly money to sell.
I think that the cut-off is the end of the month, so the next two days could be key. Might be some sort of dodgy loan with an obligation to buy to **** Watford over. Winks going the other way a day or two later in a similar fashion wouldn't surprise me, either.
One thing that has been suggested on r/coys (and nowhere else) is waiving the £10m they owe us for when Dele makes 20 appearances them...although it does have to be said that won't appeal to Everton as it won't alleviate their 2021-2 FFP issues since the point of that deal was to kick the can into next season The Torygraph are claiming that Fat Frank has turned downWinks That would explain Bergwijn suddenly being linked
I hate Richarlison's diving antics and do not particularly rate Gordon. I also think that Moura is a good squad player. But the truth is that Conte and Paratici got Dele, Lo Celso and Ndombele out at the first opportunity, brought in two very good players who hit the ground running, hugely improved a broken defence and got us top 4. As far as I am concerned, I am more than willing to give anyone they choose to buy all my support.
Richarlison was literally and figuratively all over the pitch in leading Everton straight down the tube last year. He led by example in the race to the bottom, failing to do what needed to be done game after game and in a wide variety of roles. He was equally ineffectual behind Calvert-Lewin and in leading the line himself. There are a lot of attackers who run around energetically and get in people's way. Gordon, for example, was great at it last year. All it takes is athleticism and desire, neither of which are in short supply. But for better or worse the game's outcome is determined by getting the ball in the net, which is famously a much more difficult endeavor, and one which Richarlison isn't any good at The idea that a CL club would spend big on a player who was a flop for a historically disastrous club is ridiculous on the face of it, yet here we are. Of course I'm in favor of getting Conte anyone he wants. But I'm not at all convinced he does want Richarlison. I'm afraid he's been told that he's all Spurs can afford, and that this will turn out to be one of the things which drives Conte away. Anything resembling a goal scorer is very expensive ATM. The sensible things to do, IMO, are spend big anyway on a near term replacement for Kane or Son, or find this year's Llorente or Bale. Spending 50 million on an attacker who can't attack doesn't seem like a good move at all.
Conte could walk straight into PSG or any other club today...his stock was very high and getting us into the top 4 has raised it even higher. If we told him it is Richarlison or nothing he'd have already walked imho.
I'm certainly not right yet about the purchase of Richarlison driving Conte away. We'll see how things play out eventually. What I hope is that we never put the proposition to the test.
Fairly predictable Fraser Forster interview: No offence to him, but that was basically a press release.
Winks strikes me as better suited for Spanish football Looks like Pau Torres is back on the menu, boys!
Sounds like Everton have zero interest in selling Gordon. Gordon himself supposedly wants to stay too. Oh damn, that’s a real shame…
Sadly I don't think we saw much at all from Lucas to suggest he is a good squad player. I'd hoped him dropping to the bench would create a real Defoe-esque impact sub out of him as he had all the attributes to run at tired legs and make things happen, but sadly the stats speak for themselves. He provided 0 goals and just 2 assists off the bench, and both of those were in games in which the opposition was already dead and buried i.e. we didn't really need the subs to have said 'impact' - Newcastle and Norwich. Meanwhile the defeats against Chelsea, United, Burnley and Brighton came and went. Bottom line is, that night in Amsterdam was a hell of a long time ago now. That's the painful truth. He has dined off that miracle for 3 seasons.
