IN-DEPTH NEWS

McFadden on verge of Goodison exit

By Lyndon Lloyd : 16 Jan 2008


James McFadden: Sky Sports report that the 24 year-old is due at St Andrews tomorrow to discuss personal terms
James McFadden may have played his last game in the Royal Blue jersey after Everton reportedly accepted a £5.5m offer from Birmingham City for the Scotland international.

Sky Sports report that Everton accepted a third bid by the Midlands club after knocking back initial offers of £2m and £3m for the 24 year-old who is due at St Andrews tomorrow to discuss personal terms.

If he concludes the move, McFadden will be linking up with Alex McLeish who up until recently managed him at international level. McLeish presided over James' best spell of form for Scotland before stepping down after that country's brave but ultimately unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualification campaign.

McLeish had learned enough, however, to make the former Motherwell striker his top transfer target this January and now looks set to land his man as he bids to keep Birmingham in the Premier League.

With their continuing involvement in the Uefa and Carling Cups, not to mention a push for repeat qualification for Europe in the League, Everton were reluctant to sell McFadden and CEO Keith Wyness has been at pains to insist the club was no interested in losing any personnel in the current transfer window.

£5.5m represents a substantial return on Everton's initial investment of £1.25m four years ago, though, in a player who arrived from Fir Park with a massive future and a terrific scoring record in the Scottish Premier League but who has struggled for consistency and whose first-team opportunities have been limited this term by the scoring form of Yakubu and David Moyes's preference for the lone striker.

©2008 ToffeeWeb