Deulofeu to stay for another season

Deulofeu has shown lots of potential and undoubtedly he has more to offer but, with only two Premier League starts to his name so far, you would have to say his contribution to Everton's season has been on the small side. With only 13 games of the season left to impress, I personally feel he needs a second season on loan to really establish himself at Everton and in the Premier League.

He is our best player along with Barkley

Its clear to see that Barkley and Delufeu are the real deal. But sometimes when we are behind they try to win games by themselves to the detriment of the team. That youthful exuberance may fade a bit with experience when they become more rounded players.

Great news!!

If true, this would be fantastic news. Young player and still a bit to learn but he fits into the category of "players who can change a game". Not many of them around.

Now if that was true, that would be a great bit of news.

It is very likely true, as he has not played the amount of games Barcelona wanted.

Makes sense to me.

Mirallas, Deulofeu and Barkley are our three top players arguably along with Lukaku.

He has plenty to prove yet. However there are hints that he could make a real difference to us. This can only be good news.

It would be brilliant if he stays. Hopefully fit for a season.

Shown glimpses that he has what it takes to be one of the best but still has to improve his decision making and consistency.

With two thirds of the season gone, he has only started about eight matches and scored three goals, so I expect Barcelona feel his development still has some way to go. Has only done it in flashes for me, so whilst pleased if he stays another season to hopefully help us, I can’t agree that he’s one of our best two players.

Great if true, and I love the boy, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that all the superb midfielders in the world will only help us if we have at least one fit STRIKER. RM, please note.

Great news if true. Cracking player and star of the future. Not the finished article yet but gives us another option in matches and has the potential to win games with a moment of brilliance. I know some are opposed to the loan system but we need to use it at the moment. Hopefully that won't always be the case.

I really want this to be true, but, being an Everton fan, does that make it less likely? I can see why Barcelona would want it, as even to be on their bench you need to be the finished article (more or less).

Whilst I agree with those who say we should really be developing our own talent, sod that; he's a great footballer, and that's what we all want to watch. Fingers crossed he'll be running at Liverpool's defence in the derby next year.

Two year loan, isn't that like a new signing?

Great news if it happens, happy to have some of the team be loanees all the time if they make us better.

Having cleared the deadwood of Vic, Heitinga and Jelavic, hopefully Martinez can bring in 3-4 quality players in the summer to beef up the squad.

Will also have Kone, Oviedo and Gibbo back in the summer so next season is already starting to look good.

Any chance of getting rid of Vellios and Gueye as well?

Don't suppose we could show enough ambition to put in a bid for the lad, who has a lot of learning still to do.

Christopher (913) - He might have a lot of learning still to do, but he's just (today) turned 20 and needs nowhere near the amount of learning that Osman (soon to be 33) does.

Good news if true. Next season he should be able to hit the ground running and make a serious impact.

If we can get him for a second year, then we can really concentrate on solving our striker problem – we will not challenge sufficiently without solving this, and we're destined to fade away over and over.

We have missed him tremendously, think about the games he could have unlocked, Sunderland, West Brom, Stoke etc would have turned draws to wins.

Steve Jones (#921),

I agree. He has no fear of running at opposition defences with pace and drive. Doesn't work every time but causes defenders problems. Such a deal would be good for both clubs and Gerard himself.

Excellent news if true. We just need a world class striker. Over to you, Bill...

We might just allow him to stay.

I hope it's true and I wouldn't expect that second season syndrome to affect him. I actually think next season we would see a far better player playing more often and influencing games.

Max I like your comment it made me chuckle.
As you say we have a decision to make, do we want to build next seasons team heavily around a player who will not be there the following year?

Even if Bill got the cheque book out to meet the asking price I think the lad will want to return home himself

Great stuff, shame supersub Big Vic is not doing the business for us, we have replaced both of our strikers with loanees

Delofeu? Cuenca? Xavi for his swansong? Jesus, I'd be in heaven. Having Barca as our feeding club would shut the RS up.

Fantastic news if true, and as others have said it makes sense also from Barca's point of view to let Everton "grow" him as a player.

Seems to be a win-win situation for all concerned.

Players with pace, who run at flat-footed defenders, priceless. Loan player or not, if Barca offer, bite their hands off.

Roberto Martinez had hinted earlier in the season that this was always an option and it's possible that because Deulofeu missed almost two months this season with a hamstring injury that he will be allowed to continue his development on Merseyside next season.

.................So if we can get him injured for the next 18 months then we should be able to keep him for a decade, right!

Only player who can create something out of nothing. Our play in the final third is so pedestrian with Pienaar and Osman. We need this guy in the team to create panic for the opposition.

See Mirallas this season, think of Deulofeu next season...

If we can create a strong link with Barcelona it should be greatly beneficial for us & to some degree to them.

Great news if it happens, plenty of water to flow under the bridge though, fingers crossed! He has that extra bit of class that will change matches, no doubt about it. Him + another of his calibre would be very nice for next season, here's hoping.

Will Roberto being a Catalan, eventually finish up being Barcelona's manager though, I think it will happen at some time, but hopefully not before he has brought some well needed glory to our club.

Vic and Jelavic deadwood? – Some Evertonians do make make me laugh, These guys definitely needed replacing and not with loan signings and haven't they been responsible for 3 crucial goals over the last week or so between them?

Vic and Jelavic had plenty of time to impress at Goodison, they didn't they are gone to pastures new - move on, Support the players that remain at the club as that is all we can do.

Far better and more gifted players have left Everton, we can't continue this sort of hankering after players / staff who are no longer with us.

Does anyone get the feeling that Martinez is being groomed/softened up for a future Barca job - just as OFM was groomed by SAF - just let's hope that he is tied down with bullet proof contracts. Not that I think for one minute that he is of the same ilk as OFM.

Sorry RF 027 - hadn't seen your post!

I could be that great minds think a like Brin, but that's doubtful in my case!

I'm sure Roberto's wife is a Lancastrian and with his first child being born here, I expect him to be happy at Everton for many years. He seems a genuine guy and intelligent enough to notice the revolving door at the Nou Camp.

If it's a long-term building job at the 4th most successful club in English football he wants, then given BK's loyalty to managers, I can't see any need for him to go anywhere. And he has a history of taking clubs forward; I can't see how he could take Barca any further forward, but in a comatose giant in the PL he has his project, and the whole club and its fans seem to be right behind him.

Mick - Roberto's wife is a Scot and apparently they met when he played for Motherwell. Not that it changes your rationale too much!

The Osman-Baines-Pienaar triangle was a Moyes construction and, although it's tic-tac footy, there isn't much end product. I reckon we could have got £20 mil for Baines; Osman and Pienaar can move on and make way for fresh faces with new ideas and greater hunger for success.

I would imagine that Barcelona would need a more seasoned player to be considered for their first 11. In that regard, it looks pretty good GD will be with us for another year. We can only hope...

Why did Gerard only get the last 5 mins?

Perhaps RM is setting up a pipeline from Spain of young talent on 1- to 2-year loans. If there is no limit of international loans, that could provide a low cost means of depth. It would also help foster RM's vision of football. Delo next year would be a treat.