Martinez talks transfers

, 12 January, 25comments  |  Jump to most recent
Roberto Martinez has updated the media on a potential loan move for Aiden McGeady this month while also leaving the door open to the possibility of incoming players.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the Premier League, the manager restated that the club had received loan offers for McGeady and that talks will be held with the Irishman to see which, if any, suits him.

McGeady, like his compatriot Darron Gibson, is hoping to secure a temporary move that would allow him to play enough first-team football to remain visible to Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill ahead of Euro2016.

"We're going to work together with Aiden and his representative and we're going to make the right call," Martinez said. "There have been three enquiries and it's going to be over the next couple of weeks that we're going to make the final decision.

"It would be a short-term move until the end of the season and [he and Darron Gibson] would be returning and competing strongly in pre-season in view of the next campaign.'

Asked if all of the interest in McGeady was coming from domestic clubs, Martinez said: "It's a combination. There's an opportunity [for him] to go abroad and the other two are domestic."

With fresh reports of Everton's strong interest in Andriy Yarmolenko and claims from local media that the player's representative was at Goodison Park for the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City last week, Martinez was asked whether there was anything to report on a potential move for the Ukrainian.

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The manager said he couldn't confirm who was at the stadium that night but he did hint that the Blues could be active this month if the right player was available.

"Yeah, we could [see a player of Yarmolenko's calibre arrive in the January window.] I never the close door on anything; it's the window. We've been working really, really hard to get some business (done) really early. Shani Tarashaj was our target number one in terms of doing it quickly.

"We've got a couple of situations that could happen. The shape of the squad is going to be determined in the last week of the window and we want the squad to be stronger than it is now."

Whether Steven Naismith will be part of that squad is yet to be determined. Martinez would not be drawn on the press speculation linking him with a move to Norwich City – one that the latest reports suggests could have stalled – and he merely said that the club was focused on getting the Scot fit following an ankle injury.

While he will not be involved in the European Championships after Scotland's elimination from the tournament's qualifying stage, Naismith has made clear his desire to be playing regularly, something that hasn't been on the table at Everton for most of the season.

 

Reader Comments (25)

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Jim Bennings
1 Posted 13/01/2016 at 07:50:28
I just can’t see Yarmolenko coming in to be honest.

Very likely the biggest business will be Naismith moving out for £8 million, probably towards the end of the transfer window.

Martinez has already stated now, no new back-up striker to Lukaku so looking like we are stuck with Kone.!

Ged Simpson
2 Posted 13/01/2016 at 10:08:15
I reckon Andriy Yarmolenko is on his way. Martinez is building his own side brilliantly, in my view.
Jim Bennings
3 Posted 13/01/2016 at 11:12:20
Ged

I wouldn’t hold my breath regarding Yarmolenko.

It’s a long arduous task doing business with Ukrainian clubs, then of course there’s the key question of would Yarmolenko really consider joining Everton?

As far as I can see he hasn’t exactly made any outright plea of "I want to join Everton."

I am guessing Yarmolenko wants to leave Kiev, yes... but he’s holding out for another Champions League club – maybe Paris St Germain.

Martinez has suggested he wants the squad stronger at the end of the window but unless there’s some surprise we don’t know about I’m guessing Sam Byram of Leeds would be the major signing...

Martinez has ruled out a back up striker, so whether that changes if Naismith goes who knows but it does seem a bit insane if Romelu Lukaku was to get a injury our only hopes would be on Kone.

I hope to be pleasantly surprised but the summer taught me to take transfer gossip with a pinch of salt.

If Yarmolenko arrives, then fantastic, but I won’t hold my breath.


Ged Simpson
4 Posted 13/01/2016 at 11:19:53
Hold your breath mate... it won’t be long.

Ged The Optimist

Bill Griffiths
5 Posted 13/01/2016 at 11:58:04
While I don’t doubt Yarmolenko’s ability, I do doubt his attitude and commitment to any club he signs for.

I’m surprised if Roberto is keen to sign him. To date, in the main, he appears to have continued Moyes’s philosophy of signing players who will fit in and relate to The Everton Ethos; to me, Yarmolenko doesn’t fit this profile.

Harold Matthews
6 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:10:47
Very true Bill. He likes players of a good character who are willing to listen and learn.
James Stewart
7 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:19:37
Payet is the trick we missed, no surprise that West Ham are flying up the league again now he is back. I like Yarmolenko but would he match the ability, work rate and selflessness of Payet? I'm not so sure.
Drew O'Neall
8 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:24:23
Yarmolenko’s a one-club man, has kept largely quiet in the media and signed a new contract despite wanting away... What’s wrong with that attitude?
Jim Bennings
9 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:28:09
James

Payet is a quality player, but then we knew that before he signed for West Ham!

We need to look at the league table and it makes concerning reading, West Ham 8 points ahead of us, seem better organized, more capable of winning games and of course next season the new stadium, coupled with already being a catch in London, if we aren't careful we will be getting left behind.

Colin Glassar
10 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:46:37
Wjinaldum is the one we should've got. Big, powerful, quick, skillful, scores goals, creates etc.... The complete package. Swap him for Nessie plus £2m and throw in mcgeady as well.
Andy Meighan
11 Posted 13/01/2016 at 12:48:27
Jim,

West Ham are 8 points ahead of us because they are a far better side and they've got a better manager. And as you say, with moving grounds, the future looks bright for them.

As for being left behind, that happened years ago when the Kings Dock was on offer. While this board are in situ, we're doomed. And it won't just be West Ham either that's leaving us in their wake... Spurs look light years ahead of us and even Leicester this season look a far better outfit.

It's not looking rosy at all for the Blues and I'd say we'd better get accustomed to mid-table mediocrity with the odd cup run thrown in, à la this season...
Fran Mitchell
12 Posted 13/01/2016 at 13:03:26
Drew,

Because he's foreign, thus he's a greedy mercenary.

Oh, and he hasn't come out and stated he wants to play for Everton over all other team, and he only wants silverware should it be for the toffees.

Anything other than the above makes him a greedy git.

On the other hand, Naismith is a loyal player, because he works hard. The fact he jumped ship and left Rangers out of pocket doesn't matter. He chose Everton, therefore nothing selfish in his move.

Colin Glassar
13 Posted 13/01/2016 at 13:17:51
Fran regarding your comment about Naismith jumping ship, would you, in his position, prefer to play in the Premier League or against the likes of East Sterling, Cowdenbeath and Montrose? I usually criticise players for going after the money but in this case.......
Danny Halsall
14 Posted 13/01/2016 at 13:23:01
I would love to see us buy Sam Byram, exactly the type of player who we could turn into a top premier league performer.

As for Yarmolenko, I think he is going to stay in Kiev for a long time yet. Apparently the new contract he signed before Christmas does not include a buy-out clause, which means that Surkis can hold clubs to ransom and potentially price any club out of a move for him. I have just read an article that also mentioned that Vadim Shabily, Yarmolenko’s agent, has been quoted as saying that he thinks that Yarmolenko is valued at between €50-60 million, which is roughly £40 million. Obviously for us that kind of fee is not practical, whereas teams who can actually afford the price tag are not going to want to invest so much money in a guy who has only proven himself in the Ukranian top tier.

I think he will stay at Kiev for the majority of his career to be perfectly honest. Hope to be proved wrong, as he would bring obvious quality to our attacking midfield, but I won’t be holding my breath.

Fran Mitchell
15 Posted 13/01/2016 at 13:27:38
I don’t at all have anything against what he did. Yet, was simply pointing out the double standards often spouted on here.

For example, if a player, substitute at a big club, stays he wants to stay rather than move to a ’smaller’ club, we often call them mercenaries and such.

The same would be said if Lukaku, Stones and co push for a move to a bigger club. We say they should stay here, that they’ll end up rotting etc.

Yet, if we have a good young player who doesn’t get in our squad, eg, Garbutt, we demand that they stay. That they should show ambition and push for place in the team.

Same with young players at other ’smaller’ teams. We say ’good choice lad’ the ’better training conditions’ etc are what he needs to push on, eg, Holgate, Galloway and now the calls for Byram. Rather than people saying, why sit in the reserves at us when they could be playing week-in & week-out and truly develop.

Colin Glassar
16 Posted 13/01/2016 at 13:31:22
Fran, as Evertonians we are exempt from double standards, you should know that.

Win tonight and we are only six points off a CL place. Nurse, nurse, Napolean won't take his medicine!!!

Gary Edwards
17 Posted 13/01/2016 at 14:12:34
Drew (8) spot on .... and like Ged I’m optimistic about this one. Makes me laugh when people besmirch Yarmalenko’s character when they neither know him and next to nothing about him. He should be judged by what he does on the pitch which to my eyes is pretty impressive.

There is no doubt that there has previously been mutual interest between the parties and no question that this ’link’ just won’t go away. Reps at Goodison last Wednesday (there were certainly people of that ’ilk’ there as we were sat near them, thought I heard Man Utd reps introducing themselves too) .. this story has legs.

Also ’encouraged’ by Martinez’s latest statements. Thus far Martinez has not been in the business of making false promises or raising false hope, this latest statement seems quite significant.

Peter Carpenter
18 Posted 13/01/2016 at 14:20:39
I am certain his rep was sitting next to me. He had a big fur coat on, dark glasses, a fur hat with ear flaps and... the big giveaway, he had snow on his boots.

When I asked which part of Russia he was from he got quite cross and left, muttering something about spies, or was it the pies?
Kase Chow
21 Posted 13/01/2016 at 15:04:40
What’s changed in the circumstances re Yarmolenko that stopped us buying him previously but means we will buy him now?

His club stated wanting to keep him for Champions League which they currently compete in so what’s changed?

What is it that you optimists know that I’m not understanding? (Or is it blind faith?)

David Israel
22 Posted 13/01/2016 at 15:37:00
How much money would it take to prise Yarmolenko away from Kiev, now that he has signed a new contract? This transfer seems unlikely to me, but I would love it to go through even if, like many around here, "I'm not holding my breath".
Tommy Gourlay
23 Posted 13/01/2016 at 15:57:26
I'm sure I remember Naismith admitting this himself recently (post-court cases)....

"I suspect others, however, will eventually realise that the [Rangers] players, led by McGregor, now Hull City's goalkeeper, tried desperately to come up with wage-cut packages to keep the club afloat. The administrators, and their preferred bidders, were not interested in those proposals, and came back with ultimatums the players had an hour to accept or reject."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30196603

Denis Richardson
24 Posted 13/01/2016 at 16:26:30
Doesn’t Gibson's contract run out this summer? (In other words, why would he be returning for pre-season?)

Give McGeady to anyone who’s willing to pay any part of his wages...

Ian Jones
25 Posted 13/01/2016 at 18:18:24
Denis. Martinez mentioned last year about offering Gibson an extension. Perhaps he signed it. I have mentioned this a few times but no-one has comfirmed either way.
Ray Said
26 Posted 13/01/2016 at 18:29:55
Gibson would pull a hamstring signing the extension.
Denis Richardson
28 Posted 13/01/2016 at 19:21:20
Ian - if that's true then that's incredible. Even IF he managed to stay fit for a while, surely we would wait until the summer to make a decision. The guy's barely played for us in 4 years!

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