The Rumour Mill — Summer 2004
Speculation, conjecture, whisperings, half-truths and outright nonsense. Disclaimer
[Note: most links in this section are to external media/internet sources, where available. 
If the link is recursive (ie, leading back) to this page, it means that no external story exists — Editor].

Beattie to sign soon
30 Dec - Rumours in September suggested that James Beattie had promised David Moyes he would sign for Everton in January after the Scot telephoned him personally on the August transfer deadline to apologise that the funds to sign him then were not yet in place.

The latest rumour suggests that the England striker, who was left out of Southampton's match at Liverpool on Tuesday, is due to have a medical at a Liverpool hospital on December 31st (although Everton have all the required equipment at Bellefield, a fact that throws doubt on this story).

The Liverpool Echo reported earlier in the week that Everton were one of three clubs to have lodged bids with Southampton in the region of £6.5m for the striker.

Dunc gone by the summer
29 Dec - Possibly the easiest journo prediction to conjour up after Ferguson's latest inexcusable indiscretion at The Valley.

Yakubu for £6M
27 Dec - Everton will supposedly now chase Yakubu after Beattie may go to elsewhere for a price higher than David Moyes wants to pay.

Royle wants Dunc at Ipswich
26 Dec - A 'shock' move to Ipswich in the summer for Duncan Ferguson, so say the jurno-hacks at The People.

Beattie for £6M
26 Dec - The Independent parrots a claim from Sportsweek that David Moyes will bring in James Beattie for a fee of £6M.

Mon dieu! It's Matthieu
22 Dec - Everton are among the scouts eying Sochaux forward Jeremy Mathieu for the Premiership.

Ricksen for Gravesen shocker!
22 Dec - According to this story in the Daily Record, Everton have already watched Fernando Ricksen of Rangers on seven separate occasions this season, and have earmarked him as a ready-made replacement for Thomas Gravesen (!!!) ... but not until the end of the season. This story then prompted the usual denials.

Bulgar me, it's Berbatov!
21 Dec - Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgarian striker currently plying his trade for Bayer Leverkausen, is supposedly the ready-made replacement for Duncan Ferguson...

AC Milan in for Grav
19 Dec - Tommy Gravesen is attracting the attention of AC Milan as the January Sales near...

Crewe's Dean Ashton
17 Dec - Everton may try to tempt him away from Crewe Alexandra

Blues not tempted by Savage
16 Dec - David Prentice does not believe that Everton will go for Robbie Savage, whom David Moyes has expressed interest in before.

Campbell to leave early?
16 Dec - Kevin Campbell may move away from Everton in the January Sales to get more playing time. Not so, says David Moyes...

Olivier Bernard
15 Dec - The Newcastle left-back is a "possible target" for Everton and others...

James Beattie for £7.5m
12 Dec - The Sunday Mirror suggest that Everton are leading the chase to sign James Beattie, valued at £7.5m, during the transfer window.

Barcelona eyeing Mad Dog?
9 Dec - Thomas Gravesen's stock has risen so high that he is now being linked with a move to Barcelona. His agent, Jon Sivabaek has been a busy boy, lately!

Spurs midfielder linked
7 Dec - Fans FC, not noted for the accuracy of their recent rumours, suggest that Everton are considering a £2.8m move for Tottenham midfielder Simon Davies.

McCarthy No on McCartney
2 Dec - Mick McCarthy today slammed any suggestion that his star defender George McCartney might be moving to Everton (I hope you are all keeping up with this nonsense).

Ricksen nixes move
2 Dec - Fernando Ricksen of Rangers doubts that he will be moving to Goodison Park (Who said he would be???)

Keane to make Colm happy
2 Dec - Everton to go for Robbie Keane? At least that would make Colm Kavanagh a very happy lad!

Australian trialists
1 Dec - Sky Sports report that rising Aussie prospects Kristian Sarkies (18, midfielder) and Adrian Leijer (18, defender) are due on Merseyside (they don't say when) for trials with Everton.

Next: Wigan left-back
30 Nov - It's Leighton Baines, another glorious name to add to the lengthening list of Moyesey's new boys...

Ricketts the ticket
30 Nov - Well he might be, if this silly story about Rohan Ricketts of Spurs actually even mentioned Everton.

Who be Doumbe?
30 Nov - That would be Mathias Doumbe, Plymouth Arglye striker, and could-be Everton target?

George McCartney
29 Nov - With a name like that, it can't have been too hard making up a Merseyside connection to Sunderland's up & coming defender.

Oh no... Julio!
26 Nov - The most unreliable website in the world for transfer news reckons David Moyes will bid for Sunderland's Juilo Arco come January...

Titus Bramble, anyone?
24 Nov - David Moyes is targeting Newcastle defender Titus Bramble... Why?  It's strikers we need, you dullards!

Phil Neville for Tommy G!!!
23 Nov - So says the soaraway Sun... oh deary me.  A farm club for Man Utd?  Say it ain't so, Bill!

£7M for Robbie Keane!!!
21 Nov - Surely not... but that's what Alon Nixon says David Moyes will pay Spurs come January.

Mark Wilson, defender
19 Nov - David Moyes apparently watched Mark Wilson of Dundee United (as well as Iain Turner and perhaps some of ther other 20-odd players on show???) in last week's Scotland Under-21 encounter.

Dan Harding, left-back
19 Nov - Brighton's left-side defender Dan Harding is a traget for David Moyes, apparently...

Moyes knows of Mido ...
17 Nov - Ah, well then... if David Moyes know of the player, he must be interested, yes?

Chadwick off to Hull?
17 Nov - Nick Chadwick may be arousing the interest of Hull City in view of his perennial failure to impress David Moyes.

McFadden laon deal rejected
15 Nov - Everton have given Paul Jewell's enquiries about Jamie McFadden's availability on loan the cold shoulder.

Celtic drop Naysmith interest
9 Nov - Celtic will apparently not pursue their in interest in Gary Naysmith. The defender is out of contract in the summer and could end up at Rangers instead.

It's amazing that we have to append a caveat to this page but...
Please note: This is a rumours page and features just that — rumours; stories we have read, heard or that have been passed on to us. Please bear in mind that we make no claims of their veracity and that most of them turn out to be completely untrue.