Season › 2015-16 › News Reports: Everton in talks with Funes Mori Lyndon Lloyd , 15 August, 72comments | Jump to most recent River Plate's Ramiro Funes Mori is still on Everton's radar, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that the Blues are in talks over a move for the defender. Mori was first linked a fortnight ago alongside the loan approach for Xherdan Shaqiri but the speculation went quiet suggesting that there was either little substance to the reports or Roberto Martinez had moved on to other targets. The Echo claim that Everton representatives have been to South America to watch a player "who has been credited with playing a major role in River Plate’s recent revival" of fortunes. @ToffeeWeb I've been living in Argentina for the past 7 months and I've seen him play for River. He's a stylish CB, and very quick. Hopeful— Kevin Armstrong (@toffee6666) August 15, 2015 The report is lent credence by a tweet from Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo saying that the Blues have met River Plate's $5m valuation. The Echo's claim is that Funes Mori would cost £5.5m. A recent assessment at ESPN FC suggested that the 24-year-old is "strong, quick and dangerous at attacking set pieces... but is prone to lapses in concentration." Quotes sourced from Liverpool Echo Reader Comments (72) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Scott Bosworth 1 Posted 15/08/2015 at 01:52:32 With only 1 cap for Argentina, how would he get a permit to play in England? Don't non-EU players have to have participated in some large percentage of a country's matches? Craig Harrison 4 Posted 15/08/2015 at 02:20:27 Most likely has a European passport such as Italian. Matt Traynor 5 Posted 15/08/2015 at 03:44:57 This one concerns me. Tim Vickery on the BBC who is the South American football correspondent says he is not up to Premier League standard at all.If this is the standard we're reduced to, because of price, and particularly if this is a prelude to Stones' moving, then we're fucked. Thanks Bill and Roberto. Peter Z Jones 6 Posted 15/08/2015 at 03:51:38 Depends who you talk to Matt. One of my best friends is a huge River Plate supporter that watches every game. He says Mori is easily their best player. Considering this recent River Plate team has won every competition they've entered, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss him. He even bends free kicks in the top corner and at 6'2, I doubt he's as crap in the air as our captain. Matt Traynor 7 Posted 15/08/2015 at 04:16:51 He's talking about him now as I type this. Repeating the claim about not a Premier League CB. Said that Martinez has had problems with S American players when at Wigan, record signing, money down the drain (Boselli?)Although apparently he speaks English, so there's that. Mark Andersson 8 Posted 15/08/2015 at 04:21:54 Wow this is brilliant news. Get him in Now. British players are over priced, look at what Mucha done for Swansea in his first season. Oops just come out of me deluded state, I don't trust Robertos judgement. However I am happy to eat this green mouldy pie that's been here since the end of his first phenomenal season. Harold Matthews 9 Posted 15/08/2015 at 06:35:16 I'm ready to take anyone, Evans, Ben Gibson, Dragovic, Van Dijk, The K K guy, this lad. Roll 'em all in. Brian Porter 10 Posted 15/08/2015 at 06:50:45 He does have a good reputation, and certainly can't be worse than Alcaraz...can he? Let's not forget that even one cap fir Argentina is a big thing when one considers the wealth of talent that country produces. And, compared to British players of similar standing, cheap too. Alex Bennett 11 Posted 15/08/2015 at 06:54:32 Prone to lapses in concentration, he'll fit right in. However I'm at the stage where almost any cb that could come in as cover for Jags/Stones will do. Craig Fletcher 12 Posted 15/08/2015 at 06:58:04 Argentine defenders have a reputation for having a bit of the devil inside them... personally, I think that's what we need, Jags and Stones are too nice. As Brian said, he has been capped by Argentina, so I certainly wouldn't write off his abilities, especially when he's going to be only first-choice back up central defender for us. He has to better be than our last Argentine (the Straq, bless him). Peter Fitzpatrick 13 Posted 15/08/2015 at 07:49:13 I would side with the opinion of Tim Vickery as listening to the BBC podcast he features on weekly, he seems to call most decisions correctly and is even approached by scouts from Premier League clubs asking his thoughts on certain players in South America. Of course, for most clubs, £5million would be small change these days in terms of taking a gamble on a player. That's more than we've spent this summer. John Feeley 14 Posted 15/08/2015 at 07:54:01 Prone to his Slyvain Distin moments https://t.co/B4TJsZxkq4 John Feeley 15 Posted 15/08/2015 at 07:55:44 https://t.co/B4TJsZxkq4Link Colin Glassar 16 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:04:11 He can do the polls on TW. I know nothing about him and I don't think Tim Vickery's word is gospel either. For a full, Argentinian international £5m can't be that much of a risk can it? Steve Guy 17 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:06:12 Prone to lapses in concentration ? Ideal in a centre half. Hope Vickery is wrong but I fear another Alcaraz. Karl Jones 18 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:10:48 Is this the CB we've been waiting all summer to sign?..An unheard of Argentinian with one cap, unused to the English game..He must be good then. Surely we could look at a CB from the Championship or the 1st Division. Somebody more used to the English game as he could be making his debut next week!...This smacks of another Alcaraz type signing...or maybe when we sent Andrade back to River Plate they tried to offload this guy onto us.Somethings just not right with the Blues at the moment. Dont Boo though otherwise a certain journalist will write another column slagging you off in The Echo. Peter Fitzpatrick 19 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:13:05 If he's that good they won't mind us taking Balanta off them instead. He's a left-footed centre-half. Joe Foster 20 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:21:16 Out of our price range I am afraid. File this one under "probably going to Watford or Stoke etc etc" Jim Bennings 21 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:22:58 If he's a right dirt cynical aggressive swine like a John Terry then he'll do me fine. Brian Porter 22 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:26:12 Well said, Jim. Pete Edwards 23 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:28:38 So people complain when we miss out on reported targets we've never heard of and now people are complaining about a reported target no ones heard of potentially signing! I hope he doesn't sign for someone else as I can't be doing with yet another thread banging on about it! Thomas Surgenor 24 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:30:53 Like many on here, I've never seen him play!Anyone claiming to know much about him is surely going on FM stats/performances.If that was ground for assessment then we should have looked at his centre back partner balanta. John Crawley 25 Posted 15/08/2015 at 08:31:50 Tim Vickery is normally on the money in his assessments of players. He said the Stracq wasn't up to it and he was spot on there as well. So just based on that I'd have serious reservations. Paul Ellam 27 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:16:54 Not the biggest fan of Jon Evans but for a similar fee we would be getting a defender who can play in our league and knows it inside out so there is little or no risk involved with him that way.The only risk with Evans is his injury record. Colin Glassar 28 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:25:42 But united will want at least £8m for an injury prone, 2 mistakes per game, Evans, Paul. Argentinia does produce some very good defenders but I know nothing of this lad.I suppose if he goes to another prem club there will be those who will be up in arms about missing out on another great player. Barry McNally 29 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:32:56 Alcaraz is available on a free! Barry McNally 30 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:38:42 Colin, they produce some useful No. 10s too! Pity we didn't get Ever Banega a few years back. Marc Sansum 31 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:39:54 Now, someone mentioned Balanta. He's been listed as a "wonderkid" on football manager for the last 2 years, very highly rated. Not heard of the one we are linked with though. Shame we missed out on Adama Traore, he looks very good Colin Glassar 32 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:44:54 Marc, Barry, South America is awash with great young players and I'm not talking just Argentina and Brazil. Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and even Venezuela (Rondon is a fantastic buy for WBA) have some excellent players who will be dirt cheap. Harold Matthews 34 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:50:34 Peter / John. Tim Vickery said Forlan couldn't shoot.!!! Barry McNally 35 Posted 15/08/2015 at 09:54:04 Colin, agreed but settling is a big problem for them. At least they speak the same lingo in Spain for the non Brazilians and the weather isn't half bad on the Continent! Mike Allison 36 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:09:09 Whilst not to be taken as 'Gospel' I do respect Vickery's opinion so it's enough to worry me if he doesn't rate the guy. Van Dijk seems such an obvious move I don't understand why it's not happening. I always think that if a South American is really that good they get snapped up by a Spanish club quite quickly. Any reason why that hasn't happened to this guy?Harold, Forlan did look like he couldn't shoot for a while at United. Mark Gardiner 37 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:09:40 It doesn't matter who Martinez signs. If he doesn't change his obsession with two holding midfielders, endless backwards and sideways passing, and no help for the lone forward then we will continue to play pointless, turgid football that every opponent finds easy to play against.Signings will be irrelevant if Martinez doesn't understand that the way he wants the team to play is killing us. Given that he watched the team be awful all of last season and has continued the formation and tactics that made us awful in this preseason and in the first game of this season it seems that he will just continue to do the same thing and think that somehow we will suddenly come good.What's the bets that today's Saints game will go the same way?> Same formation same players, same endless passing going nowhere? Barry McNally 38 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:12:53 Van Dijk is a cert for Southampton, we've no chance there. Steve Pugh 39 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:36:22 The majority of comment on here are very easy to guess. If a player is unlikely to sign for us he is brilliant and we should be ashamed that we have not signed him. If it is likely that he will sign then he is crap and we are wasting our money again. Just like we did on that unknown right back from Ireland, that dutch left midfielder who had failed in Germany, or what about Tom Cleverley. Early days I know but he doesn't appear to be the total waste of space that many people claimed as soon as it became likely that he would sign for us. Alexander O'Brien 40 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:37:31 Ashley cole loan? He's just been released by Roma.....terrible idea Steve Jenkins 41 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:39:05 I don't know anything about the lad so won't judge yet, but it is deeply concerning and my gut feeling is that Roberto is having to shop within a seriously limited seriously budget.Wanted Van Dirk but it looks like we can't afford that transfer fee, this board have taken us to a level where the mighty Southampton out spend us for a defender. Colin Glassar 42 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:45:54 Mike, this has been his breakthrough season. Apparently, he used to play for DC Dallas. Do any of our American cousins know of him? Steve Jenkins 43 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:45:55 If he does sign then as others have said, I hope he's a leader & has a bit dog in him, something the back line misses & the team in general. As others have touched on we are way too nice, I can't think of any real leaders or hard men in our squad? Alexander O'Brien 44 Posted 15/08/2015 at 10:46:52 Steve, Southampton are only spending out of necessity through player sales as half their team have jumped ship in the past 12 months. In sure if Mirallas, McCarthy etc were sold then we'd be more active in the transfer market. I wouldn't want a total squad overhaul for us so it's vital we keep our best players. The club had been criticised for selling in the past so now we aren't and are still making additions the club stil get bad press. Is this new lad an improvement on Alcaraz? Probably yes, so it's a good move! Steve Jenkins 45 Posted 15/08/2015 at 11:01:16 Alexander I agree with you about not selling our best players, but why should we be in a position where we have to?Moreover, who have Stoke & Palace sold to out spend us?Swansea - who have they sold to out spend us & lets not forget that a large portion of Swansea money is being set aside for infrastructure projects, such as developing & increasing their ground, and setting academies all around Wales & Ireland.I'm sorry, but this just isn't acceptable and it's depressing to me that we need to consider selling to be able to spend a good bit of cash in the window & not bargain basement.It's been the case for years but it's home home more than ever this year, not because we continue to stand still while our main rivals take giant leaps forward but because yoyo clubs & clubs that were tiny by comparison are now neck a neck or overtaking us.What I can't make head or tail off is with our money not being reinvested into any infrastructure projects, then where is the large majority of it going? Alexander O'Brien 46 Posted 15/08/2015 at 11:05:29 Fair point Steve. I was just making comparisons to the saints. What's palaces attendances for home games, 20,000? Yet they can spend 13 mill on a 29 year old without a second thought. Things do need to change. Steve Jenkins 47 Posted 15/08/2015 at 11:18:41 Fair enough Alexander, re Saints comparison. We need to pick up a minimum of a point today, 3 would be great though, especially with our next set of fixtures. Tom Bowers 48 Posted 15/08/2015 at 11:28:59 Even Gary Cahill has lapses in concentration and he is arguably as good as anyone in the Prem.The Blues need experienced cover quickly so let's not haggle too long. Brian Williams 49 Posted 15/08/2015 at 13:09:08 I wouldn't believe a word that Red rag prints.They're still trying their hardest to sell John Stones for us. Shower of *****! Peter Gorman 50 Posted 15/08/2015 at 19:32:12 For all the people claiming they haven't seen him play, here is a compilation of his twin brother's goals which should give you no idea what to expect;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRUKrLIKe0I Nicholas Ryan 51 Posted 15/08/2015 at 20:37:50 Putting it all into perspective .... he's half the price of Scott Dann. Richard Reeves 52 Posted 15/08/2015 at 21:22:05 Just forget about replacement defenders, Roberto. The youngsters haven't let you down so far; it's some of the older players that haven't been up to it at times last season. It will save the club a fortune and that's on wages as well. Dennis Ng 53 Posted 15/08/2015 at 22:22:02 Hopefully this deal will be done soon. Haven't seen him in action but drawn out deals are way too noisy for us. Gavin Johnson 54 Posted 15/08/2015 at 23:24:00 Very annoying that the papers wont let up in trying to sell Stones. Tomorrow's Sunday Express, thinks the Stones deal is edging closer because we are in talks to buy another defender. Again they fail to mention that we need a CB anyway.Would the board even dare to sell Stones with the current unrest? Colin Glassar 55 Posted 15/08/2015 at 23:37:01 Don't worry, Gavin, it's only John 'rico' Richardson, well known Geordie piss artist, who makes Sean Custiss (The Sun) look like he's an Oxford Don. Gavin Johnson 56 Posted 15/08/2015 at 23:54:20 Colin, you were right about the ubiquitous Barkley sale stories. Right on cue we have ex-United Midfielder Alan Tonge (never heard of him) saying Barkley's too good for Everton and should secure a move to a big club like United.Expected, but still annoying. If only we had a board that would invest like a big club we wouldn't be viewed as fair game for these kind of stories. Seamus McCrudden 57 Posted 15/08/2015 at 23:57:05 Sean Custiss is a first class tool. Colin Glassar 58 Posted 15/08/2015 at 23:58:18 Just goes to show how desperate they are becoming, Gavin, when they name players no-one has ever heard of. Might as well say, my bin man says its a cert Hibbo is going to Barcelona! Si Cooper 59 Posted 15/08/2015 at 00:06:37 $5 m is only about £3.2 m isn't it? At that price must be worth a punt. Anybody but Johnny Evans for me! Mike Childs 60 Posted 16/08/2015 at 00:12:43 Colin, I thought Hippo blocked that move. Said he was going to score a goal for Everton before retiring. Andrew Ellams 61 Posted 16/08/2015 at 00:21:27 Well, the commentator on BT today said that the word is, we will make three significant signings before the deadline day.... so we can all sleep soundly. Barry McNally 62 Posted 16/08/2015 at 12:06:52 Si, you'll find all the $ signs changed to £ signs on the final contact which our inept negotiators won't spot! Tony Marsh 63 Posted 16/08/2015 at 17:48:02 Chelsea have been dismantled today. They were awful at the back against Man City; it could easily've been 6- or 7-nil. Terry pulled of at half-time... expect a huge move for Stones. Paul Jeronovich 64 Posted 16/08/2015 at 20:35:32 Latest reports suggest Villarreal are now in the running. Hopefully we get this lad in! Pete North 65 Posted 16/08/2015 at 21:19:50 I wonder how much the club has actually seen of this guy. Smacks a bit of desperation. As far as I know RM has only signed 1 player out of Argentina before for about £6m and he was known amongst Wigan fans as the worst signing they'd ever seen. Oliver Molloy 66 Posted 16/08/2015 at 21:25:22 Who was that then Pete? Pete North 67 Posted 16/08/2015 at 22:02:25 Hi Oliver - it was Mauro Boselli - a striker - looking at his uptodate wiki record, he only knows where South American goals are. Oliver Molloy 68 Posted 16/08/2015 at 22:38:06 Thanks Pete. Yeah, just checked him out. I thought it was a defender you were speaking about.He earned 4 caps for his country, so he must have had something about him at one time! Geoffrey Feeney 69 Posted 17/08/2015 at 07:48:29 Friggin' hell... the Echo are actually reporting on a real story, instead of posting every other newspaper's bollocks on the transfer rumours page. Is right! David Chait 70 Posted 17/08/2015 at 09:41:39 As a back-up, makes sense.... if we get this brilliant CB (eg, van Dijk) be ready to sell Stones. So, if this is the only CB, I'm happy. Gavin Johnson 71 Posted 17/08/2015 at 19:34:27 Could be a good signing, but at the same time, for me it would have echoes of when we signed Craig Short instead of Alan Stubbs. Stubbs was the logical signing, but Joe Royle passed up on signing him. This time the logical signing is Van Dijk, but it looks like we're not going to contest Southampton who look set to get him. Joe McMahon 72 Posted 17/08/2015 at 19:59:17 Tony (59) good to see you back! You haven't seen our old mate Richard Dodd, have you? I do miss his tales from the Freshy. Trevor Lynes 73 Posted 17/08/2015 at 23:44:30 Talk Talk Talk, this board are reported as talking, pondering, mulling over but nothing happens !Other teams are signing quite quickly but we as usual just dither.Fans called Moyes dithering Dave but its the board who do the dithering not the manager. Mark Riding 75 Posted 18/08/2015 at 16:52:55 This is on. Phil Roberts 76 Posted 18/08/2015 at 19:10:37 Villarreal have just signed Soldado from Spurs which has two possible benefits.First off, Spurs seemed to have lost 㾿m in the buying and selling of Soldado. Loose change to them, but still nice to see them have less money.Villarreal having splashed ٥m on Soldado may not have the money to also go for Funes MoriWe can but hope. Mark Riding 77 Posted 18/08/2015 at 19:15:36 The only problem with the deal, is the fact that he is actually just a bit shit. 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