Deal for Rojo stalls over fee

Thursday, 8 August, 2019 52comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton's bid to sign Marcos Rojo has been called off with Sky Sports News reporting that the Toffees were reluctant to meet Manchester United's asking price.

The Blues were turned down by Manchester United yesterday when they tried to take Chris Smalling on loan and are now making a bid to bring Rojo in instead according to the Daily Mail.

Sky, meanwhile, suggested earlier that talks were underway over a permanent deal for Rojo which the defender but there have been further reports elsewhere that United were asking for as much as £25m for the 29-year-old who has just one year left on his current contract.

The Argentine is on the fringes of the first team, behind the likes of Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Smalling himself and new signing Harry Maguire at Old Trafford but United would apparently prefer to sell him outright rather than merely send him out on loan.

Rojo is believed to have come close to joining Everton last summer but the move never materalised and Marcel Brands turned his attention to Kurt Zouma instead. Zouma was the number one target this close season as well but Chelsea's transfer ban has put paid to any chance the Frenchman could be signed on a permanent basis.  



Reader Comments (52)

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Jack Convery
1 Posted 08/08/2019 at 11:45:49
Fancy being 2nd choice to Smalling. Must do wonders for your confidence.
Steve Ferns
2 Posted 08/08/2019 at 11:48:06
He's better than Smalling though.
Pat Kelly
3 Posted 08/08/2019 at 11:51:13
We're just messing with their head at Palace
Mal van Schaick
4 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:13:27
No Rojo. He's crap.
Jerome Shields
5 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:18:31
Rojo would Rojo us.
Dave McDowell
6 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:31:33
You have to say Chelsea have had us over ref Zouma or more like we blinded ourselves to the reality of the situation.

Hindsight is wonderful but we should have called quits on Zouma mid July and turned to other targets.

For those of a certain vintage the slowies just come on and we are frantically looking who we can hook up with.

Harry Hockley
7 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:34:47
Don't spoil a good window with this crap
Kevin Dyer
8 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:38:50
Don't like this one at all (if true). Barely played in ages and what is he - 5th or 6th choice CB at a team we are supposed to be gunning for? Hoovering up the unwanted players from a top 6 side, must be better options available. We must have anticipated potential problems getting a defender off Chelski, surely?

Well so far no duff signings from Brands (codicil: see how Mina performs this season), with no purchases above market value, so we'll see what the state of play is when the window crashes shut tonight.

David Pearl
9 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:47:19
Rojo is another good player from a huge imbalanced squad. There are a few similar players such as Delph that improve on what we have.

If he signs for us l will wait till l see how he fits in before passing judgement and trust Brands. After all, l have no choice.

Zouma will now be first choice at Chelsea by the looks of things after Lampard has had a look at this options. He won't now be coming here now, or January. Poor thing.

Johan Elmgren
11 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:52:13
My god, signing Rojo would almost be as underwhelming as when we appointed Allardyce... Please do not sign this one, he's such a liability. He'd spend most of the time off the pitch either suspended or injured. Signing him after such a great window would be really disappointing. There are plenty of good CBs out there, both better and younger...
Tony Everan
13 Posted 08/08/2019 at 12:57:51
You cannot be serious.

What are they doing ? I know we need back up but signing Man Utd 's 5th choice defender, on a permanent too, is sheer desperation.

He is always injured or making rash challenges and getting booked risking being sent off. VAR will have a field day with him, he will be a liability.

There has got to be a better option.

If not, get him in on loan only, surely we don't want a permanently injured Man U cast off as a highly paid millstone.

Kevin Dyer
14 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:17:51
David #9 no comparison with Delph, who was simply swamped by the massive talent level at City, yet still got game time. Rojo barely played for a wobbly United team that were poor defensively last season and is behind such mediocrities as Jones and Smalling.

The quoted price of £25m would be a criminal waste of cash.

Soren Moyer
15 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:20:52
Ironically we got rid of a current Argentine international (Funes Mori) and going after a has been Argentine international!!!
Philip Bunting
16 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:27:03
Problem is as it stands we have 2 centre halfs and time running out! if no one comes to back up suspensions, injury, etc we are left with Holgate nd a few untested reserves. Looking at this now any other club will be looking top dollar as we are boxed into a corner here. Left it a bit late
Stephen Brown
17 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:29:06
10m or under worth a punt!

25m scandalous waste of money with no sell on value! A panic buy!

John Kavanagh
18 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:31:08
Just when I thought this was a very good bordering on excellent window, Everton go and ruin it by signing yet another Man U reject and an injury prone thug to boot. If the fee really is the £20 million quoted is that all the Mancs can afford to pay us to get this POS off their books?


Phil Smith
19 Posted 08/08/2019 at 13:54:23
No f...ing way! I'd play Pennington than this guy. Please God no!
Johan Elmgren
20 Posted 08/08/2019 at 14:14:31
Philip #14
Yes, we left it to late, that's the big problem. The Zouma-wait was a big miscalculation...

But I'd rather we sign no-one and stick with Holgate/Pennington/Gibson/Feeney as backup instead of Rojo, who probably won't play that much anyway. And then buy a CB in the January-window instead...

But hopefully this is just a rumour stirred by Man Utd-rags and we buy a CB that's the real deal. As I said there are plenty out there...

Michael Fox
21 Posted 08/08/2019 at 14:27:26
Please please please not Rojo. He's a red card waiting to happen.
Lewis Barclay
22 Posted 08/08/2019 at 14:55:52
What were we doing letting Jags go? I guess he wanted to play more often and we couldn't guarantee it, but otherwise, it seems foolish.
Tony Twist
23 Posted 08/08/2019 at 14:59:12
Jesus, scrapping the bottom of the barrel with this one. United taking the piss with Smalling, this bloke is a car crash defender, walk away Everton.
Joe McMahon
24 Posted 08/08/2019 at 14:59:56
Lewis, Jaqs is at Sheff UTD, does that not tell you anything. Like Baines he was once very good, but that is a few years ago.
Steve Ferns
25 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:12:28
I wonder how much Silva knows about Rojo? Rojo was at sporting and left in the summer of 2014 just as Silva came in. Technically, Silva was his manager for a period, but I don't think he ever took him for training.

We were heavily linked last summer but went with Zouma before. reports are conflicting as to whether that was preferable or because we could not land Rojo.

I watched Rojo a good few times In the 2013/14 season and he was great. He did stand out in the second best side in Portugal. However, it seems that injuries have reduced him and he's no longer that player. But why would we buy him rather than loan him if that is indeed the case? Maybe Silva and Brands think they can bring Rojo back to his best. The length of contract will say a lot here. It can't be longer than 3 years.

Tony Byrne
26 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:22:38
We have knowingly needed a centre half all summer, the fact that we are scratching around on deadline day is pretty piss poor, to be linked with Rojo is almost laughable, an absolute overrated car crash of a player, sly, dirty yard dog of a defender.

Surely the club knew early on in the summer that Zouma was a definite no no. We have had a decent transfer window so far, a centre half for me, was top priority.

Steve Ferns
27 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:27:54
Tony, Chelsea had 6 senior centre backs. Rudiger is already in training. If Luiz has knuckled down, I think Chelsea might have sold Zouma. I certainly think they'd have let him go in January. If so, we probably thought we'd get him if we made a big offer.

Luiz obviously put a spanner in the works with his strop, and he's stamped his feet and got his way. Zouma being a nice guy has just got on with it and will sit on the bench more readily.

If we can get Zouma, next summer, why aren't we just loaning a centre half for now? That's what I don't understand.

Tony Byrne
28 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:41:50
Steve,I kinda get that but leaving it this late? A day before deadline day & sideshow wants to leave for Arsenal?

Would we have been prepared to risk all in the hope that Zouma would want to join us? Right up until the last minute, so to speak.

As I say, a good window but very disappointed the CH position has not been addressed.

John Davies
29 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:45:00
This one cannot happen. Pray we do not RUIN a decent transfer window so far by signing this guy. He's garbage.
Keith Gleave
30 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:45:03
No thanks, another united cast off and rubbish
Jerome Shields
31 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:47:31
Apparently missed 54 games in this past two years.
Alan McGuffog
32 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:48:40
Does Mina figure in future plans ?
Phil Wood
33 Posted 08/08/2019 at 15:58:32
What a mess!
United cannot wait to offload.
Please No.
Alan J Thompson
34 Posted 08/08/2019 at 16:11:26
Unless this bloke has pace that Mina and Keane don't have then I don't see the point as Gbamin did say that he might also be asked to play central defence if the need arose.

And I thought that we already had a central defender who captains his country - Martina.

Paul Jones
35 Posted 08/08/2019 at 16:12:41
Would be a disaster. If was not a United player would rightly have the most red cards in a season. If we signed him would quickly acquire that record.
Rob Dolby
37 Posted 08/08/2019 at 16:39:21
Panic button signing.

I just hope this falls through. He isn't a left back or centre back.

Total scatter gun approach to this window as far as I am concerned.

Linked with just about everyone and bidding on multiple players that don't exactly spark the imagination or will improve the team.

Overloading with defensive midfielders, not addressing last year's failings of lack of goals only buying a 19 year old striker unproven in the prem.

Pretty dissapointing window.

Jack Convery
38 Posted 08/08/2019 at 16:43:19
Good - let it stay stalled.
John Mckay
39 Posted 08/08/2019 at 16:55:13
Disappointing about Zaha and Zouma. But at least we tried to sign the players we wanted.

Decent window getting Kean signed up.

Got rid of a lot of dead wood with more likely to go to European and Turkish teams.

Decent window, glad we didn't sign Rojo or Iwobi although there is still 7minutes to go.

Happy with bernard Kean gylfi and Richarlison for our attacking 4 players with Tosun, Walcott and DCL as back.

Ok could have really assaulted the top 4 with Zaha and Zouma in my opinion, but don't write the players off that we got.

David Currie
40 Posted 08/08/2019 at 17:47:40
Smalling, Rojo and Jones are all shit, please no. I thought those days were over where we buy United rejects.
Brendan Fox
41 Posted 08/08/2019 at 18:12:50
M&M need to stay off the crack pipe if they think Rojo is the answer to any defensive frailties they think the squad has, dodged a bullet here me thinks...
Peter Warren
42 Posted 08/08/2019 at 18:15:48
Aside from Kean who is a risk, we missed out on Zaha, Zouma and Doucouré. All in all pretty disappointing although I think Iwobi is a decent second choice to Zaha personally although appreciate many disagree.

I think the loss of Gueye is huge, greater than Zouma and unlike most think that was most important to replace more than any other. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised by the signing of Gbamin but from what I have read he seems a totally different profile than Gueye replacement.

All in all, given we had last year to convince Zouma, 6 months to replace Gueye - seems more a failure than success in transfer market this summer. The January market always even harder.

Another long hard season ahead of us in my view.

Steve Ferns
43 Posted 08/08/2019 at 18:21:23
Big season for Holgate then and a real opportunity for Gibson and Feeney. I hope at least one of the trio can be the centre-half we need.
Tony Everan
44 Posted 08/08/2019 at 18:32:46
Yes Steve, A golden opportunity for those lads to step up to the plate. I still have high hopes for Holgate , I watched him last year playing for West Brom and I thought he did well , looked disciplined and focussed. The loan may have done him good.

Gbamin may do a decent job too of filling in, with a bit of luck.

Whatever , I am glad we didn't sign Rojo on a 3-4 year contract , rather the boys or Gbamin be on standby . A loan would have been acceptable.

Terry Farrell
45 Posted 08/08/2019 at 18:46:44
Dodged an AK47 of bullets with him. Injury prone, no sell on value, too expensive and shit.
Mina needs to stay injury free and holgate will be very important. He needs to play like he did for big Sam not like west ham at home last season.
Ian Pilkington
46 Posted 08/08/2019 at 19:34:37
Missing out on Rojo is a huge relief. I fully expect us to finish above Manchester United next season and we don't need to relieve them of their cast-offs.
Failure to have a Plan B in the event of Zouma staying at Chelsea was the only blip in the window as far as I'm concerned.
Until January when a new CB should be available, possibly even Zouma, adequate cover for Kean and Mina should be forthcoming from Holgate, Gbamin and Sidibe (both supposedly able to play at CB) and possibly young Gibson.
Shaun Laycock
47 Posted 08/08/2019 at 20:08:19
Dodged a gargantuan sized bullet for me 😌
Drew O'Neall
48 Posted 08/08/2019 at 20:11:35
The centre back kept out of the Argentina team by Ramiro Funes-More.
Stephen Waller
49 Posted 08/08/2019 at 20:52:31
A bullet dodged phew
David Ellis
50 Posted 08/08/2019 at 23:07:59
I can't believe people saying we've had a bad window. Its definitely 8 out of 10 for me. Silva said he needed a centre forward, a right winger, a right back, a central midfielder (plus Gomez), a replacement for Gana and a centre back.
We got all of those (plus a back up keeper) apart from a centre back. That's a shame but some things are out of our control and I think the fact that Gbamin can play there means Brands didn't need to panic buy one of these Utd players at ridiculous prices. Hopefully Zouma comes next summer after a year on the bench.

In addition we have shifted Lookman, Vlasic and McCarthy for decent money and time still to move on Tosun, Henry O and perhaps Schneiderlin (as well as loaning out the likes of Mirallas and Bolasie). Overall a good window

John Pierce
51 Posted 08/08/2019 at 23:15:16
Looked a typical tenacious Argentine tackler maybe 5 years ago. The premier league has always been beyond him. A lack of pace encouraged him to be right up the attacking players arse and he was too often impetuous and crude.
Older, injury ravaged and even more filthy in the tackle, I'm overjoyed we haven't managed to agree a deal.
It's going to take a big adjustment from Silva playing Mina and Keane if he persists with a high line. Personally even with the deficiencies in his game has to be Keane and Holgate for me.
Derek Knox
52 Posted 08/08/2019 at 23:41:03
The only way I would have thought this would have worked was for a short term loan for Rojo, but having said that it's a bit like the striker situation we failed to address until recently.

We new we needed one, well in advance yet, left it too late in the hope that somehow we would either get Zouma back, or Fikayo Tomori on loan, the David Luiz situation put paid to that.

I did think that there may have been a revelation late on, but it wasn't to be, but overall considering the situation we were in, and needing more out's than in's, not a bad Window at all.

Apart from that 'oversight'!

Steve Ferns
53 Posted 08/08/2019 at 23:44:58
JP Gbamin just ahead of the pair of CB's in the DM role. He looks like he has pace to burn. It should work.
John Pierce
54 Posted 08/08/2019 at 23:56:49
I hope so Steve, the problem is defenders without pace subconsciously drop that vital 10yards. It drags the team unit back and takes further from goal. In worse cases the team becomes separated from slower center backs and space is created in the no. 10 position and behind the full backs who are generally higher. Potentially that space is further exploited if Gbamin has to tidy up and has less impact going forward.
Silva got the unit playing higher up the park towards the end of last season. We were much less vulnerable and turned the ball over much closer to the opponents goal.
It's a big miss not getting a quick CB.
Martin Berry
55 Posted 09/08/2019 at 09:03:44
Have faith in Mason Holgate, the lad is a ball playing CB no hoofer.
He will fill out, be tougher after his loans in the Championship. bear in mind he is just 22 and has fantastic potential.
The Centre back position tends to be occupied by older players, he will be one in a few years and I expect big things

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