Patterson pursuit off as Everton open Maitland-Niles talks

If he were to come chiefly to provide another option at right back then I still wouldn't bet against him finishing the season in central midfield - such is our continued struggle to find capable central midfielders.

I would've preferred an established name at RB but if we can get this kid on the cheap then it will be a good move. He's probably better as a wing back tbh.

Of course, we're not exactly flush with attacking midfielders either.

The loan deal could make good sense though he's an athletic and decent player, the obligation to buy part doesn't. I'd much prefer to see how he performs for us and whether his commitment is there, before we are obligated to pay £20M+ for him.

That way, if it doesn't work out, we can send him back to Arsenal and strengthen properly next summer. The worst-case scenario is that we have a player that hasn't made the grade, doesn't want to play at right-back, and doesn't want to be at Everton. Yet we'd be contracted to pay £20-25M for him instead of signing an emerging talent.

I can't see a Rangers selling Patterson to Everton, regardless of any price so, let's see what transpires over the next couple of days.

If people are happy with a lad that can't get in ahead of Callum Chambers at Arsenal, and a big journey man forward that has finished up in China we've no fucking hope. The transfer policy seems more like the end of Howard Kendalls third spell then any of the top 6 who are pulling away even more.

Why bother with Brands, sack him and save the money. We can easily look use the scouting database from FIFA 2010 if that's our policy.

Sign players like this and you can expect a mid table to a bottom struggle, and a fucking battering at the top 6. And don't be whinging about trophies - we aren't competitive, just surviving.

Nothing but the best, what a fucking joke this club is.

I guess Arsenal want to keep him as a right-back, but he has zero interest in playing there, which makes it odd that we are even linked with him. If I recall, didn't he play for England as a winger and has played a bunch of games in that role?

It reminds me a bit of when Phil Neville came, claiming he was promised to be our new defensive midfielder, but spent most of the time at right-back.

However, we might just be able to go a long way with hard work, team spirit and good organisation. If Maitland-Niles and Rondon (or similar) are part of that, then so be it – especially if it gives us a platform to improve still further next season.

Strange one but could work out, good energy, young and wants to play. But shouldn't we be looking at a specialist right back?

I searched him on youtube and his mum came up... weird. Good on him making it

Brands has been somewhat of a disappointment, a real mixed bag of signings though not helped by the conveyor belt of managers; perhaps he has not stamped his authority enough on proceedings.

However, if he's moaning about playing right-back and wants to play regularly, then he should probably look elsewhere.

I'd be content with loan plus option to buy. Same with someone like Dalot at Man Utd. Both have talent and good physical attributes - they just need a good run of games.

If we can get him and Rondon over the line we'll have a much better balanced squad than last season even if Kean and Rodriguez depart. Diaz too maybe?

To be fair, he was playing Champions League then.

Ian @14 can you be a bit more direct mate and less ambiguous about your feelings.

If we haven't got a pot to piss in then so be it. We are then having to dig deep for hidden gems – like the rest of the footballing World. Let's see what unfolds.

I'm not unrealistic and understand that we're able to afford, hence why we failed with Dumfries. But honestly, I'd prefer Jonjoe Kenny, and I think he's Championship or Scottish Premiership level.

Maitland-Niles wants to play in midfield. He's a very average Championship right-back, and I'd say he'd struggle to cope as a Championship midfielder.

£25 million option???!!

Where in Canada are you? If you have just woke up, I am guessing you are on the West Coast.

Maitland-Miles is adaptable at full-back and midfield. Watching some of the games he played last season, he was better than Kenny and I may be wrong but someone said last season he would have been a good signing for us on loan, and couldn't understand why we did not go for him.

I have watched him a couple of times last season playing for West Brom and not just against Everton as I have a site that gives me all Premier League games that, in a country like Canada during the winter, comes in handy, and beats snow shoveling.

That is the problem with Everton, we know we are close to the FFP limits, so will not dare try anything underhanded.

Too nice of a club, whereas others will use every trick in the book to get by FFP.

With the measly fine the dirty dozen received, and the Panademic that we could have argued a case as well, Everton are trying to do the right thing by not over-stepping our FFP constraints.

Although it is the right way to go about it, the ones that are landing trophies, qualifying each season for the Euro spots, they are the very ones who are getting round FFP, every single season.

This was the one time we could have argued a case for over-spending on wages etc, using the Panademic as a loss of income, and then, if we did get a big punishment, get Moshiri to hire the best lawyer to argue the penalty, as opposed to those that picked up a £3 million fine each.

This was our one big chance to land some top players.

But we blew it by telling everyone that we were struggling with FFP, now everyone knows, and the window of opportunity has now been slammed shut.

Just kidding.

I think this is exactly the kind of signing we should be making. Maitland-Niles is young, strong, fast and hungry.

Yes, he has said in the past that he didn't want to play right-back, but Ornstein's reporting makes clear that he has changed his mind, and the Instagram post makes clear that what the player wants most is to play. He risks seeing his career rotting on the vine and needs to get on the pitch. Mikie won't give him that chance. We will.

I say get it done!

I'm hearing TD is on his way if he can find himself a decent move.
A very reliable source has told me Rafa is not forcing him out, but he has made it clear to the boy that he will not stand in his way either.

If Gerrard likes him ?...

Hope it aint so, but TD played as well as he could the other night and Rafa still couldnt get him off quick enough.

Glad I`m working tomorrow night..Its gona be long and its gonna be tense

Stay and fight for your place, Tom?

I've heard similar though, and I've heard Tom has said he wants to stay and fight for his place, but maybe him and Longstaff might still end up swapping clubs tomorrow, who knows?

I don't mind if he stays, especially because I thought Benitez praised him after the Huddersfield game, and also because I think it's going to become easier to play midfield in Everton's first team, now we have slowly started playing with a higher defensive line!

Looking difficult on the right-back front now as the Patterson plan is scuppered.

Wouldn't suprise me if our only signing is Rondon.

Zeki Celik is still available, I believe; don't be surprised to see his name in the mix tomorrow.

Real Madrid have walked away from Mbappé deal. Probably sign him up in January for free.

The Mbabbé deal was always a strange one given that: a) Real are skint (allegedly); b) they can get him for nothing as you say in January.

Not fussed on Maitland-Niles... I'd love us to go for Ridle Baku of Wolfsburg, but maybe out of our price range.

Its difficult to share what you know when within a single post somebody will distort that as "Tom Davies wants to leave?"

There are lots of people on this site who can offer insight... But you can see why they are reluctant when their information is so readily distorted.

Not a statement but a question. Simple difference.

Rondon, former West Brom striker, is he going to improve our squad?

We're leaving it to the last day of the window to find a full-back and a striker.

I cannot believe the speculation about Davies, hope it's only a rumour...

How could Benitez let him go, and want to keep a mercenary like Delph who can't string two matches together because he's constantly injured, probably the most expensive crock we ever bought.

IMO, he would be okay as squad backup but whether that is enough for him, only he can answer.

Surely Brands would have known about the FFP restrictions and surely he would've known about Coleman being on his last legs, and has been for a while now.

I honestly can't see what Brands brings to the table? The 2 new lads have started well but it's a long season, aren't they meant to be squad players anyway? The way it's going, they're irreplaceable!

Could it possibly be that another team might want to sign Davies and his wages but no other teams are wanting to sign Delph and his wages? It's easy to say "Why don't we move Delph?" and not so easy to actually do it.

I can't disagree with your comment, but West Ham, Villa and Leeds are ahead of us now in the players they are targeting?

Gray and Townsend haven't been particularly mediocre so far. Since Calvert-Lewin is our first-choice striker, should we buy Rondon, he would be more of the back-up.

We have been buying expensive marquee signings for the last 5 years and they haven't improved us at all. Just cost us a lot of money. Because of this wasteful spending, we are now strapped for cash so have to be a lot more careful.

So, if we can get a few decent experienced players for a relatively small outlay to pad out the squad that's okay with me. As far as I know, Rafa has managed Rondon before so he knows what he would be getting. Best leave it to him.

The Mbappé situation is fascinating. PSG turning their nose up at €175M when they're about to lose him for nothing (likewise, Real Madrid willing to offer that much when they're about to get him for nothing). Maybe PSG thinks a season with Messi will change his mind.

Ooh, just saw that instagram post. We want you man, jump the gunners and come on already.

But Coleman, Arteta, Cahill, Baines, Jagielka, Lescott, Howard, Martyn and Distin would probably argue that they weren't mediocre.

Maitland-Niles looked decent to me on the few occasions I saw him play. He has the advantage of being relatively young and also able to play at full-back and as a defensive midfield player. And he appears hungry to play.

Tom Davies, it would be disappointing to see him leave as everyone wants to see their own progress, but I can only see him as back-up; if the lad wants regular football, then good luck to him.

Unfortunately, the players we need off the payroll we may struggle to find potential suitors and here I'm talking about Delph, Tosun and James.

Just after we signed Iwobi, I was at Old Trafford watching England v Australia. Sat next to me were two mature Arsenal fans and I asked them what they thought about Iwobi. They replied in unison ‘shite'. They were right. He might go up a notch but he will still be ten short of a Premier League footballer. He and Sigurdsson have been the worse pound-for-pound buys in Everton's history.

Am I keen on us signing Maitland-Niles? Obviously not... but, if he costs £5 million or so, then no great harm done.

Iwobi has made good contributions to a good start to this season. Why would you not value that above the opinions of randomly encountered Arsenal fans?

Players mature, get coached and improve. Why not support the lad and see what happens?

I was not influenced in any way by the opinions of the Arsenal supporters. They merely supported what I already thought. If he comes good, then so much the better for us.

How many rumors have we had about players joining Everton since the transfer window opened and yet the 3 players we have signed hardly got a mention with the so-called pundits and media outlets.

We have all been brought back down to earth with the financial restraints within the FFP ruling and a lot of rumors have started because of this, in it is a priority to sell before we can buy.

There seems a big difference in the way we are dealing with transfers now, as the manager has his first 11 or 14 players in mind, and needs backup players to build a decent squad that let us down last season.

It is early days yet but we seem to have a manager who has a definite plan of the type of player he wants, and wants, if he is allowed, to bring in, players he can use to give other players a rest.

I don't think him and Brands are interested in big name players if they don't contribute to his tactics and style at this time. Things may change in the future, but I believe any last min buys will rely on who we sell or loan out.

I don't think anyone could credibly argue that. He's played well for four games, certainly not enough to change anyone's opinion, but, if he can do the same across a season, he could actually be worth what we spent.

He and Sigurdsson have been the worse pound for pound buys in Everton's history...

What about Delph - in which position of those 3 would you ditch him?

I'm sure Benitez could've suggested players like Maitland-Niles on loan.

Iwobi has played well this season. Contributed immensly. I've enjoyed it. Hope it continues.

Somehow reminds me of Moise Kean's mother turning up at his signing on. That hasn't gone well has it? And Roger Lukaku and his constant wittering about Romelu ‘needing to leave'…

Avoid!

As for the player, getting someone as versatile as Maitland-Niles in on loan would be a good move.

Next we need some better attacking options, wingers, strikers and attacking midfielders.