Everton are said to be no longer pursuing Denzil Dumfries

The rumor I heard a week or so ago is that everything had been agreed with Dumfries and PSV. The problem was FFP and Everton had to sell to balance the books for the fee and the wages. Moshri can no longer just write a cheque, as we could get fined or banned from the European competitions we are buying him to try and compete in.

I think that's a great shame. He was a cheap option for the quality he provides at £13M.

The waste of £30M on Iwobi, £20M on Sandro Ramirez, £25M on Tosun, and £20M on Walcott has come back to haunt us.

Even if Seamus lasts the season, he is still quite a bit short of his best.

On the upside, the eternal optimist on me has always wanted Jonjoe Kenny to succeed. So maybe this will be his season.

I also thought when Martinez was in charge and Baines got injured towards the end of the season, Luke Garbutt was his heir apparent.

So probably not….

With each passing day, the reasons for Ancelotti jumping ship become more apparent. This news, if true, does not augur well for the coming season.

Jay, where did you get the £13M figure from? Seems very cheap. Bernard's annual wages would cover half of it.

Shane, somewhere around £13M has been a fairly widely reported release fee in his PSV contract.

I think we have to resign ourselves to the realistic prospect of no further transfers unless there is a substantial sale. It's all rumours etc… but we really are hamstrung by Premier League and FFP rules.

In real terms, unless we sell, we have an incoming transfer embargo until some of these losers' contracts expire. No fucker's going to sign them. They're shit.

Ahh well, another season of shit. We might have a plucky season if we're lucky! Getting bored of supporting shite though!

I'd take Barry Horne over some of the wasters in our current midfield, and he was in the midfield when we narrowly escaped relegation!

Plus, relying on Kenny and Coleman for right-back is just fucking daft…

I still hope this can happen.

Otherwise, with Coleman and Kenny, we are unfortunately effectively taking a step backwards. A player whose best days are behind him and one who will not make it at a top club challenging for honours.

Real shame if this is true. I'd understand him choosing Inter over Everton, but we desperately need a right-back and he looked perfect.

Hopefully we'll be able to shift some of the average players that could generate a decent fee: Mina, Gomes, Davies, Holgate...

If we could have signed Bailey, Dumfries and Koulibaly I think we'd have really pushed for Top 4. Without that level of quality, we'll be mid table again.

Good luck with selling Holgate! Also, if anyone thinks Kenny is the solution for our right-back situation, they should ask Celtic fans... lol!

Soren,

I think we could possibly get around £10M maximum for Mason. Maybe off one of the promoted teams. Should anyone offer that amount, it's sell, sell for me.

Our shameful nouveau riche behavior of previous years hinders our future. If Benitez makes something from this team, I will be the first to congratulate him. We are a total mess, to be honest.

Kenny sadly isn't the solution.

We won't get much for Holgate; he would need to take a step down. Likewise Keane who we got mugged for by Burnley.

Sadly, our most sellable assets in defence are our best ones. Mina, Godfrey and Digne.

Jay where is this £20M figure for Sandro Ramirez coming from?

If you are including wages, you need to up the rest of those numbers, because even if including his wages over 4 years + fee, you get around £18M, ignoring anything recouped from his loans.

Better make Iwobi more like £43M if he sees out his contract. Walcott was more like £48M for his 4 years, including transfer fee. All in for Cenk, it's £33M.

Source: Alex Iwobi at Spotrac

It's times like this that I'd like to see Allardyce, Koeman etc, dragged out, put against a wall and shot. Great at squandering other people's money.

Shithouses.

Ray,

Managers throwing other people's money away, we have just recruited the master.

Ray,

You can include Brands in your line-up for the execution squad. He chooses our players and has done for the past few seasons and should be held culpable.

Imagine what you could get for the money squandered on the fee and wages of Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Delph, Schneiderlin to name but a few. All crap by and large. Players who were past their prime when coming to us. Mis-managed from the very top.

It's clear this season that, in terms of Marquee players, we're signing nobody... and the likes of even Nuno Espirito could see we were brassic – hence us getting Rafa. A man who wanted the job on any terms – and so good luck to him is what I say; he's getting no financial help whatsoever because we've blown the gaff.

Our story is starting to look a lot like Villa's a couple of seasons before they went down. They spent a fortune on Milner, Young etc and then had to unload without being able to bring much in and it all went south from there.

He looks a decent player and it would be a shame if we miss out on him.

If we have to go into the season with the squad we have got now, it's going to be a very long and underwhelming season.

Mark, by all means make your case against Brands but he didn't sign Schneiderlin or Sigurdsson!

He's not just decent, David. I'd sell to buy him, even if it was a player I'd rather keep.

Andrew. Sadly we've been in worse places than we are now. It's not that bad and if we look forward, there is a lot to be positive about.

In 1998, we stayed up by 5 goals and a dodgy decision away to Bolton earlier in the season. No sign of a new stadium other than talk and we were in a desperate financial situation. We had a player like Gareth Farrelly as our ultimate saviour. Dark times.

Now right now, if some are to be believed, then yes we are having to play clever to adhere to FFP rules, but we and our owners aren't skint. And this is still a squad that almost qualified for Europe last season. On top of that, we have "spades in the ground" to build a magnificent stadium that will transform our club and city.

Much frustration at the way we've cocked up the last few seasons. But much to be optimistic about if you look forward. We may have to take a step back as a result of mismanagement, but in 2 or 3 years time, I'm confident we will have taken several forward. Onward Evertonians.

Moshiri is paying a high price for listening to the bloated Siren who lured him to Goodison. It's his own fault for surrounding himself with feeble-minded crettins and morons.

Karma's a bitch, Farhad. Maybe it's time to sell up to Boys Pen Bill for a fiver and sod off!! That was the Blue Buddha's intention all along.

Maybe Everton has stopped chasing Dumfries because he has his heart set on joining Inter Milan? That's even if we were ever in for him in the first place.

A long way to go before this lad is anywhere near being a top defender.
Good going forward but weak defending imo.

"Moshri can no longer just write a cheque, as we could get fined or banned from the European competitions we are buying him to try and compete in."

Well, whether we sign him and get banned or don't sign him and don't qualify – it is the same thing.

Typical. Please not Kenny. Nowhere near good enough for Celtic.

Always exciting rumours, then we do next to nothing or an 'Iwobi'.

Simon, I agree. But Steven Naismith couldn't hack it in the Championship at Norwich, hasn't set the world alight at Hearts but did okay at Everton. That said, we require a better calibre of player these days to even get mid-table.

Colin, “the Blue Buddha”…..hahahahahahaha brilliant.

Only Everton could bring in a billionaire (or two if some are to be believed), buy a load of absolute shite and then get hamstrung by some rule made up to maintain the disgusting status quo of the monied clubs (was it a £2m fine for ESL?). I also heard yesterday from a director at another club that one of the Sky 6 is practically bankrupt and they're on an emergency loan. Believe what you will…

The club has been run so badly for the past 25 years it's not true. It's unlikely we'll see anyone else come in now and I fully expect this dysfunctional rabble to be in a relegation fight given how well (once again) the clubs around us are recruiting. Nirvana it certainly isn't.

I think Rafa has already done his transfer business. Not to worry, there's the Christmas sales to look forward to.

Just 29 days till the window closes, I wonder how many of our current squad will be here on that date.

Ray @ 19, I'll get my coat.

Inter are trying to sign Hector Bellerin from Arsenal so where will that leave Dumfries?

We needed a right-back a year ago, Seamus is fantastic as back-up and to rotate, but he shouldn't be hung out to dry as the answer. Holgate is not the answer either, and Kenny doesn't look like he is a Top 6 right-back. I will be surprised if we don't sign someone. Brands is probably scouring the bargain basement as we speak, and who knows – he may actually find a bargain.

A bigger priority is to sort the Kean situation out, get some money in and splash the cash get a player who can score some goals for us. Someone like Matheus Perreira who can bring goals, assists, and something different to our attacking play.

Any chance Gomes and Iwobi refusing to turn up for training? I'm sure Pep would soon be on the blower. (I wish...)

My only comment is... "Ah, crap."

Should we really be so worried about FFP? Considering how lightly the teams involved in the Super League were punished, will we really face anything worse than their punishments?

I'm really struggling to see how we are as broke as the papers make out... With Usmanov's nephew being promoted to the board (and all the other ties), I thought it was all but confirmed that he has a bigger stake than we were led to believe!

The optimist in me thinks maybe we are using the narrative to lower the prices on some of our bigger targets!

The reality is, as a number have stated, we can't buy anyone until some are sold and we bring down the wage bill substantially. Our £100k a week flops, and some of our £100k a week gooduns need to be off-loaded, and quickly – Gomes. Rodriquez, Iwobi, Tosun, Delph, Sigurdsson, Richarlison. But only Richarlison and possibly Rodriquez will go; the rest will stay as no-one else will pay their wages.

We might be lucky to get a few youngsters in with potential and on £20-30k a week and hope Benitez can craft a team out of them.

We really are done for re FFP – no easy way out. The big boys don't want their cream pie diluted by new boys on the block. Leicester have nearly done it twice recently but they've been well managed.

Totally with you on that, Tony @31, we must sign a right-back and ship Kenny out.

The Kean situation is most likely holding everything up; I'd take £40M for him right now or we say "It's too late, you are with us until January, deal with it."

We can buy two players for that money.

My understanding of the situation is that it isn't FFP, more to do with Premier League rules, to stop clubs doing a Leeds or a Portsmouth.

The failing is not producing a competent right-back from the youth. This problem isn't a season in the making, it's been on the cards for a couple of years now and not dealt with.

Everton have been amateur-ish with player purchases and player management and the building of a solid spine to the team that would last years (or lack of) and this being all under Moshiri's reign. A raising of standards is definitely required; purchases with promise – not OAP seasoned professionals.

"The failing is not producing a competent right-back from the youth."

Huh?

The "youth" produced a perfectly competent right-back in Jonjoe Kenny.

Nathan Markelo and Kyle John are probably competent right-backs.

But "competent" won't do it if you want this club to play in the Champions League and challenge for silverware. We need star players, top players.

Andrew (18) - That's a pretty tenuous link. I can't see how that sort of scaremongering is constructive.

David (39), can you explain what you mean by that?

Doesn't FFP nominally exist to prevent clubs acting as Leeds and Portsmouth did? On the face of it, it is sensible regulation to stop clubs operating beyond their means but, in practise, it cements in place the current status quo.

If a club can't use the largesse of a benefactor to improve their squads, then they are left with attempting incremental growth through coaches improving the performance of the players they already have or by bringing in and developing youngsters with potential. That is fine in theory but incredibly difficult to achieve in practice because of the hit-and-miss nature of managers and coaches and youngsters still developing, and all the time you are still liable to lose your best players to the richer clubs.

To my mind, Leicester City are perhaps the only decent example (in this country) of a club changing their status since FFP was introduced. If you don't achieve that jump in standards in one go, then it seems likely clubs will have to spend some seasons recouping their losses before they can try to bridge the gap again.

Missing out on a relatively inexpensive ready-to-go player like Dumfries seems to put us back to square one as far as the right-back position goes.

Andrew @ 42. How is it tenuous? Look at the money we've spent in the past 5 years and look at the team that we are about to start this season with. Add onto that, our manager has apparently told the golden boy he can leave – so where does that leave us?

The team that finished 10th last season and is starting this one as a shambles. It's not a pretty scene right now.

Portuguese media saying we've signed Matteus Nunes.

My Portuguese ain't great but I think that's what it said.

The answer on signing a new full-back to me lies in whatever formation we're going to play. We've had too many square pegs in round holes for years as we simply don't have a regular week in week out formation.

Most Blues seem to think we'll be playing a starting 14, trying to shoehorn a 3 pronged attack, 2 wingers with pace, a No 6, 8 and 10, 3 centre-backs and a couple of attacking full-backs. I'm afraid were going to have to sell a couple of regulars to finance a move for a full-back or more likely change the formation to one that fits our current squad.

Conte at Chelsea upset a few superstars and fans with his 3 at the back, 2 wing backs formation a few years ago, but the Premier League trophy sweetened the blow for many of their fans. If we do something similar, I wouldn't put it past Townsend doing the same job as Victor Moses did as a right-wingback.

Colin. Nunes 3 club goals in 4 years. Shave his beard like Gomes and he will fit right in.

The ideal scenario in the modern squad- and rotation-based game, Andy, is to have options. Last season and for too long, we have not had enough options.

Have the flexibility to mix it and change the formation. Both in terms of how you set up generally but then on the pitch when you have possession as opposed to when you don't.

Most teams will do that. Liverpool were a bit of a freak in that they were so predictable and you knew what was coming but it was difficult to combat. Man City; does anyone know if they even play a formation?!!!

Just looked at Nunes on YouTube (yes, I know) – he's a real talent and his skill at getting out of tight situations is boss. Loves to drive forward. Gomes can't even spell that word.

Andy, it seems very likely we'll play 4-5-1 (or 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3 variant) switching to 5-2-2-1 (or 5-3-2 variant) if results don't go our way. That's what Benitez did at Newcastle.

In either system, Benitez is likely to play Digne on the left of course. As for the right flank – and a modern full-back should be capable of playing right-back or right-wingback – that includes all those recently linked like Dumfries, Aarons and Dalot.

At the moment, we have Coleman and Kenny. Iwobi can just about play right-wingback but not right-back. Holgate can just about play right-back but not right-wingback.

I suspect we will strengthen this position therefore... but we're probably waiting for selling clubs to show some desperation to sell (reducing the price), for players' preferred destinations to not work out (like Dumfries to Inter), and maybe some players to become available for loan (like Dalot).

This is very much the Moyes-era scenario. So it might go right to Deadline Day for us to complete our business.

Colin @45,

Seems to me like it's just Mendes gobbing off again, providing morsels for the rabid pack of clickbait hounds. I don't usually engage until it makes the pages of more reputable sources... but nothing is certain in this malarkey!

With the notable exception of Paul the Esk, how many of us have even a rudimentary grasp of sustainability and FFP rules? Yet many pontificate about them.

Okay, you've got me into the formation discussion. For me, the most complete is 4-2-3-1. The Germany team that emerged in 2010 and then won the World Cup on 2014 executed it perfectly. You've theoretically always got 4 players forward but 6 when needed. Conversely, you've always got 6 defending when you lose possession. The most effective attacking wise is 3-5-2 in my opinion. But you have to absolutely have the right balance of player to set up 3-5-2 or it will bite you.

As with any formation, it comes down to having the right players and the right calibre of player. If you play 3-5-2 with the wrong wing backs or don't have a rapid covering defensive midfielder who can slot in when the wing back gallops forward, your flanks get exposed. The likes of Gueye could have done that well I think.

And, in the modern game, formations fluctuate during a game, let alone from game-to-game. Gone are the days when you pick your best 11 if fit and line up in a predictable 4-4-2 every week. Or try to make a 4-5-1 regardless (Moyes). It's a squad rotation game and that includes the formation. Hence the discussion elsewhere about James Rodriguez and the obsession he must play every week to prove his worth. Play the formation that suits the players available. Don't make the players available try to suit the formation you insist on wanting to play.

Kenny did actually play wing back for Schalke when I watched him there. He done okay, but he was a bit of a headless chicken. He took it as a licence to run forward; almost Forrest Gump style. Admirable you may say, but there were two problems with it. Firstly, he left the defence exposed and he got roasted by the centre backs. Kavak, who was on loan across the park last season in particular was not impressed with him in one game I watched. Secondly, he kept running into the space of the forwards trying to make diagonals, so his eagerness to get forward actually compressed the space. His reading of the situation wasn't great.

Shame about Jonjoe; I always had hope for him.

I'm a confessed dunce on the subject of finances and the details of FFP Martin. I just look at what goes in the bank and goes out of the bank every month and hope that the difference balances out!!

My understanding of FFP is conceptual. Like many, I guess the concept and principle is well intended to ensure clubs live within their means. But on the flip side it seems it is there to preserve an elite club of clubs.

But like any walk of business, if a benefactor decides to invest, within reason, why should that be constrained?

I say within reason. Any industry or commercial vector is subject to governance and regulation and there is good reason for that. But it should never get to the point it stops startups from challenging the established elite or sleeping giants awakening to realise their potential.

Business is business and outside of the playing field, football is no different in my opinion. The "suits" in Switzerland and their Premier League / FA counterparts in London seem to enjoy dining at the table. They also seemingly like to choose who they dine with. Mainly whoever is buying dinner and the expensive wine.

1984 and George Orwell. All animals are equal. But some are more equal than others.

Danny, that is a very sound analysis. In the past 30 or so years, 'Independent Regulation' has been put forward as a solution to the perceived failings of free markets.

The trouble is that unless a regulator is dissolved as soon as the objective it has been created for is met, it will inevitably be captured by the most powerful members of the industry it was set up to control.

The objectives of FFP were originally to improve competition and constrain the purchase of success. In fact, it has now become another method whereby the Shitty Six and their mates in Europe retain their stranglehold on the game by preventing any other clubs from spending as they do.

Uefa, the Premier League and the rest do not "represent" the game of football any more than the European Commission "represents" the interests of anyone apart from German and French oligarchs, or the current US government represents anything but the interest of the technology monopolists, or the BBC "represents" anything but an arrogant but intellectually unimpressive clique from England's increasingly poor self-styled "elite" universities.

Danny and Charles - that's my general understanding of the "rules". It's the detail of those rules that I have no real knowledge of - for example, those rules seem to allow the PL champions to spend up to £260million on two players, their city rivals to (ultimately) spend £200million+ on, perhaps, three yet limit expenditure by 10th placed side to £1.5million.

Martin @56
As one of those described above as a pontificator relating to FFP my take on it is a very simplistic one, Income minus expenditure equals either profit or loss, if the losses accrued over a 3 year period exceed £105m on average, a club incurs the wrath of the governing body, with possible sanctions to follow. Certain expenditure doesn't count in relation to FFP, so building a new stand, stadium is exempt from the calculations.

Everton's problem lies with its commercial revenue stream, we've had 20 years of very little income from sponsors, etc when compared to our rivals whilst the monied clubs are backed by large internationally known corporations, therefore, the rich clubs are unlikely to be loss-making to the same extent as a club like ours. Similar to a poker player the player with the biggest pot to spend at the start of the game, will likely end up in a better position than a player who has a small stash, to begin with.

Many of the 'elite' clubs don't like the fact that Manchester City has attempted to circumvent the rules, claiming that City is merely putting wealth in the club via the backdoor and City saying it is legitimate commercial income enabling the Manchester club to spend huge amounts on transfers and wages.

I think City were called out for some shady sponsorship deal that did not reflect commercial value.

It would be quite simple for say the chairman to say my company USM agree to sponsor the shirts for £500m per year. Problem solved. But that is clearly £10m for the shirts and £490m as an investment by an company linked to the club which is restricted under FFP. It could be that £10m is for the private box and a meal in the Alex Young Suite, but again is that the true value of a few soggy roast potatoes.

The rules are geared to getting joe public from all places between Alaska and Auckland to buy stuff to provide the income. What would be an interesting question. Instead of £60 a shirt we only charged £30. Would we get many more people between Auckland and Alaska buying our shirt because it is cheaper and actually have a bigger gross income? One for the marketing guys.

Phil - 58 - would we have far more than twice as many joe public buying the shirt at £30 instead of £60 between Alaska and Auckland if the price was halved?

There are many ways in which this club can capitalise on existing and growing markets but just like the players we have (James apart), there is no outstanding marketing dept to take advantage.

Phil @58
It's not the sale of football stuff that provides the bulk of the income for the chosen few, although they do make a lot more than Everton in that respect, rather it's the deals they do with household brands that provide them with loadsa dosh. Look at the adverts featuring Chelsea since they became European Champions, they help to promote the club and sell the product that the sponsors want the public to buy.

It really is a catch-22, become successful, which will attract better commercial deals, helps to put finance in place for new players, which helps the club to remain successful in the case of Chelsea and the like. For clubs like us, unsuccessful, scrabble around for significant sponsorship, unable to purchase the very best players, have to sell the assets to refresh the squad every few years, remain unsuccessful.

Normal service resumed then.

Aren't we supposed to say "Ah well, we didn't really want him anyway"? Not half, cock, he would have been ideal and at the right price.

Like Ray Roche said the other day, Koeman and Allardyce, aided by Walsh, should have been put against the shithouse wall and shot, after flame-throwing their genitals! Bastards!

When Nunes was first mentioned, the reports and analysis on ToffeeWeb were not good regarding his ability range.

I expect Moshiri to release funds at the last minute as usual, but FFS rules are going to set limits. If Benitez can spend another £1. 8 million before then and get a right-back, maybe not.

I remember the seasons we were looking for a left-back and along came Digne. Here's hoping. I do expect a few movements out to part-finance any comings in.

Is Brands back from his holidays yet?

Supposedly looking at a loan with an obligation to buy. That seems sensible given our history with Dutch players if they can get those terms. Totally derisks the situation.

Surprised no one else has come in for him mind.

I work with a PSV season ticket holder and he says Dumfries will run all day but his defending is not the best. Might explain the apparent lack of interest despite his good showing at the Euros.

I can see that Paul. Might be better as a wing back, but not sure we have a good 3 at the back.

He looked great going forward, but positionally popped up everywhere. Even left wing for the Dutch 😆.

Just get him.

We've bemoaned being too defensive. Let's get players who give the other side something to worry about and put them on the back foot.

Let's get on the front foot. This player can help us do that.

The latest is that we want him on loan for a season. Or is that a way of saying we are not really interested. We want everybody on the cheap nowadays.

I see on Twitter now that Everton have finally reached an agreement with PSV for Dumfries for around £10 - 12M but he has rejected us for Inter!

Everton should of reached an agreement months ago when it was first reported not now all of a sudden, once again they have wasted time on bumbling around and another club has come in, disgraceful!

With this news and Dumfries rejecting Everton – plus Small leaving – I smell a rat and see a sinking ship!

Still not quite sure how Moshi's millions went from causing jealousy from clubs around us, to scratching the bottom of the barrel and becoming a laughing stock.

All feels very peculiar and is becoming very difficult to take seriously. Also, getting a bit sick of reading articles stating Townsend, and Gray could be the steals of the window, it just adds to the embarrassment and desperation for hope. Everton are a museum curiosity at best these days.

Oh dear, in fairness, all clubs fruitlessly pursue players. But I do think we have to be very careful to sign only players who genuinely see us as a step up.

Dumfries has, by all accounts, been lukewarm especially since his good showing in the Euros. He's good but not that good. There are always other options.