Wolfsburg teen among Blues' summer targets

All well and good looking at young talent but we need a first team ready to compete straight away as well as young lads developing. I really hope Thelwall and Frank know what they are doing.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock -- the clock is ticking!

Great target in Vranckx! Someone young & hungry, who is eager to prove himself at Premier League to become a full Belgium International.

Wolfsburg finished 12th in Bundesliga last season and won't have European Football this season, so let's hope we can take advantage of that and get them to listen to our offers.

Stop the young and hungry phrase. It's bugging me!!!

I don't know enough about this player. It's silly season so I don't know how much truth there is in the rumour. I don't know if he wants to prove himself in the Premier League. Culturally, as a Belgian and being based in Germany, he might be content in the Bundesliga right now at such a young age.

That said, let's put a positive on this. Maybe, just maybe, our scouting network is look beyond Lancashire.

Danny, we don't just need players who are going to ‘bust a gut' for us, we need players who we profit from on and off the pitch. In a world of ffp and our current position with it, we need to find the next Lukaku, the next John Stones, etc.

We've been piss poor at this for too long. As perspective, Franny Jeffers remains our 12th highest sale of all time at £13m nearly 20 years ago. The only time we've come close to fixing this was under Steve Walsh, who unfortunately got tainted and dragged down by the fat ginger dutchman and 2 others buying their own players too.

We also need to have an identity…….for me this should be as a club that coaches and gives a platform to young (ideally some local too) hungry players. The English version of Dortmund, Leverkusen, Monaco, Lille, etc.

Sure, this should NOT exclude us from looking at players who are older - our history is littered with great servants bought in their latter years (Andy Gray anyone?). I also think the likes of Tarkowski will prove to be a great addition, and I certainly wouldnt have been averse to the likes of Eriksen either.

However, these players rarely have sell on value and therefore represent a real net loss risk. In cases like Sigurdsson and Walcott that loss can be huge. £105m ish LOST on those two alone? So, we need to be very cautious about investing in these areas again.

Ultimately, lifes always about balance. If we bought 5 players in the next 2 years, i'd love 4 of them to be in the “young and hungry” (20-25 max) bracket.

Until we find that identity, most young hungry players will come into Everton, and slowly lose their desire, whilst the older hungry players, will try and stay at Everton for as long as possible, just so they can keep looking at their bank account grow every month.

What's the opposite of young and hungry ? Old and well fed ?

It's just a generalisation. The club has to be better run and transfer business is a major part of that. There is a shift with players like Patterson, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Nkounkou, Godfrey, being bought with a view to developing, progressing the club and increasing in value too.

Is there now a new policy in place at the club ? No fees for players over the age of 25? It was mentioned a few years back and I think some other clubs have this rule of thumb.

I still think we have to be flexible and open minded about recruiting older more experienced players. Every other transfer window there will be a no brainer to be had. Tarkowski comes into that bracket. 29 is prime for a CB, brings robustness, fight and experience. He makes the defence unit and squad stronger.

We should always be looking out for quality senior players who can improve us. Often a mix of experience and youthful energy is complimentary and the best formula.

For the good of the club that doesn't mean we have to pay a big fee or any fee, be patient, look for the free transfers, the Tarkowski, Gareth Barry, Richard Gough , proper professional players, etc …the no brainer decisions.

It's not quite the car boot sale scenario but I sense Everton are under the microscope in any of their transfer undertakings.

As many on the various live threads have stated, the new season beckons and the squad in terms of fresh talent, potential and hope is threadbare.

But perhaps Frank and his Team, will come good with their priority players they have targeted.

No more lucky dips for Everton, this season will be as tough and arguably tougher than last season.

Another name, another reporter looking for a story.

I think with the names Robert Tressell has put forward, that makes about 94 players by my count who we could be, should be, or maybe looking at or in talks with or linked to or no longer interested in.

It may make for interesting and incisive discussion topics on TW but it's beginning to get boring now. Every time I see a new name now, I just scroll on by.

What I want to read is that we have signed someone, then we can have the discussion “Is he worth it?” “Where will we play him?” etc.

What I'm trying to say is "It's a balance".

Young players with potential who can be developed. Established players in their prime. Experienced wise heads who can bring those players on. Every player should be hungry regardless of age.

Balance. That's what we've been missing.

Danny,

I know it's an old phrase but I think we've been missing a midfield general – like (I hate to say) Henderson for the RS.

Someone who can slow the game down or speed it up. Someone who has a winning mentality and leadership qualities. Apart from Eriksen, I can't see these qualities in any of the other names mentioned.

Young and hungry is okay but enthusiasm doesn't bring you that vital ingredient.

Really good point, Jay.

A conductor. Doesn't have to be a world beater, just someone who can control and coordinate from the middle. Games are most often won or lost in midfield. That's where you need to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Henderson is a good example. Let's face it, who would have thought he'd be where he is now 10 years ago? I wouldn't have.

It's how you fit players into the plan. But have a plan and a system. That's been our problem.

Reid, Bracewell, Sheedy, Sharp and Steven were underwhelming signings at the time at initial face value. But they fitted the chemistry and plan that the manager wanted to implement and it was achieved.

Yes. Who was the last ‘conductor' we had? Gareth Barry? Andre Gomes?!

I think this may be why Lampard wanted someone like Winks. A midfielder to move the ball forward quickly at times or to spread play appropriately.

Possible we still go for a player of this type. Billy Gilmour won't be playing for Chelsea next season, I wonder if he's been lined up for this type of role? And is he good and experienced enough to play it?

Sam,

I think Lewis Warrington could be that player, but that is a few years off.

I might get laughed out of town or shouted down, but I always thought a fit Darren Gibson playing to his potential could have been that player.

I know there were off-the-pitch issues but, when on form, he was great at getting us on the front foot. Wasted talent.

This is one that really would impress me:

Everton manager Frank Lampard has belief that he can prize Conor Gallagher away from Chelsea on loan...

If we get the double-barrel-named fella and the Mr Whippy, Danny O may get his League Cup wish as we push for the Premier League title! 😆💙

Gerry, I'd be delighted if he could get Gallagher here, but also concerned that we'd be giving him back after we have improved him and he has become integral to the team. I'd prefer an option-to-buy clause, but I doubt Chelsea will entertain that.

Still, this loan has to be the exception to the rule …. get him in.

Gallagher has said he wants to fight for a first-team place at Chelsea, so he will only be available if Chelsea decide they don't want him. Even then, he may not want to come to us.

Clive,

Chelsea appear to like to sell some of their prospects with buy-back clauses in case they turn out to be the next De Bruyne or Salah. That sort of deal just encourages them to hoover up all the young talent they can, to get a ‘hook' in, so I'd rather we didn't do a deal like that. You are basically hoping they are good enough to improve you but are not quite what Chelsea need.

Henderson a ‘general' or a ‘conductor'? He's the archetypal midfield ‘water carrier' isn't he? Not saying they don't have their place but he's basically given an armchair ride as long as he realises all he needs to do is keep it simple and cover as much ground as he can. You could convert Doucoure to do just that as long as the rest of the team matched the general RS graft and craft as well.

Gibson had some impressive distribution ability, Henderson would just be another headless chicken in our team.