Everton had Dendoncker bid knocked back

The Athletic are reporting that we have made an £8M bid for Dendonker, it has been rejected.

Also this winger, a player I’ve never even heard of .

Writing on his personal Twitter account on Monday afternoon (29 August), Romano said: “Keep an eye on top talent Mychajlo Mudryk. Everton had €30m verbal proposal turned down by Shakhtar Donetsk last week.

Sounds like we were assessing options to replace Gordon if he was sold.

Walks straight into our first 11 and still has a great injury record. Hoping he can be the experienced head in midfield like barry was for Martinez.

Rumors are flying everywhere on the Twittersphere… bids for Dendonker, interest in Gakpo, a loan deal for Hwang Hee Chan in turn making Coady permanent...

Going to be a mad few days, that's for sure!

Really Joe? A Wolves firesale? I'd take a look at Hee Chan's demands. Dendocker I've cooled on now that we've signed a couple. They are willing to let go of Neto as well, not that I'm interested.

Yeh Dale, looks like big Kevin Thelwell could be going back for other Wolves players, I suspect the supposed Dendocker bid could be due to Garner being out our price range.

Personally I'd take Neto he looks a real player and looks like he could be going to Arsenal while we'll probably end up with Walcott on steroids (Traore).

Dendonker is not a bad shout in my opinion as a DM player. Weren't we interested in him a few years ago before he went to Wolves? £8M seems a derisory amount, however, no wonder Wolves knocked it back, he's worth more than that.

Garner from Man Utd maybe a better long-term prospect, but all seems to have gone quiet on that front. Anyone heard anything on this?

Like for like replacement so far:

Doucoure -> Onana;
Allan -> Gueye;
Keane -> Tarkowski;
Gbamin -> Dendonker?

Hopefully he's more hardy!

Why are we so interested in players from Wolves? Oh, yeah, the DoF!

Martinez went back to Wigan, Silva to Watford, Koeman used to have Schneiderlin at Southampton and Benitez with Rondon and Lonergan while we have been linked also to players at Chelsea and Bill has a penchant for Man Utd deals.

Next time we appoint somebody, could the interview include that Rorschach Test, or whatever it is, that judges imagination on ink blots? After all, agents seem to bewilder whoever we have with medicals and contracts.

Stu, There we're rumours we had negotiated £10M + £4M add ons for Garner and he was open to the move. But maybe for now they've decided they want someone with more experience in the role. Dendonker is entering the last year of his contract so that must be why we are offering a low fee. Also wonder whether Coady is having input into whether we should be targeting him.

Anyway this rumour, if true, seems to suggest we have opted against Garner. It saddens me, as I have been hoping we would sign Garner all this window. More of a risk but more of an upside if Frank does what he does best and mentors his impressive progress.

We should be exploiting Frank's talent for this when we can. Even more so when an opportunity for a young midfielder with Garner's potential becomes available and wants to join us. The stars have aligned for this transfer and we don't seem to be able to see it.

I can sort of understand them going for Dendonker though, a solid, workhorse, bricks and mortar signing at what will be a fair price that will help cement a mid-table finish.

Why another midfielder we need someone who can put the ball in the net ffs

I would like to see another striker in, midfield is virtually sorted and there is still a couple of players that I would move on. Let’s get business done and get some win points on the board starting tonight and at the weekend.

Why another defensive minded midfielder?

Where is the attacking midfielder who will score 8 plus goals? Where is the inside forward who will score 8 plus goals? Where is another striker who will score 8 plus goals?

Why don't we want to score goals?????

Sean # 8.

I too get frustrated about how unambitious we are when it comes to goals.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Lampard and Thelwell think we have what we need now, at least to get through this season.

In a 5-2-2-1 / 3-4-3, we're not going to play with a Number 10. It'll be Gordon and Gray wide of Calvert-Lewin.

In a 5-3-2 / 3-5-2, it'll be either of Gray, Gordon, McNeil or Iwobi as an attacking midfielder behind Maupay and Calvert-Lewin.

In either case, we need Calvert-Lewin to score about 15 with Maupay, Gordon, Gray, McNeil and Iwobi also weighing in with goals. We're not going to be free scoring but it should be enough to keep us out of trouble. Gordon in particular should be aiming for double figures.

The potential signings of players like Dedoncker and Gueye are intended to provide a solid base so that a more attacking trio can get on with attacking.

We may yet get another forward. Hopefully it is Broja on loan with option to buy (without losing Gordon as part of the deal). He is raw but offers us something different to Calvert-Lewin and Maupay and has the potential to be better than both. No point in adding yet more average players to the squad.

Hope you are right about getting another forward at least, Robert. We desperately need one, but time is fast running out.

Unless dealing has been going on behind the scenes, 3 days is not a long time to complete negotiations, agree personal terms, medicals, registration etc.

I too would hope it is Broja, but suspect it will be someone more like Batshuyai. Tick tock, tick tock!

We certainly need another forward, and it's the priority now that Gana is all but signed. No guarantees at all that Calvert-Lewin will stay fit for the rest of the season. Ideally, Rondon moves on and we get a proper striker in. I like the way Robert puts it, ‘someone who has the potential to be better than Calvert-Lewin'.

Broja fits that idea, maybe a loan to buy possibility when Chelsea sign Aubameyang. This competition up front is essential to keep us strong and to focus the minds of our forwards to produce the goods.

Our squad currently sits at 26 players. As I understand it you can only have 25 players, so where are all these signings going to fit in? And who gets dropped, loaned or sold to balance the squad numbers?

That figure also does not take into account Mills & Warrington by the way.

So who do we jettison? Rondon? Townsend? Gomes? Keane? Mina?

Also I just read that Billy Gilmour and Broja have both been handed squad numbers by Chelsea – make of that what you will.

Robert

I always (rightly or wrongly) view both Gordon and Gray as wingers, won't they be occupying the same space as Patterson and Mykolenko?

I guess we have to hope there is a plan and the players coming in are to fit the tactics and formations they hope to use.

One thing is for certain, they know a bloody sight more about football than me so I guess it's fingers-crossed time.

Sean "I always (rightly or wrongly) view both Gordon and Gray as wingers, won't they be occupying the same space as Patterson and Mykolenko?"

Gordon and Gray both seem to like to cut inside from the wing with the ball. Does that release space for Patterson and Mykolenko to move into?

That's how I see it too, Brent.

A good example of how this works is the very good Wolves side under Nuno Santos.

Jiminez led the line and Traore and Neto or Podence (who would be wingers in a 4-3-3) played in the half-space between No 10 and wing.

Otto tended to go on the outside of Neto / Podence on the left. Doherty tended to tuck into midfield to let Traore go outside higher up the pitch.

Gordon, Gray and to some extent McNeil could play this way.

You're right though, Sean, it can get muddled. For example, Semedo replaced Doherty at Wolves and tried to occupy the same area as Traore and hasn't looked the same player since.

We just seem to be fucking obsessed with defensive midfielders!? Brave teams win trophies, cautious ones don't.

The only player from the Wolves team I'd have now is the lad Podence... a quality player.

Sean 16.

My view exactly. Patterson and Mykolenko are negating the threat from the wing as they are being asked to provide the width. As you say, Gray and Gordon do their best work as wingers, IMO.

Hopefully tonight we see them back there, with Maupay in the team. They would be better at full-back IMO. Overlapping when the winger provides the space.

David #20

"Patterson and Mykolenko are negating the threat from the wing as they are being asked to provide the width. As you say Gray and Gordon do their best work as wingers, IMO."

"They would be better at full back imo. Overlapping when the winger provides the space."

David, that sounds as if Patterson and Mykolenko would do what they're doing now, ie, moving into the space provided by Gordon and Gray moving inside - except that they would do so from a deeper starting position??

Haha, read this in a rush and thought we were in for Clive Mendoncer!

Brent.

Yes, that's my view as Gordon and Gray are playing to central, like inside forwards.

As you say, Mykolenko and Patterson would arrive later once Gray or Gordon have the defence's attention. It's the strongest part of our team imo, 2 young athletic full backs, 2 quick skillfully wingers.

Think of how Baines and Coleman would get forward from full-back.

Apparently it's us and Arsenal for Mudryk at last reading. We had a £30M offer rejected. A pure winger from what I've read, haven't seen but heard talk last window.

Anyone else sick and tired of these groundless rumours linking us to donkeys like dendonker, James, Traore, janusaj etc…. If these are our supposed targets then I’d prefer we kept our powder dry for the next window. Gana and that’s it.

I thought there was an embargo on Uk teams signing players from Ukraine? Saw that on another thread a few weeks ago.