Abraham and Weghorst linked as Everton seek striking reinforcements

Talk sport saying Weghorst going to Everton.😭😭😭

Please mo George. Watching the cup final yesterday I was surrounded by Man U, they were getting big very angry at him coming on. He is also a Dyche player brought to burnley to play hoof to keep them up. It didn't work though did it. Burnley fans glad Weghorst left.

Weghorst makes sense.

Yep. Makes sense in that we're good at buying non scoring strikers. 🤣

Weghorst fits in to our transfer strategy of premier league experience with no output whatsoever perfectly. It'd be nice if we looked outside the premier league box. The coventry striker is a god fit with one year left on his contract so would be cheap. It's a risk but with Weghurst we already know he's garbage. If he's garbage for a team that creates chances why would he be a world beater for a team that doesn't?

The more I think about Weghorst the more I think he'll fit right in with the shite we already have, 🤬

I was curious to see how much he may be on at Old Trafford, so visited a site, which states!

What is Wout Weghorst's weekly salary?

Wout Weghorst current earns £40,000 per week

What is Wout Weghorst's yearly salary?

Wout Weghorst current earns £2,080,000 per year

How much has Wout Weghorst earned over their career?

Wout Weghorst has earned a total of £14,762,800

What is Wout Weghorst's current team?

Wout Weghorst plays for Burnley in the Turkish Super League

When does Wout Weghorst's current contract expire?

Wout Weghorst contract expires on June 30, 2025

How old is Wout Weghorst?

Wout Weghorst is 29 years old

How would Evertonians react to his arrival
Difficult to tell, as it's been so long since they had a striker of note.

seriously if he was one of a couple strikers signed he may be of value, but if he's the main striker, lord help us.

You could've almost bet your dinner on the Weghorst rumour, real or not, however generated; which betrays the light in which we are perceived.

I think we should be keeping Dyche for now, with one proviso: whatever the budgetary situation, from nothing to plenty, no previous Burnley 2 - even short term. Time to start paring away at our dysfunctional past.

Weghorst on loan would be decent back-up to DCL. I watched him play live for Burnley against Spurs last year and he playrd very well. Burnley fans loved him at first then it all went wrong, but Burnley fans are very 'territorial' and expect players to love the club the way they do. It hasn't dawned on them yet that players aren't fans!

He's a decent player who could lead the line far better than Maupay or Gray and that improves us from where we are right now. Dyche obviously doesn't rate Simms and not even we are stupid enough to expect DCL to remain fully fit next season!

Lee,

I think Maupay is irrelevant and Gray is a very different player. It's more about considering Wethorse against what may be available elsewhere with careful scouting.

I don't see Abraham coming here while Calvert-Lewin is on the premises. He probably doesnt want to come here period, he will be after a cushy little number in the southern counties.
All this stuff is a waste of time anyway, Dyche said a week ago he hadnt a clue if there was money to buy players or not so what chance have we.

Didn't Weghorst mouth off against Burnley after they were relegated? I know Dyche was gone but I'd hope that his questionable attitude would register with the manager.

Just watched the Weggintons highlights as I know nothing about him and he seems alright. We can't afford top drawer because of the new stadium and other bizarre financial matters and Dyche knows him. On the face of it a good move

A rumour that had to surface sooner or later.A typical Dyche signing at Burnley,a mobile lighthouse who nearly scores goals! Although we could pair him with Che Adams and double their output to er,2 a season and with Woods maybe on loan we'd be unstoppable!
Not for me,give me a striker who can actually score goals

I would be happy with this signing, he is the consummate target man. Obviously a poor man's Giroud from 4 years ago but we aren't shopping in Waitrose, we have to be realistic. If the money is right it leaves us to spend elsewhere.

Weghorst had a good World Cup don't forget, his style will suit Dyche, DCL didn't score many for the few games he was available but we looked a considerably better outfit with someone to aim at. The deal makes sense to me.

I'd love a straight Richy/Pickford swap and a very canny GK purchase from the Bundesliga as a replacement. I can see Pickers going there or Man Utd, I can't see Richy leaving just yet.

Wout out

On another note, I don't see Abraham leaving Roma for us. I'd love him personally but I just don't see the truth in it. He certainly won't go for 27million. I'd argue Roma would want double.

Weghurst as a third-choice striker on loan wouldn't be the worst. However If he was the man we're after to replace Dom who will be injured most of the season we'd go down.

Just to note Dyche said he's looking for pace and power. Weghurst is neither, Tammy is both.

Zero chance Abrahams comes to us. Why would he? He's playing in European competition, playing for a team fighting for honours and his star is on the rise.

Weghorst: if he was 1 of 3 forward signings (the other 2 being goal scorers) then I'd take him – certainly on loan with an option to buy.

As others have said, a target man would help the rest of the team play and a goal scorer alongside Weghorst could work well.

Weghorst just isn't good enough, don't include any stats from the Turkish league, and it's a very disappointing goal return in a more competitive environment.

We need more options from the bench to cause a bit of mayhem, he could be a good strategy for that. But we need a better quality striker as a priority, it could be fatal to our Premier League status to bet again that Calvert-Lewin is going to play 20-30 full games, although I hope he will.

If Kevin Thelwell can't say with confidence and conviction that the striker we are about to sign is a 15 goals + per season, then don't sign him.

Tammy Abraham just absolutely fucked his knee in the last Roma game of the season.

I can't see him playing football again for a long time, which makes him pretty much the classic Everton signing.

Abraham would not come here and neither would Mary, Jesus and Joseph, though the donkey would no doubt park its ass at Goodison, where the grass is greener and the wages are high as an elephant's eye.

As for Wegorst – if it's as a back-up striker, I suppose so but as our main goal threat, no way. I think we will all need the patience of Job to get through this summer.

Sorry to disappoint people but he's just suffered an ACL injury.
Out for a good while.

I'd rather keep Maupay if Weghorst is the best we can do! He couldn't even score a single goal in Turkish League for crying out loud!

[This is fake news: Weghorst scored 8 goals in the Turkish League and 1 in the Turkish Cup – Editor.]

Dyche: Can we move Maupay on?

Thewell: Difficult. Who wants a one goal striker?

Dyche: Get me Weghorst. I'll use Workhorse + Maupay as our one-two punch next season as in Quinn+Phillips.

Thewell: err.

I checked a few clips of Weghorst. Actually he's mobile and solid. He chests down the ball well, reminds me of Fellaini.

He holds up and shields the ball well and his one-touch pass in the final third is decent. He might not score a lot of goals but his link-up play and work rate is pretty good.

I can see why Dyche brought him in to Burnley in the first place. If we can borrow him, it might be a good deal.

Absofuckinglutely not!

We do not need a 30-year-old carthorse leading the line. And with Calvert-Lewin seemingly made of glass, whoever our "backup" striker is he will 100% be leading the line at some point!

6'-6" is lovely – but people get erect at height. It ain't all that at striker! Calvert-Lewin has springs in his feet and how tall is he? Maybe 6 ft? Give me the 6-footer who can actually jump!

Pass and pass hard on this guy. Buy much younger. Thelwell will find a younger alternative surely.

File under rumor because, if we buy this guy, it's the beginning of a shitty summer!

I agree with Jamie above. This has to be a complete piss take!! If this is the standard that Dyche is looking to bring to Everton, then heaven help us.

As back-up striker or not, this guy just doesn't score goals and therefore what bloody use is he? We already have Maupay who couldn't hit a barn door from 10 paces.

I would much rather give Tom Cannon or Ellis Simms match time if we cannot bring in a proven goal scorer. If we are going to survive next season, we need quality — Weghorst is average at best and not the answer.

Tony #20, so if a striker isn't ticketed to finish in the top 10 in the league, you don't want him? You'd pass on Mitrovic, Gabriel Jesus, Saka, Firmino and Foden?

For a team whose leading scorer bagged 7 from midfield, I think your expectations may be a bit high.

He sounds like Fellaini.

If we go by stats only, then Richarlison must be shit and Ten Hag must be blind.

I'm fed up hearing about Abraham. I rate the guy but my point is it's likes tease.

It's kind of like “Okay, you can date Grotbags (Non English folk – she's a middle/aged overweight green witch who was spun off from a fellow who died falling off his roof with his giant puppet of an emu) but you might be able to date Selma Hayek.”

Like how the fuck are these two in the same conversation? It feels like a set-up and Selma will take off her mask and reveal she is a 50-year-old Tony Hibbert in disguise.

My guess, Kieran, is that Abraham is out of our price range.

Personally, I am not keen on a tall, immobile centre-forward who the back four will hoist high balls to. When fit (noting the irony), Calvert-Lewinsky has Wegorst's characteristics and a lot more mobility.

I think Thelwell should look at the Americas where there is talent and value in the market.

Calvert-Lewin hardly troubled the scorers this season but we looked much better with him in the team. It isn't just about goals when getting a striker, though obviously they help!!

No one is dreaming of signing Weghort but, on a free transfer at 㿔k per week, it's not the worst idea. He can hold up the ball and bring others into play. A definite upgrade on Maupay. People have to have realistic expectations this summer! But I reckon it's lazy transfer talk anyway.

If Tammy returns to the Premier League, it won't be to us sadly!

What is it with managers that they must repeat earlier mistakes or cannot see alternatives to that which they have done previously?

Are they that seriously closed-minded or just of a mind that they have previously done the research so have no need to consider others?

Martinez brought 3 or 4 from Wigan, we got a couple from Watford although I think Silva was only responsible for one, Koeman went Dutch for Klaassen, and Allardyce couldn't remember which of his previous clubs to buy from or evade transfer etiquette. And now we have one who may want to give preference to those who played under him at Burnley.

Is it any wonder we thought Moyes did well in the transfer market. I suppose it could be worse and Bill may strike one of his almost legendary deals with Man Utd or Moshiri might get Usmanov to interview somebody he's seen in a Champions League game on TV.

Weghorst as one of our striking options is not bad at all. Look at the stats last year – we scored 35 goals all season, and our highest goal-scorers were McNeil (7) and Doucoure (5).

Our main 'strikers' scored 4 in total – 2 by Calvert-Lewin, 1 each by Maupay and Simms. Knowing that Calvert-Lewin will not play more than 15-20 games all season, we need at least 1 mainline striker in the Tammy Abraham, Beto or Gyökeres mould and at least 1 back-up striker. Weghorst is a good enough back-up striker if he can get 4-5 goals mainly coming off the bench.

The key would be the mainline Calvert-Lewin replacement striker - and he won't come cheap. I also suggested on Robert Tressell's 'Cheap Transfers' thread going back in for Armando Broja on a loan - even though he had a horrendous ACL injury in December, and is just now 'training on the grass'.

Forget Abraham, he wouldn't touch us with a barge pole. He'll be looking for a club who'll be competing for things, not a club looking to avoid the drop for a third season in a row.

Weghorst is the type of player we'll be looking at, ie, cheap, experienced and with a beating heart and two legs. Don't be surprised if we see a few more former Burnley players arrive, eg, Frank Casper and Andy Lochhead.

If you want a 30-year-old lighthouse, then Kieffer Moore at Bournemouth is much better than Weghorst.

When he came on in the second half they became much more of a threat, decent link-up play and good in the air.

As per my previous message.

Abraham's suffered a major knee injury over the weekend (ACL). He won't be going anywhere.

Next!!

Please not Weghorst. Man Utd gave up on scoring an equaliser when they brought him on!

Weghorst? — definitely not. If we are going for a carthorse up top, we would be better going for Wood — at least he scores goals.

I can't see the quality of football improving anytime soon. We are already worse off than last season: Mina, Coady gone — the defenders who can read a game and are a consistent performers.

It's sickening being a Toffee!!!

Ian @41,

Chris Wood doesn't score anymore. The season Burnley went down, he scored 3. I don't know why Newcastle then bought him, as 12 months later he went to Forest on loan.

It's shit being an Evertonion, 25 years of Kenwright's good times ends with being linked to absolute rock bottom dross.

Colin @37,

Surely Martin Dobson and Trevor Steven should be top of the list?

Mike, I get your point, but to put it simply this team needs goals,, Kev Thelwell and Dyche have to find a way, and sign players to bring them to the team. It's a massive and critical part of their job.

It may well be too much of an over-the-top request to ask for a 15-goal striker, but that's what's needed. The striker may well fall short, but when we are buying one Kev Thelwell and Dyche have to say / think that we are confident this lad can score 15 and we have set him a target for that.

I don't think Weghorst comes into his category of striker, but he would definitely be a well-used part of the squad, and a decent addition for changing the game from the bench or backing up duties.

I could see him coming on and rescuing a game or grabbing the three points with a knockdown or causing some panic in the box. I think he would be a worthwhile signing, give us options and better strength of squad in the attacking department.

No substance to any of these rumours – just people in the media making stuff up to fill column inches or airtime.

Anyway, we've got no money to buy new players and the people who sign the cheques and contracts are AWOL.

So if Calvert-Lewin's absent a lot next season, it's a choice of Cannon, Simms, Dobbin, Maupay or a non-striker again.

Plus ça change, as they say in Neal's homeland.

Weghorst has scored 2 goals in 37 Premier League games.

He is definitely the man for us, provided he can win 50-50 balls and tackle back.

Apparently Tammy has done his ACL.

Looks like Abraham is out until Christmas so that rumour is dead now I guess.

Decent summary in a match report of the Cup Final:

“Wout Weghorst, who is literally a walking anti-goal, goal-kryptonite”.

Be cheaper to sign Rondon.

I've not seen a lot of him, but the lad scores goals. He does have a temper with 8 red cards since 2017 at Rangers.

Morelos has scored 78 goals in 178 appearances and is out of contract at Rangers. A short term deal, he gets a crack at the big time to prove himself.

Get him in as third choice, sell Maupay and Simms for 㾻M plus, and use the money to down payment for a Beto or similar.

Move along, nothing to see here. Load of lazy journalism claptrap.

But, Jon - it's in the BBC rumours today so it must be true.

I don't believe either rumour (Weghorst nor Abraham).

However, Beto has more legs and hopefully were looking at Gyökeres and Akprom seeing as both clubs missed out on promotion.

We need someone who can play regularly and be able to hold the ball up and win it in the air.

Not sure Weghorst is the answer if Simms is not considered or sick note Calvert-Lewin.

Sorry to see Coady go. He was tremendous last week as was Mina. Seems like it was just a money problem which Everton can't seem to deal with under present conditions although Dyche may just prefer Keane anyway.

Everton may also be making room on the wage bill for possible signings… who really knows?

For god sake, why are we continually linked with signing crap?

Have we not learned the lessons of the past?

Abraham ACL?

Mal, it's because we are crap and skint. Not a great combination for talent chasing.

Christopher #56,

There's no ? about it. He did it in his last game of the season. He's out for a very long time.

End of Story

I see Alan Myers dispels the rumour regarding us being interested in Weghorst.

He's usually pretty much on the money.

Mal #55. The club has no control over who we're linked with, and just because we're linked doesn't mean it's true. 😁

I recall last year we sold Richarlison on 30 June which was the last day of our fiscal year so his fee would help offset our losses for that season. Presumably we will wait until after that day this summer again so we can use the Kean and Gordon money to offset this years losses.

Kieran, I think that you have the correct answer.

Shame about Nkounkou. He looked like a lad with great promise but another one bites the dust as they say.

Thats a really good point Kieran.

Whoa, Soren! You set off the alarm, mate. I can't see you from here. Are you shouting at the ref asking for a VAR review?

I hope whoever we sign next season has a 'wage reduction in the case of relegation' clause built in. It's a sensible precaution for all relegation fodder teams like us.

Rather than just have a laugh at Soren, I should weigh in on Weghorst. Forget the Man Utd days, he was absolutely effective at Burnley, scarily so, hence the Man Utd offer. I do have a concern about picking up this type of striker before we have a reliable box-to-box midfielder. Weghosrt would not effectively track back on defence and we could get stuck with too much space between the midfield lines and forwards.

He can hold up play and find the run through as well as any big man I've seen which is what our present line-up offers. Probably not overpriced and likely committed to proving himself in the Premier League. If Robert and Sam said the price was in the neighborhood of fair, I would sign him.

BTW, for those of you that don't know, don't be misled by the height of Weghorst. He's not a target man, per se, as he's not very good in the air.

My Burnley mates reckon he can't head a ball to save his life!

I'm with Lee, as many of you know my wifes a Claret and I see a fair bit of Burnley. I'd rather we play Simms, Calvert-Lewin (for 3 games a season) and Cannon.

Lee, I'm from Rossendale and even here it's buzzing, where they aren't red (which is many). The 101 points and goal difference was something Burnley FC hasn't seen since the '60s.

Yeah, mate, they're all over the moon with how things have gone under Vince. Completely transformed the team from what was left of the Dyche era.

I watched them play a few times last season and they were literally a different team in every way. But, I've got a feeling they may struggle next season as they always try to play out from the back and their keeper, Muric, has had a few dodgy moments.

I can see them being like us in the 2nd season under Bobby, dominating possession then being ripped wide open on the counter.

But we'll see soon enough, only 2 months and a week to go before it all starts again.

I'm not sure why people would turn their nose up at Weghorst – or that standard of player. It's fairly plain that this sort of player would dramatically improve us. Even without a big goal return, it makes a huge difference to how we set up and, almost more importantly, how the opposition is forced to set up. It turns draws into wins and losses into draws.

He's not really a Chris Wood style target man as Lee has just said. But he's a much better footballer than Chris Wood, can hold the ball up, presses energetically, passes reasonably well and is a presence in the box. His scoring record is pretty good in Germany, too – which suggests to me his goal return will improve in a team that plays to his strengths.

Personally, I can't see him joining Everton but that's because (I believe) he didn't see eye to eye with Dyche and will be too expensive for a 30-year-old. But he would have been an excellent value signing (~㾻M) the January Burnley bought him from Wolfsburg.

Joe #68,

Simms and Cannon might have been the answer had we been relegated – but it looks pretty clear now that Simms is not going to make it with us as a Premier League striker (despite the tidy finish against Chelsea).

To improve, he needs lots of games – and he's not going to get lots of games with us. So he's not going to improve...

And as others have pointed out, Maupay looked excellent at Championship level – so we can't get too carried away with Cannon just yet. He's another who needs games in order to kick on. So it's another loan for him, I expect – and probably rightly so.

A seemingly underwhelming player like Mateta is probably a much better bet than either Simms or Cannon for the coming season. And as I said about Weghorst above, might be the difference between a few losses and draws, draws and wins etc.

Anyone listen to Coady on Radio 5 this evening? Sounds like he might be back after all.

Danny, please elaborate.

See Spurs are appointing the Celtic manager. Shame really…
I have no doubt his first signing will be Kyogo. I was going to suggest we went for him rather than overpaid expensive players such as Abraham etc.

This Celtic lad is only small but he knows exactly where the net is. All action and a natural goalscorer

Danny is possibly referring to the rumour I've heard doing the rounds, that the loan for Coady had a stipulated fee tied to a buy option but, once he was released, it is possible to get him for less than the ٢.5M, but it is only a rumour that I've heard.

You might have to scroll down a few times, but Coady has some views on his time at Everton:

Coady on 5 live

I have to say, I do like Conor Coady and it's such a shame they've let him go. He still talks about Everton as "we" and also talks a lot of sense. For an ex-Red who was only on loan, I think he really took to the club.

Christopher @56,

Abraham stretchered off the pitch. Out “indefinitely”.

What we definitely do not need is another crocked striker.

Ha — Everton are not content with injuring their own players, even their transfer targets are getting injured.

#Cursed

I'd rather we bought a Clothes Horst than a taller version of Maupay.

Tammy Abraham yes, but recent injury could be a problem!

Aaron Martin. Spanish left back. Free transfer.

This is the market we're shopping in.

Stephen #82,

I'm sure you are correct. Funds coming in via MSP will all be going to the stadium.

Thus it's most likely that Dyche and Thelwell will be operating in the loan or free transfer markets. Difficult to see us signing anyone without selling first (similar to the Moyes era).

Slightly off topic but given we're skint would it not have been an idea to sell Pickford to Spurs for say 㿙M-㿞M and sign Jack Butland on a free?

Just read he's signed for Rangers for nowt….would have given Dyche some ammo to buy better than Weghorst.

He's a decent keeper imo, just didn't get a chance at Man Utd. Anyways, too late now.

Robert #70#71, we have no money to spend on players, the stadium is not yet fully funded, we may have a transfer embargo, we have bang average or injured players galore, but hey let's go and get some more.

Tom Cannon did well in the championship, better in fact than Anthony Gordon 2 years ago and we just swapped him for £40m. With the exception of Akpom, who would cost us north of £25m we don't have and is untried in the PL, Tom Cannon's stats over the final 12 games of the season are better than anyone's.

Ellis Simms did well at Blackpool Hearts and Sunderland (7 in 17) his only starts for us have been against Chelsea, Manure and the shite. Plus 9 sub appearances.

In our situation we have to trust them rather than send them out on more pointless loans. Weghorst isn't the answer Maupay certainly isn't and until we can fund a top draw striker we have to play them.

The January window is only 7 months away.

Stephen # 85, I'd be very pleased for us to become a much more academy led club as many are across Europe. However, that's going to take a lot of investment into the quality of player coming through the academy. You can't just place your trust in youth players if they don't have Premier League quality. The club's trust in Tom Davies didn't turn him into Peter Reid. Anichebe didn't become the new Big Dunc through trust and games.

Despite financial issues, it seems very likely that we'll buy a striker over summer one way or another (after selling Maupay hopefully). That pushes Simms down the pecking order and does him no good. The fact that we cannot buy top quality, or probably even mid-priced potential quality like, say, Giminez from Feyenoord, doesn't mean we shouldn't invest in a good but not great striker.

I don't believe we will or should buy Weghorst because he'll probably be too expensive for a 30 year old. But he is streets ahead of Simms with a 1 in 2 goal (ish) record in the Bundesliga over quite a few seasons. That sort of quality at modest cost (i.e. sub £15m ish) is exactly what we need to regain a place in mid-table and push for cup trophies. If Cannon comes back from another very productive developmental loan in the Championship with 15 to 20 (or more) goals under his belt, then he's ready for games in the Premier League. There's no benefit to him of getting ten minutes here or there as an Everton sub and scoring 1, 2 or 3 over the course of a season.

The clubs trust never turned Tom Davies into Peter Reid, but you could maybe find an argument that a very good young prospect, was turned into a player that didn't know if he was coming or going, by playing for seven different managers, and a club that has had no stability whatsoever for years?

The club needs stability, and the club needs to become a lot more professional, and once they get these two things right, then I believe our standards should begin to naturally improve.

I believe that the most valuable things required with regards to improving younger players, are good coaching and good competition, but this is something that also goes right across the board at every single level, imo.

Stability should allow the club, to start developing a system of playing from the top to the bottom, professionalism should raise standards, and good coaching should help improve the players, making the competition within the club stronger.

It's not rocket science, it just needs dedicated professional people who know what they are doing, but it's very important we find these people otherwise things won't really improve, imo.

Indeed, Tony. Tom Davies could have become a better player with us had we been a more stable outfit. Maybe he would have benefited from a season on loan somewhere in the Championship or Belgium or Netherlands etc. Who knows? But the point is more around overestimating the quality of our academy graduates - and probably underestimating the quality of a player like Weghorst and what he would bring to the side. As you've just said on another post, Dyche's system would really benefit from a player who can grab hold of the ball up front and work the opposition (not unlike the deeply average yet somehow effective Marcus Bent some years ago). Just because we cannot buy top quality, doesn't mean we should turn our noses up at well priced lower quality.

Tony (87),

You're right; it's not rocket science... but that's part of the problem. Finding, nurturing and developing young players is as much an art as a science.

If it wasn't so, then the clubs with the biggest banks would never need to wait for players to prove themselves elsewhere, they could just produce them through their scientifically-proven conveyor belt of homegrown players.

Last night, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio led the line for West Ham - both were late bloomers who failed to successfully navigate the academy system at League clubs. It's tough to know who will develop when how players respond to disappointment, challenge and pressure – etc etc.

Robert (various) - I completely agree; right now Weghorst would improve our squad. As you say, DCL provided a focal point to allow us get up the pitch, so even when he wasn't scoring goals himself his presence was bringing goals and chances to the team.

Weghorst may not be who we go for, and obviously we'd all love to see a more exciting prospect come through the doors, but right now – under the tough conditions we find ourselves in – he would be very welcome.

I understand the points being made about Weghorst but this squad is woefully short of players who score goals and Weghorst would be another Maupay in that respect.

We desperately need full back cover and goalscoring players but not the Adams or Weghorsts of this world.

There are plenty of players out there that would be more proficient than Wegorst and probably cheaper.

Akpom or Gyokeres would be proven and not cost much more and IM sure if the clubs director of football gets his ass into gear we can unearth some goalscoring talent.

We had five under 20 “WORLD CUP WINNERS” in our club around 8 years ago, and only DCL, has really made the grade at Everton.

I don't know how you can overestimate the ability/potential of a World Cup winner, but I think it's easy to underestimate the damage that has been done to our academy since Moshiri came into our club.

I absolutely detest academy football now Andrew, and believe it destroys at least fifty times the young players it makes, but that's just my own opinion.

Bowen is a tough kid, and Antonio, also knows how to look after himself naturally, which comes in very handy when playing at the highest level's of professional football, because it's a brutally physical sport, and nothing like what they teach the kids in these academies, imo.