Everton Academy player Aaron Epia signs for Newcastle

Or presumably the club had signalled that he would not progress to the next level, a scholarship, I believe, and had given him plenty of advance notice to look for another club, with Newcastle apparently trialling him on a couple of occasions in April and May before signing him up. In which case, highly unlikely that he was tapped up.

In which case, I'm guessing there is no development fee as he was presumably released – a fate that befalls so many of these young talents. So I think there were no funds raised – just a minuscule saving on his weekly wage!

Transfermarkt have now updated their limited info, showing him as making a free transfer from Everton Youth to Newcastle Utd U18s on 1 July 2024.

Another one slips away…

I heard a few weeks ago a few lads were released by the club and two of them had immediately got contracts with Premier League clubs under the guidance of a new agent who had previously worked for Everton. Whether this lad was one of them I wouldn't know — never heard any names.

By the way, Michael, any chance of getting “Grand Old Team" back on ToffeeWeb, it's not coming up on my iPad.

Cost cutting in the extreme, they wouldn't provide transport for the non-playing staff to go to Wembley for the Cup Final. Cost cutting or mean?

Although this is not something you would say about the first-team squad.

But, if this is at the behest of the potential new owner, then we are going to be a much leaner machine than before. Big changes ahead no doubt!

We are also strongly linked with a 16-year-old striker from Northern Ireland called Braiden Graham. So there's all sorts happening.

23 in the 1st XI
U21s = 39.

It does seem the whole U21s is like a Fast Fashion Catalogue. Order a few - try them on - send them back and keep the one that you want.

Ellis Simms. Should have kept him. We got him when City released him. Anthony Gordon. Released by Liverpool.

If we got it right every time then forget Friedkin. Just use club funds to do the lottery every week and we would be out of debt in a year.

And remember we all moaned about Thierry Small? Now nearly 20 and playing for Charlton.

Korede Yemi Adedoyin, remember him? He wasn't satisfied playing for the Under-18s so demanded a loan.

Ended up going to the mighty Hamilton Academicals on loan. Now unemployed.

I think it absolutely entails what those jobs were Kieran, loads of these positions have nothing to do with the benefit of Everton FC, off the field jobs that were created by the previous boardroom and did nothing to help the managers or coaching staff.

Hopefully what has gone on at Finch Farm will be elaborated on in the future, I only know bits and pieces and leave it that for now, by the way I know you'll understand how Gomes and quite a few more were given these ridiculous contract to start with — an egotist spending his friends money or as Billy Boy said at an Everton AGM “The man who keeps giving”…

Jesus, there were plenty who were quick to take and create the disaster that Everton are now.

Most clubs in the Premier league have lost their soul and will soon loose real fans. It's line the Thatcher years, look after the rich, the rest we can screw.