Kleindienst is nobody's superstar, but he can really score. Having a fine season in the Bundesliga. Saw him beat Bayern last year with two second-half goals. Not sure why he's available, but interestingly, one of the other clubs rumored to be after him is Roma.

Kleindienst is more interesting as you say, Mike. A nothing lower league journeyman until he got promoted into the Bundesliga with Heidenheim at age 28. But 12 in 33 in his first top flight season last year. And 16 in 30 for Borussia Monchengladbach this season - and a few for the German national side too now. Quietly impressive.

How is he scoring these goals?

Well, they play in a 4231 - very Moyes. They have productive wingers in Hack and Honorat. They the versatile and pacy Plea also in attack too. All four have registered good goals and assists this season.

The play is generally counter attacking, aiming to suck the opposition in and then hit them on the break. They also make the most of set pieces etc. Again, not unlike Moyes' Everton.

So he might fit in.

However, although he's scoring at the same sort of rate as Ekitike of Frankfurt (who all the Champions League sides now want), he's clearly not in the same league. Ekitike is a superb footballer with exceptional technical ability and pace. Kleindienst is more the tall guy who finishes off good chances presented to him from quality wing play. If we don't present him with the chances, he doesn't score. For a 29 year old, not sure that's a good use of a large part of our kitty.

Was at Inter Milan, but didn't make it.

He's more a back up I would have thought — like Lars Jacobsen sort of standard — rather than a first choice

I have no issue shopping in the Championship or lower, but I
would like to see us looking in the Belgium, German and Dutch leagues. The likes of Denmark and Croatia can throw up the odd hidden gem too.

Kleindienst is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. Consistent goal-scoring record at all levels he's played at and he has had a good season for Gladbach. Also, 4 goals in 6 games for the German national team.

He will be 30 in August, so the ageists might not approve, but I'd be comfortable with it.

Ironically, and tongue in cheek, in English, his name roughly translates to "little service". He might fit in well!!!

Pretty creative, not a lot of pace — Sheffield United will be wanting a lot more than £15M paid for last summer.

This smells like an agent wanting a new contract, rather than genuine link.

Didn't Moyes sign him from Barnsley?

Not sure we would sign him and Alcaraz.

Mason Holgate.

I bet Holgate himself would struggle to explain it. He impresses the world's most successful manager enough to give him 5-year contract. Then seemed to lose everything before the ink had time to dry.

I've heard people say that 90% of the game is played in your head. Unfortunately for Mason Holgate, his head seems to have left town long before he did.

Up there in the company of other supremely talented players. Those who lost it all … just when it seemed they had gained it all!

I watched him playing for West Brom against Derby a week or so back, where I had an eye on Harrison Armstrong. Mason looked out of place at that level.

Different position, but Cadamarteri springs to mind.

As long as we have two big ones up front. (Pathetic eh?)

You can clearly see a handful of players coming in, but we will still have a number of out-of-contract players and loanees on the books, gradually being replaced over the next year or two.

The Joy of Six: football's lost talents

Danny, I watched the same game. He looked clueless.

There are people who comment on here who know him and his family well.

A genuine talent. And a very passionate Evertonian. I believe his dad played for Everton at some level.

Not just in Everton circles, often dubbed a lost talent of English football and the Goodison Gazza.

I hope he has faced his demons and is well.

It's not just about ability. People like Doucoure have been showing us that for years.

But if the mind ain't right..... ?

I note that same month he gave a 5-year deal to that other defensive titan, Michael Keane.

He needed a senior pro to look after him, but back then there was a massive drink culture. In the present day, it's a hands-on approach and looking after the players' welfare.

It was very high risk financially but high volume buying has given Forest a good and deep squad in a short space of time.

It will be very hard to have a Top 8 quality squad until we've spent more than £25M on 10 more players.

Over the 8 seasons 2016-17 to 2023-24, 92 players were signed by Premier League clubs, 79 by the Sky 6 (85%). We signed 1.

Now there are some failures, Grealish, Antony, Pogba, Darwin Nunez 🤭, but the teams buying the better players do better. Well, that's rocket science ain't it!

I'm not sure £25M players are enough. But our 1 was someone we overpaid and did not deliver as much as we should have expected.

Fernandez
Grealish
Rice
Caciedo
Lukaku
Pogba
Anthony
Gvardiol
Maguire
Nunez
Sancho
Lukaku
Cheating Dutch CB
Fofana
Havertz
Pepe
Kepa
Hojlund
Debruyne
Marmoush
Havertz
Di Maria
Dias
Casemiro
Szoboslai
Mudryk
Isak
Rodri
Mahrez
Morata
Cucurella
Fernandes
Laporte
Solanke
Mount
Pulisic
Aubameyang
Sterling
Alison
Lavia
Yoro
Nunes
Ndombele

It looks like Premier League sides have a terrible record of €60M plus signings – but it doesn't hurt clubs if they can just keep spending.

Now that's a Rumour I could do without having spent up large on flights from Brisbane, hotels etc. for the last two weeks of Sept.

Many will take there's as a keep sake.

The best bet might be to keep an eye on eBay!!

Having attended the 2nd test event with 24,999 others, the stadium is ready barring a few cosmetics, which I presume the club and the project team are still working on. I keep saying, the outside as you walk in, is as impressive as the inside. You'll love it.

The transport infrastructure has been well debated. Having experienced the bus on the way to the stadium, I walked back to the Pier Head and took a left towards Lime Street. It was quicker.

That's okay for me, but not for everyone.

The truth is that the club have requested the first three games to be played away.

I wouldn't mind it personally if the case. Although we once played them at Goodison in a pre-season friendly and they took the entire Upper Bullens. They would bring about 10,000 down.

I didn't realise it was about a pre-season friendly(?) I was looking for a rumour about a 30-goal-a-season striker! 😁

Mike Buckley, Ronny Goodlass, Tony Grant, John Ebbrell, Barn-door Barlow, Cadamarteri, Jeffers, Barkley, and many more besides were regarded by us lot as "game changers", but none of them showed it.

Rooney, the only one who did, did next to sod all for us wearing our shirt, albeit he seemingly achieved way more joy wearing our pyjamas - sometimes in the company of his wife.

Finch Farm - what's its purpose?

And speaking of 'a 30-goal-a-season striker!' Alan:

Andrew Ellams 43: SkySports saying Leeds are looking at Beto.

Everton Interested in Re-Signing Spurs' Richarlison. They want a loan with an obligation to buy

Unless David Moyes is doing what he does best — damping down expectations?

How is it that all these clickbait sites seem to adopt the same journalistic style? I'm beginning to suspect they are all run by the same giant internet ad-mill somewhere in South-East Asia...