Everton vie with Newcastle for Gnonto

Not as good as Philogene or Asprilla. Not really a winger either and too small for a striker role.

Hopefully, this can be filed as just paper talk.

He'll look taller in Newcastle's kit…

I've never understood the interest in him.

Gnonto? Gnonto? Now where have I heard that name before?

I remember now! Wasn't he the Lone Rangers sidekick? Or am I thinking of that Italian striker Kemo Sabe?

I'm going for a lie down now.

Hope Newcastle get him. Way better out there.

Gnonto has one of the best songs of any player out there.

Philogene may well come to us on loan if Villa land him. They already have Bailey, Diaby, Rogers, Buendia and Dobbin for that role (which is partly why he left in the first place).

I am a bit surprised that we have not (yet) been linked with Rowe of Norwich — who I thought looked more impressive than Gnonto in the Leeds / Norwich playoff match and who looks to be out of contract next summer.

Can't really understand the continued link with Gnonto, he's not really a Dyche-type character is he?

Bit of a poor man's Royston Drenthe in my opinion but I'd be happy to be proven wrong if we did sign him.

A decent enough player like... but the kid from Norwich maybe a better fit all round!

I know he's only 20, but he spent a lot of the time on the Leeds bench in the Championship last season, not a great sign.

Summerville looks a better option.

Summerville will have much better options than Everton

The "rival interest" is the best argument for getting your business done early and quietly.

Don't the media love trying to shoehorn some players into our club?

Same shite this time last year.

Good call, Ryan.

I wanted Summervile instead of Harrison.

Thelwell loves going back in for old targets, it seems

I could see this one happening fairly quickly.

Summerville is now a £30-40M player, too expensive for us. Gnonto will probably cost around £20M and I think has the potential to eclipse Summerville (who is 2 years older).

He threw his toys out of the pram a bit last summer and that contributed to an average Championship season but the lad has pace to burn and works hard.

I would like to see him in an Everton shirt. He can play anywhere across the front and would help us on counters and win us set-pieces. Yes, please.

Why are we going for a left-winger after being turned down by Philogene, a right-winger!!?

I can't help thinking it's a Lookman type player, hit and miss.

It also flies in the face of the Dycheball 6-ft-plus player. As soon as Calvert-Lewin goes, Chris Wood will be incoming.

Soren @16,

Gnonto played about 90% of his games last season on the right, whereas Phologene played less than 50% of his games on the right. Both are versatile but Gnonto has played more there recently.

Willy, or Won't he? That is the question.

Would prefer Asprilla, but have no clue if he we have even been in the running for him or even made enquiries.

Jim 7,

I'd say a shorter version of Aaron Lennon.

I'd prefer Matías Soulé from Juventus.

They're looking at letting him go for around £20M.

Can the Everton recruitment team not travel further than 90 minutes up the M62?

Get a passport, he's not the only winger in world football.

Steve, wasn't our last signing from Marseilles?

Don't understand my sudden urge to have Gnocchi for dinner.

Yes Mike... via Sheffield!

At least our intrepid scouts ventured beyond the M62 to the M1 for 30 minutes.

Steve (#63);

It really wouldn't matter as the bloke responsible for not getting work permits is busy with the Irish travel arrangements.

Rob @22,

Soule is a great young player but I'm not sure he is the quickest. I feel like he would maybe be more of a McNeill or Harrison type of winger with great touch and vision and technique but we are now looking for someone with express pace who can counter rapidly.

I think Gnonto could do that well. In his last season in the Premier League, he had some of the highest stats for dribbling for U23 players and was only 19 at the time.

8 goals, 3 assists from 44(?) games in the Championship - in a team that were doing quite well.

Who knows what that will translate to in the Premier League? The price will have to be extremely right.

I must admit he looked good when we were interested in him before. He does seem to have tapered off a bit, but young enough to rediscover some form of consistency.

I prefer Asprilla, who has never been linked as far as I know. There again, we never know what is going on behind the scenes, which is what I like, when a gem unexpectedly appears at Finch Farm wearing the shirt etc.

Mind you, we have also had 'donkeys dressed as racehorses' before, but I believe Thelwell and Dyche are more selective than their predecessors (long contracts, high wages) with zero in return!

Derek @28,

Those stats are a bit misleading as many of those appearances were from the bench. Better to look at starts or minutes.

Gnonto had 8 goals and 3 assists in 1863 minutes. Which is a goal involvement every 169 minutes. This compares with someone like Philogene and is not too shabby for a 19-/20-year-old who was off-form and moping about his failed move to the greatest football team in history!

On Gnonto, he fits our normal recruitment scenario given we are skint:

1) Do his club want him? — No, he disappointed last season.

2) Has his side been relegated from the Premier League in the last 2 seasons? — Yes, they must be desperate to reduce their wage bill.

3) Is he affordable? —Provided his club accept staggered payments on the drip over 5 years.

4) Will we have to put a full tank of petrol in the car to drive to scout him? — Worried frown.

5) Is any other club in Europe interested in him? — Yes... okay, let's withdraw from the process and blame his agent.

Be good if Leeds took Maupay plus a little cash in return for this lad.

Dan @ 32, now we are talking!

Probably shite, but we can live in hope, and throw Holgate or Keane in too! :-)

Agreed Steve

If he was decent, why are none of Serie A in for him? 20 years of age, Italian international and available for £20-25M yet none of Juve, Inter, Roma, AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna etc etc see value in him. Does that strike anyone as odd?

I just see a Lennon or Drenthe type that will deliver little and we will want to shift in 12-24 months time.

@Derek, adding Holgate to the deal will probably mean Leeds want more money as well.

I used to think he had a good future, real potential, but I've been proved woefully wrong. He has the skill to be a decent defender, but in footballing intelligence he is as thick as two short planks held together with idiot glue.

Gees, just looked at out-of-contract players next summer. Bar the keepers, I can't see many renewals.

Virginia
Crellin
Coleman
Young
Holgate
Keane
Doucoure
Gueye
Harrison
Calvert-Lewin
Maupay

That leaves just 11 in contract players including Beto, Branthwaite. Freed up wages — but limited funds to go out and buy.

Dont understand the interest in this player. I watched a few Leeds games and he did nothing to warrant the price tag. Maybe Kevin Thelwall have seen something I havent in the players potential. Good luck to the lad though if he does put on the Everton shirt.

Last time we were interested, I said I preferred Summerville.

Nothing has changed except for Summerville's price.

Gnonto is Demarai Gray type but at least does get back and help the defense which is why I think Dyche is so interested.

West Ham look like they're doing smart business.

Todibo on loan to buy and Aaron Wan Bissaka for £15M.

Those are two good buys I'd be all over.

Ian # 37 - it is a good observation of just how stretched the squad is going to be next season.

Even going into this season, our 2nd XI is extremely poor and unbalanced. It currently looks like this:

Virginia
Young
Patterson
Keane
Holgate
Iroegbunam
Doucoure
Alli (although technically he has been released)
Maupay
Chermiti
Beto

I am hoping the plan is to recruit up to about 5 more first team squad players - even if we retain Calvert-Lewin and Branthwaite. Otherwise, as you say, next season could be an absolute disaster.

Gnonto's would be a very good purchase. He's explosive in the box, an asset we have not had for many a season.

I'll annoy many a person with what I'm about to say… but I mean it in terms of style only. (So clam down!)

Gnonto would be (in terms of style) very similar to Kanchelskis: direct, pacy, explosive, likes to shoot, backs his own ability…

I think he could be a great success at Everton. And if he had half the impact of the great man, then happy days!

Doesn't annoy me, Ben.

That sounds exactly what we need!

I think it's a fair point too, Ben.

He might not hit Kanchelskis heights but players like him and Ndiaye should help make the football much less one-dimensional.

Robert #41,

Why would you put Doucoure in your reserves?

Probably because he doesn't rate him, David?

Everyone has a different opinion but my guess is that maybe six of those players in that list @41 will be around the first-team squad and it's debatable how many of these players are actually good enough.

I keep saying it but it is definitely a squad game nowadays so I think it's imperative that we can beef up this squad.

Did someone mention Kanchelskis?

Kanchelskis

We've lost Lonergan, Godfrey, Hunt, Gomes, Danjuma and Dobbin from the regular matchday squad last season and Calvert-Lewin looks like he's on his way out.

We've brought in Iroegbunam and Ndiaye so need numbers across multiple positions and Gnonto plays in at least one of those positions.

Still good players out there Andrew,and for reasonable prices.Why we don't seem to be associated with them beats me.
I'm thinking Wan Bissaka we need a right back,he's available for something like£15-20 M,why are we showing no interest?It would give us one of the best back lines in the league.Similarly with Mctominay.He would be a solid replacement for Onana and has a goal or two in him as well.Again probably be around £20 M.
Ah well,what do I know?

So united are now spending £52m plus on a player that's :-

1. untried in the Premier league.
2. Not a full international
3. Played a third of the games of Branthwaite
4. Is 4 years younger
5. Has played only in France rather than efl, epl, champions league and Dutch league.

I hope he flops like Anthony 🤠.

David # 46, it's only illustrative. I assume the plan is that over the course of the season Ndiaye takes Doucoure's place behind the striker in a 4411 - especially with Doucoure's contract expiring at the end of the season. But the formation and personnel will probably vary a bit.

Tony # 47, he's effective in a poor side but I don't rate Doucoure especially highly, no. Apart from us there aren't many Premier League sides where he'd be a definite starter. Maybe 2 or 3 other clubs.

The Yoro deal is interesting in that Man Utd appear to have walked away from Branthwaite after it was clear we weren't desperate to sell at a discount. We might now keep him which is good in some ways obviously, but causes other problems given just how weak the squad is, and how (as Ian notes) it will be weakened further still next summer.

As for the others, it may just be that Wan-Bissaka prefers to return to London and sadly West Ham are better and richer than us at the moment. It's not clear we can afford to spend £15m on a RB.

As for McTominay, he's out of contract next summer and so may be sold. You might be right Stu that the fee would be about £20m (although I expect more). The issue is then whether we have the pulling power and money to sign him. He'll have plenty of offers, I would have thought, even if we could stump up the fee.

Wan Bissaka is a weird one Stu. At that price I would have thought there'd be a cue but apparently not.

Maybe he's picky about where he goes.

Dalot has shown Wan Bissaka's weakness going forward. I guess its difficult to find RBs that are more suited to wingback play while being able to defend adequately.

Both he and Summerville were very poor in the Championship play off final.

I'd have loved Wan-Bissaka here.

We will never find another seamus. One in a million. Love that guy.

Maybe Wan Bissaka would prefer a move to London and a richer club,and McTominay may prefer a higher profile club but how do we find out unless we show an interest?
£15M too much for an established right back?I don't think so.Can't afford McTominay when we are allegedly looking at around £25M for Lindstrom plus possibly Mykalenko thrown in and probably north of £20M for Gnonto should that saga ever end?
I know that Everton may not be flavour of the month for some players but my argument is that we should at least be throwing our hat in the ring where available players could fit readily where they are most needed in our squad.
Never mind, we are still in for RS reject Melo and will probably be used to train up Tessman for Inter next season.Good business,doubles all round.!
Like I said,what do I know?

Stu #59

How do you know we're not throwing our hat into the ring?

Wan-Bissaka is a brilliant defender with loads of pace.

I've said it weeks ago: for £15M, he'd be the answer to our right-back problem.

Stu, I expect we are engaging very extensively across the market for players - including all the players we all speculate about and many more besides.

I agree with you and Christy that Wan-Bissaka is a really good right-back, but he'd be a surprising signing given our finances (especially given his high wage and lack of resale profit).

The players we get are largely those without other / better options — where the selling clubs are keen to move the players on. Hence Lindstrom and Gnonto probably are serious options.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a very good right-back and would suit Dyche well. Not sure what our plan is at right-back but I hope it doesn't include relying on Coleman and Young.

McTominay I'm not so bothered about and seems a bit overrated to me, due to an anomalous goal return last year. Plus we have decent options in the middle for now.

If we could loan Lindstrom and buy Gnonto (or similar) that would give us some really interesting attacking options that we didn't have last year.

If we could get a solid player at right-back, then we'd have the best balance that we've had for a while.

Sam, I believe that a fully fit Patterson will be the answer.

Andy, i'm curious to see what happens to Patterson this season. Last season Dyche seemed reluctant to use him even when he was fit.

Though the lad has potential I'm not sure we've seen enough of it so far to rely on him at right-back. It may depend on how he does pre-season but my gut tells me that the best thing for Patterson would be a loan to the Championship or elsewhere in order to build his confidence and skills.

Sam #63, we're not just relying on Coleman and Young at right-back. Or Patterson.

You forget we also have back in our colors the human hack job. The man with as many career red cards as career goals. The only Premier League player to be sent off the last three seasons in a row. The disaster in boots who sees a card every 245 minutes. The train wreck who got 9 starts for Sheffield United at centre-back after we loaned him and helped them give up 30 goals in those starts.

Who needs Wan-Bissaka? We've got Hagar Holgate the Horrible.

Nice one Mike,I need some light relief at the moment!
Robert @62
I'm sure you're right and there is much more going on beneath the surface that the club is keeping to itself and the more high profile stories are being pushed by the media and greedy agents.
I just hope we are not scanning the horizon too much and missing opportunities under our nose.
I suppose I'm also feeling frustrated that we miss out so often on good prospects who seem to opt for other clubs,although I am aware that a lot of this is down to agents playing games.
I'm sure Dyche and Thelwell are very much aware of where we need to strengthen and are working hard to achieve it,so we just have to live in hope.

Mike@66, too true!

Forget Dele Alli — the real fairytale will be Holgate captaining Everton and England to trophies galore over the next few years!

Hagar's redemption starts now!

Holgate went through a brilliant spell which prompted Carlo to call him a future Everton captain and offer him a massive contract.

Unfortunately; Even Ancelotti could not have seen how he was going to react once he had sealed the deal. There can be no doubt his head went. Maybe he thought he had made it when he signed that contract. Maybe somebody was lacing his chewing gum with something relaxing and exotic. Whatever the reason Holgate, like Nathan Jones (and Deli Alli) has been gone too long

Sam's right. Getting Holgate or Deli Alli back to their best would be a fairytale. Getting a decent season out of both of them would be a minor miracle.

What are Everton seeing in Gnonto that Leeds don't see, and bench him?

If we sign him and he turns out to be decent, fair enough, but no more blunder signings, we can't afford it. Looks like a gamble to me.

I just knew that a certain someone would bite on my Holgate hook.

By the way, Carlo did not, repeat not, call Hagar a future Everton captain. Per the papers after the 2020 derby, he was asked but "refused to be drawn" on the question.