Season › 2024-25 › News The Rumour Mill Upset Everton target 'vanished' on deadline day Lyndon Lloyd | 03/09/2024 22comments | Jump to last Everton and Fulham target, Ernest Nuamah, reportedly went AWOL in the crucial final hours on transfer deadline day last week and effectively scuppering a deal that would have seen him make a last-minute switch to Craven Cottage. Lyon were trying to arrange a deal to sell the young Ghanian before the summer transfer window closed and, at one stage, Everton appeared to be his most likely destination as would be Blues owner, John Textor, was said to be trying to persuade him to move to Goodison Park. The suggestion at the time was that Nuamah, who had only signed for Les Gones on a permanent basis from one of Textor's other clubs, RWD Molenbeek, in early July preferred a move to London over Merseyside, but a report in L'Equipe (via Lyon Foot) indicates that the winger was looking forward to playing in the Europa League and has no desire to leave Parc Olympique Lyonnais at all. Reports as Friday's 11pm deadline approached had it that Nuamah was set for Fulham with a medical planned in France to rush the move through but those close to the situation told L'Equipe that he was in tears at times and then "vanished into thin air without giving any news to anyone, not even to his agent, and he never returned to the club to sign his contract." Article continues below video content Textor has apparently smoothed things over and apologised to the 20-year-old, assuring him that his place is with Lyon. Reader Comments (22) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Paul Hewitt 1 Posted 03/09/2024 at 15:13:56 You have to feel sorry for the lad. Looks like he was being forced to move. Brian Cleveland 2 Posted 03/09/2024 at 15:29:47 Poor bugger. Being shipped around like a piece of merchandise. Can't blame him for hiding away.The last person to be consulted on what he wanted. Makes me angry. Paul Hewitt 3 Posted 03/09/2024 at 16:12:42 If this is what football is becoming, then you can keep it Jack Convery 4 Posted 03/09/2024 at 16:13:00 Textor sounds like a right one to me. Moving people round Europe when they don't want to move. I wonder how he persuaded Mangala to sign for us when he wanted to go elsewhere by all accounts. The deal with Lyon, who he owns, may well get looked at by the authorities. Kevin Molloy 5 Posted 03/09/2024 at 16:18:50 For how he would look after Everton, just look at how he treats Lyon. Let's hope this never happens Dennis Stevens 6 Posted 03/09/2024 at 16:40:57 T'was always thus.No matter how big a name you were, you'd be told "Pack your bags, you're off to ________________" John Keating 7 Posted 03/09/2024 at 17:55:08 Agree with Dennis. It's always been like that.Does anyone remember a certain Alan Ball? Biggest shock to us and also him. He was never consulted, Catterick just told him he was going. Big mistake but Catterick decided the money was too good.Players decide they want away and so do clubs. Always been the way. Mike Corcoran 8 Posted 03/09/2024 at 17:55:30 There's a few in our squad due a move against their will! Les Moorcroft 9 Posted 03/09/2024 at 18:09:06 It's business.. he is just an asset. Like it or not. Poor lad. Pick your wages up and go were you're told. Another fact. John Keating 10 Posted 03/09/2024 at 18:22:24 At the end of the day, players – regardless of who they are and where they're from – are only interested in one thing: money.Not slagging them, good on ‘em, but all this kissing the badge and all that is shite.Local, homegrown players are no different. Given the chance of more money and chance of honours, they'll be off. Who can blame them? Very few would.The days of lads sticking with one club are long gone and few and far between. Walter White 11 Posted 03/09/2024 at 19:31:52 Hope Textor gets here and forces Ashley Young to sign for absolutely anyone else. Les Moorcroft 12 Posted 03/09/2024 at 19:40:55 John fact. These people saying they feel sorry for them why? You know what you're going into. Sell your soul, get on with it. UTFT. Colin Glassar 13 Posted 03/09/2024 at 20:17:18 Sounds like a weakling. We have enough cry babies as it is, what with getting a “knock” and being missing for weeks on end. What happened to men?Surely this is the “useless generation”. Scott Montgomery 14 Posted 03/09/2024 at 20:26:53 It's no different in other premium sport across the world. If you watch Moneyball, players are told they've been traded and given a contact number at their new club. I appreciate these players remain in the same country, with the same language and culture, but what happened with Nuamah is not unique. Jeff Spiers 15 Posted 03/09/2024 at 22:34:08 John @7. The rumour surrounding Alan Ball was the fact he was in terrible debt due to his gambling. Read into that as you may. If any Blue out there can confirm or deny the above, please enlighten me. Cheers. Justin Doone 16 Posted 03/09/2024 at 22:55:16 This is not a recent trend. How many one club players has there been at any club?The difference now is that top players have far more money, power, influence on what they want.Most players, the non-premier league or top tier clubs, have far less money, power or influence in their career or transfer dealings. Clubs and agent's decide a players next move by limiting their options and / or engineering moves. Multiple decades old practice. James Swinscoe 17 Posted 03/09/2024 at 23:11:52 Also remember letting wee Bobby Collins go to Leeds and was Footballer of the Year the following season. Eric Myles 18 Posted 04/09/2024 at 02:02:06 Alan Ball and Wayne Rooney spring to mind.And a certain Mr. Bosman had a similar case? Derek Thomas 19 Posted 04/09/2024 at 03:35:56 Jimmy Gabriel was another, he fell out with Catterick over footballing styles, Harry wanted it played long and wide, Jimmy wanted to play it shorter, inside when it was on.Jimmy more or less said that Harry told him he sold him as far away as he could...Southampton...just to fuck him over for arguing with him. Danny O’Neill 20 Posted 04/09/2024 at 05:57:24 Brian @2, they are commodities. Im convinced that in a lot of cases, the players often dont have a lot of say. Its down to the club and agents.Rooneys recent interview was telling. He didnt want to move at the time but was told by the club he was being sold to Chelsea. Then he took it into his own hands and decided if the club wanted to sell him, he would choose. Ian Jones 21 Posted 04/09/2024 at 06:12:14 I think there are some players who consider families first before agreeing to a move especially if there are children at schools. Jeff Spiers 22 Posted 04/09/2024 at 09:11:28 Ian @21. 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