Everton back in for Villa winger Jaden Philogene

Paper talk one hopes. This would be another case of cleaning the deck of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg.
We have to sign full backs. It would be good to sign a proven attacking force. But who would join us to play defend and counter in a relegation dogfight?
I believed we were to slow to replace Lampard with Dyche, and that nearly cost us. Now we are doing the same again.
Drastic action is needed. Signing a bench warming, non productive winger is NOT a priority.

Forget his time at Villa, this lad would improve us immensely. Quick and direct, can cross a ball, a has a good shot. I'd sign his straight away. Now if Dyche plays him, that's another matter.

Paul, to begin with he would need to finish his many hours training on grass before being considered for the subs bench.

I would endorse Joe's point and add that if he is a Thelwell selection he may simply end up on the bench alongside the young Irish centre half we bought.

Let's hope that there is some truth in this, we need more players with pace and skill.

The right age with something to prove is a positive move.

I believe we are that desperate for reinforcements now, any new name being linked inspires some hope. Unless it's a case of 'horses for courses' he may, or not fit in.

What worries me though is, I have a lot of admiration for Unai Emery, and think he is a pretty good judge of a player. So why (if true) are they willing to offload after just 6 months?

Derek @6. Mourinho didn't want Salah and KDD. They haven't turned out to be bad players. Sometimes a move just doesn't work for some reason.

Apologies, Derek Knox beat me to the punch.

I'd add a note of caution to this potential transfer (if true)

IF Unai Emery and his team can't get this lad up to speed, despite all his attributes that PH mentions at #2. Then how would we develop and progress Jaden's abilities and career, when it has been a widely held view that Dyche hasn't improved a single player?

Yes, he would improve the attacking side of the team on the right (maybe) BUT again he is a RFd LW (which is an alternative to McNeil and Harrison I suppose - but we have Ndiaye), which means if played on the LW he's going to cut in much akin to Ndiaye; and if played on the RW, it isn't his favoured position, though potentially it might improve him and us, as he wouldn't be an inverted winger and hopefully try to get to the bye-line to cross...?

All in all, despite being 22yo and relatively cheap, I'd steer clear. He'd just be a Villa cast-off, like a Utd cast-off. or a Chelsea cast-off.

Please TFG can we fire our scouting and recruiting departments and get some people in who actually scout.

Maybe ask TFG to consider Robert Tressell and Sam Hoare to assist?

Also, I agree with Mike Doyle, if brought in, would Dyche play-him if a) he's not match fit, or Dyche fit, and B) he's not willing to work as hard back as forwards, or c) he doesn't train well?

Fabrizio Romano seems to think this is on the cards and for a fee not a loan.

One for the future — we will have the best reserve side in the Championship.

This is the lad I wanted signed in the summer. He is a cracking footballer with end product. I will be very happy if we get him.

We need a play maker. This probably means Dyche is out of a job.

We'd train any ability out of this lad within three months anyway.

Simon # 8. I wouldn't get worked up about him being a Villa cast off. I believe Sheedy was an RS cast off.

As you can see at Forest - where Elanga and Hudson-Odoi are doing so well - pace and trickery are a valuable asset.

Philogene would give us much more of this. He's not Vini Junior but he'd be a useful asset for the 2nd half of the season - with the potential to become a Mirallas standard (ish) player going forwards.

There are lots of other players like him (and possibly better too) but are they available in Jan? Can we afford them?

Quite possibly not.

Another PSR transfer with Armstrong or Dixon going the other way?

If there's one thing EFC are crying out for it's width and crosses. i'd prefer to sign 2 wing backs with pace but will take anyone who can improve the crossing ability of the team which is 0 so far this season.

If he’s got serious pace then great because we’re desperate for that. We need to follow the Forest template of pace on both wings and in midfield.

Unbelievable that we were actually in for Diaz, Kudus, Semenyo and Gibbs-White; our recruitment is at least as bad as our management.

Signing the odd player now in January for the future is probably the best thing we can do if we are to keep Dyche til next season.

The lad's young and English, we will almost certainly get our money back; if the next manager plays him, his value will soar.

Fact is you need established players to affect the starting team but, for that type of player, you have to spend money, and if we have to spend money, you don't want Dyche spending it.

We need players who the next manager wants. The last thing we need is another Tosun, Walcott, Niasse, Bolasie, Sigurdsson, Keane, Gbamin, or any of the mob who cost us good money, sat around for 5 years, and left on a free.

Mike @17,

I guess a lack of money played a part? Any of those you mentioned would have made a big difference, assuming they were played in their correct positions and not as auxiliary full-backs.

Mike 17,

We can't follow Forest template as we would break PSR rules again. I am not sure how Forest have avoided PSR again with another £100M spent this season.

Do we have anyone on here who can shed any light on our financial position?

Hi Rob @20, I don't mean just in this window but moving forward, over the next few years.

Please god we get some serious pace and power throughout the whole squad, surely that has to be an absolute prerequisite moving forwards.

Even the successful wingers we've had, like Deulofeu and Richarlison, didn't have searing pace. If we had fast full-backs or central defenders or midfielders, at least that would negate the opposition's pace but there's no pace anywhere. We must have the slowest squad in the Premier League.

Mike 21,

I agree, we must have the slowest team in the Premier League. Speed of thought is also missing from most of them.

We will probably get this one over the line if its not just speculation. Obviously we wanted him in the last window but Villa kept him after he looked outstanding for Hull in the Championship.

He is only 22 and I would be very happy if we signed him as I think he has definite potential to be a very good player.

I remember a few years ago Jarrod Bowen playing for Hull and many clubs over-looked him, including us. He signed for West Ham at 23 for £22M and he didn't turn out badly.

Also, there were murmurings about Tim for Villa, however he became a fans favorite prior to injury, food for thought folks.

So we have an interest in Aston Villa’s Philogene.

Sounds like a medicine, just what we need.

Mike #21,

We've been among the slowest in the Premier League for years now. We've had no dangerous pace up top since Rom and none in the midfield since the last century.

We haven't recruited a seriously speedy player since Bolasie.

Fred @24.

He's being bought to help Ashley Young because we all know that Philogene fortifies the over-forties!

Why is it that we can all see we have no pace but the recruitment department continually neglect it. They aren't fit for purpose.

This manager doesn't help because all he looks for is size and height, which rarely combines with pace.

These players get lots of accolades about potential until they join Everton and it all ends there.

If he hasn't made a mark at Villa then he won't here unless we have a new manager at the helm.

We need more speed, tackling and creativity where it matters; until that changes, we will stay with the bottom feeders.

Mike Price 27: Why is it that we can all see we have no pace but the recruitment department continually neglect it. They aren't fit for purpose.

Agree Mike. We need root and branch reform in nearly all areas of the club. We need to get rid of the ancien regime and Thelwell is a big part of what and where we are now. He has to go.

Fred/Brian, he sounds more like an author of Greek Tragedy to me or was he in The Iliad?

We need leaders on and off the pitch.

I remember when Andy King and Andy Gray came to the club. Both arrived when we were in the doldrums. Both were huge characters.

King, the cheeky chappy and Gray, let's kick the crap out of this lot. Both of them lifted the spirits of teammates and fans alike.

This bunch of players are too meek and mild. We need fighters who can play.

There must be players with pace out there?

I watched Forest the other day and a lot of them were like shit off a shovel. I'd never heard of most of them 12 months ago.

Out recruitment is horrendous.

Liam, we tried to sign Elanga, Sosa, Hudson-Odoi and Gibbs-White. It's not a scouting problem - it's a lack of money issue.

I read that Agbonghalor described him as "not good enough" and he has zero goals or assists in 14 appearances. Sounds ideal to bring the same level of output we see from Harrison and Linstroem.

Colin (30),

Andy King and Andy Gray can't have played many games together, if any. Andy King's second spell here was 1982-84 and Gray didn't join us till the end of 1983.

Or have I misunderstood your post?

I lose count of the players we were meant to sign, Rob, there's been so many of them! I defer to your knowledge though as you are always well informed.

Whatever the reason, our recruitment is horrendous, even when we were flush with Usmanov money.

One of the best players in the Championship and has the pace and trickery that might help us on the counter.

Not sure if we can afford him or whether Dyche would play him but he has Ndiaye qualities and could get fans on their feet.

Robert @32 thank you for saying that, 100%! People on here keep digging out Thelwell for his signings and completely overlooking who were seriously after in the past.

Add to that list Guirassey, Thelwell was after him just before he hit major form for Stuttgart and earned a move to Dortmund. Not to mention Kudos now at West Ham.

There have been others who went on to do well, he has an eye for talent just before it exploded for them, he just hasn't had the financial backing, nor the club stability behind him to get them over the line.

So for the above reasons along with my view that Thelwell has performed minor miracles on a shoestring budget, I want us to give him real backing with a new contract.

We need some continuity moving into the new era and he's seen it all, he deserves his shot. I hope he is anti Dyche though and sells him down the river in his next meeting with the Friedkin's.

Philogene is exactly the sort of player we should be after, i think he needs some love. People on here who are criticising his form and choice to go to Villa, i don't know how much say he had in that. They exercised their buy back clause for a bargain £13M, knowing his stock had risen and they could make a fast buck out of the sale. Don't read too much in them wanting shot of him, even if it hasn't worked out under Emery for him.

Steve @37, Good call.

He's had a task trying to get anyone to Everton. In the near future, that may change.

Thelwell has spent significant amounts: Chermiti – £15M, we could have got the pacy, skilful Sarr that Palace got for less than £13M. He bought Beto… for well over £20M; that alone shows he hasn't got a clue, it was more than Ipswich paid for Delap. O'Brien was around £15M... what's he added to our first team?

Broja signed with a long-term injury, Lindstrøm not helping, he re-signed Harrison and gave Coleman, Doucouré and Young extensions. Lazy signings and some shockingly bad ones. I don't think he was responsible for Mykolenko because that one is probably the worst of a very bad bunch.

The only success is Ndiaye.

Here we go, he's saying his goodbye's and is off to Ipswich. We were in for him, but the Tractor Boys blew us out the water.

I think they've bought him not loaned him.

Hmm
Philogine fancy?
I wouldn’t trade him for the whole world…

Had Everton matched or bettered Ipswich's £21m plus addons the pitchforks would be out on here for Thelwell being clueless and throwing money away.

Brian 34, they both played for us in different decades (70’s & 80’s) my, intended, point was they both lifted the spirits of players and fans alike. We need characters like these two again.

the headline on Goodison News is 'Philogene latest. Medical booked after Everton Bid- Fabrizio Romano'

Just read that he is having a medical at Ipswich. What does that tell you about the attraction of signing for Everton?