Everton transfer news

Subterms

    More stories

    • 238 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Ex-Everton star completes free transfer to join Newcastle icon at non-league side as fans say ‘as if.. remember him?’

      by

      FORMER Everton ace Oumar Niasse has joined non-league side Macclesfield on a short-term deal.Niasse has had several spells across English football throughout his 15-year career and will now be playing in the Northern Premier League.
      Ex-Everton ace Oumar Niasse has joined Macclesfield on a free transferCredit: Macclesfield Town FC
      Niasse will be joining Newcastle icon Papiss Cisse, who is training with MacclesfieldCredit: Getty
      The Silkmen confirmed the striker’s arrival at the Leasing.com Stadium by announcing he has signed a short deal subject to league approval.
      The ex-Senegal international’s free transfer has been met by mixed reaction with some fans shocked by how the former Premier League player ended up in the seventh tier.
      One fan tweeted: “As if! Remember him.”
      Another commented: “The saviour has returned.”
      Read More on Football
      A third wrote: “Keeps dropping down.”
      But there were also other fans with fond memories of Niasse and wished him the best of luck.
      One commented: “Good luck Oumar.”
      Another tweeted: “Good luck lad top scorer incoming.”
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      A third posted: “Good luck Oumar, smash it lad.”
      Niasse will be joining Newcastle hero and former Senegal team-mate Papiss Cisse at Macclesfield.
      Cisse started training with Alex Bruce’s side earlier this month after leaving Amiens last year.
      Niasse moved to England initially in 2016 to join Everton but failed to stand out and was sent out on loan to Hull as well as Cardiff.
      The 33-year-old left the Toffees four years later and went on to compete for the likes of Huddersfield, Burton and Morecambe. More

    • 238 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      Sky Sports ‘ready to use pre-recorded crowd noise’ to drown out Everton’s X-rated protest chant in Man Utd clash

      by

      SKY SPORTS could use pre-recorded crowd noise to block out an X-rated chant from Everton fans against Manchester United on Sunday.Home supporters will protest at the club’s ten-point deduction by blasting “Premier League corrupt as f***” in the tenth minute of the live TV game.
      Sean Dyche’s Everton could get a noisy reception in more ways than one when the Prem returns with Sunday’s home clash vs Man UtdCredit: Alamy
      Toffees’ supporters are plotting a verbal blast at Prem chiefsCredit: The Times
      The Times say Sky will act to drown out any offensive language – to make sure their coverage sticks within broadcast guidelines.
      That could include using noise already recorded – a tactic deployed during the Covid lockdown.
      At that time, though, it became an interactive choice for TV viewers, rather than enforced.
      The other option back then was to watch the matches from quiet stadiums devoid of supporters with little “atmosphere”.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Now Sky will take action to follow Ofcom rules on not broadcasting bad language, especially at such a family time as Sunday afternoon and well before the 9pm watershed.
      Many Everton fans are furious at the club’s ten-point penalty for a single breach of profit and sustainability rules.
      They believe the punishment is too stiff, particularly as Manchester City face 115 charges while Chelsea are being investigated over payments in the Roman Abramovich era.
      It could even get worse for the Toffees – with the risk of an extra nine-point deduction.
      Most read in Football
      The Mail suggest Everton might be hit with a £300million compensation bill – if Burnley, Leicester and Leeds sue the Toffees and win the case.
      That could leave new Everton owners 777 partners struggling to pay up.
      And if they failed to do so, the Toffees would be put into administration – meaning nine points docked off. More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Everton dealt major financial blow over Dele Alli deal after ‘angering Tottenham with absurd Richarlison transfer claim’

      by

      EVERTON have been dealt a major financial blow after trying to blame Tottenham for their overspending.The Toffees were hit with a 10-point deduction on Friday after breaching profit and sustainability rules.
      Everton signed Dele Alli from TottenhamCredit: PA
      The Toffees claim that Spurs drove a hard bargain when signing RicharlisonCredit: PA
      Everton had since been hoping that Spurs would waive a potential £10million fee for Dele Alli.
      This is because the club have blamed the North London outfit for their breach for not paying £80m for Richarlison in June 2022.
      The Daily Mail have reported that sources have called the claim from Everton “absurd”.
      It is suggested that Everton believe that Spurs took advantage of the club’s financial position by negotiating for “a hard bargain” in the Premier League’s independent commission’s written judgement.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Everton believe that the £60m that Tottenham did pay for the striker was £20m short of their valuation and was “directly attributable to PSR calculation difficulties”.
      It is thought that the relationship between the two clubs could be damaged by Everton’s attempt to use the fee in their mitigation.
      The report also claims that Everton held talks with Spurs last month about restructuring the Dele Alli deal.
      The Toffees will have to pay £10m to Spurs should the former England international make seven more appearances for the club.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      This fee could be difficult for Everton to pay due to their financial problems.
      It is also claimed that Tottenham do not want to hinder Alli from reviving his career but want the settlement to be right for all sides.
      Alli, 27, has not played since picking up an injury during his loan spell with Turkish outfit Besiktas in February.
      As a result of Everton’s point deduction, the club has fallen from 14th place to 19th in the Premier League table.
      The Toffees are only off the bottom of the table due to their superior goal difference over Burnley.
      Manchester United fans have been cursing their luck as they expect a tough game against Everton after the international break.
      Everton, however, are predicted to survive relegation to the Championship by a supercomputer. More

    • 225 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      Everton were foolish but they did NOT cheat – their ten-point deduction is a terrible decision for football

      by

      LET’S get one thing clear right from the start. As much as some would claim otherwise, Everton have not been found guilty of cheating.That jaw-dropping ten-point deduction is not a result of trying to defraud rivals.
      Everton were deducted ten pointsCredit: PA
      Not from welching on transfer deals. Not from defaulting on payments.
      It is down to overspending. It is because they have been foolish with their money.
      It is because they have run up bigger debts than their income allows.
      And it is because football is now run by independent panels and accountants.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      A sport where red tape, not refs, now calls the shots. One of back-door politics.
      Of course Friday’s ruling was a terrible day for Everton. But it goes far deeper than that.
      It was a terrible day for the game as a whole.
      One when the entire landscape changed irrevocably. A reason why it has become far easier to hate football than love it.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      Because anyone who thinks this is a one-off, the sign that it will bring others to their senses and drag everyone into line, is living in another world.
      This is only the start, believe me.
      The swinging open of the door to a world where Premier League clubs are already running to teacher and snitching on rivals, like Chelsea and Manchester City for example.
      And a sport where the winners will ultimately be those who can afford the best lawyers and fight the most stringent and strongest defence.
      Something this column warned about in Everton’s case, incidentally, when Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Grant Ingles and Graeme Sharp were drummed out in June.
      CEO Barrett-Baxendale and chief finance and strategy officer Ingles were the two fighting the case. The only two in Goodison with the inside knowledge and expertise.
      When they left, there was no one with details of all the facts and figures — and know-how — to pick up the baton.
      Had they stayed, the outcome could well have been the same.
      ‘They haven’t cheated’
      But at least they’d have been better placed to fight their corner — then and now, with the appeal.
      There is no doubt Everton are a club that have been run abysmally. Farhad Moshiri can rightfully be accused of that. No one could possibly argue otherwise.
      Signings such as Andre Gomes, Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean . . . the list of big-money flops is endless. But they haven’t cheated.
      What they have done is over-spent, as simple as that.
      Well, either they’ve got no mirrors in the Premier League or those rivals who initially complained studiously avoid them.
      But what this ruling means is that effectively we now no longer know what we are watching or what the final table will be.
      No one going to a game will be able to say with certainty what that day’s result actually means.
      A 2-1 win? Where are we in the table now, then? Only there won’t be a definite answer.
      ‘This is a whole new ball game’
      It could be sixth but, then again, it might be third. Or perhaps as low as 15th.
      Football has steadily been edging away from the sport we all fell in love with as kids.
      One where it was all about the goals, the tackles, the saves, the matches. Those days are long gone.
      Yes, there have been points deductions in the Premier League before, but not in these circumstances.
      Portsmouth were docked nine in 2010 for going into administration.
      In 1997 Middlesbrough lost three for postponing a game against Premier League orders amid an injury crisis.
      But this is a whole new ball game. One decided by independent panels imposing rules that no one fully understands.
      Until the appeal is heard, there remains hope for Everton. Yet it doesn’t alter the fact that accountants have taken over.
      How long before it’s not about the top goalscorer but the top lawyer?
      Something all those rivals currently sniggering behind their hands would do well to bear in mind. More

    • 238 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Former Real Madrid and Everton star Royston Drenthe forced to retire at 36 as madcap career ends in fallout

      by

      FORMER Everton and Real Madrid star Royston Drenthe has announced his retirement from football.Drenthe, 36, was part of the Netherlands Under-21 side that won the Euros in 2007, beating England en route to the final as he was named Player of the Tournament.
      Royston Drenthe has called time on his careerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He starred for 15 different clubs including Real MadridCredit: Reuters
      On Friday he called time on his career after being deemed surplus to requirements at Dutch amateur club Kozakken Boys.
      Speaking to ESPN on the move, he said: “The realisation that this is the end is definitely hard to swallow.”
      However, Drenthe has already planned out his next steps.
      He added: “I’ll think about that next week. I don’t want to become a coach anyway, but something with technical policy, that seems like something to me.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “The focus is now on working for TV. There are some really fun, new projects coming up.”
      Drenthe had a tumultuous football career that saw him star for 15 different clubs across England, Holland, Spain, Turkey, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
      His career even included an initial retirement in 2016, before returning in 2018.
      Some of his most notable spells came with Real Madrid, Everton, Reading and Sparta Rotterdam.
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      But it was his off-pitch antics which often made the headlines.
      Drenthe had career spells as a rapper, actor, TV pundit, healthcare worker and fashion shopkeeper.
      He admitted he was not ready to be a footballer and said his party lifestyle was a big hindrance during his early career.
      The winger and left-back had starred alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at Madrid.
      His Madrid spell was followed by his time with Russian side Alania Vladikavkaz, a time when he recalls drinking vodka on the team bus to deal with the boredom he experienced there.
      Drenthe was also named a shock candidate to take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond thanks in part to his previous acting role as a gangsta in Dutch crime drama Mocro Maffia in 2021. More

    • 275 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      The Premier League has shown it is serious about enforcing FFP, all eyes will be on the Chelsea and Man City verdicts

      by

      NOW we know the Premier League really is serious about enforcing its financial rules.And Manchester City as well as Chelsea in particular may need an industrial scale mop to soak up the sweat pooling at their feet.
      Everton have been slapped with a 10-point deduction from the Premier League
      For all the talk about scrutiny, rules and a determination to ensure clubs lived within their means, nobody really thought Prem chiefs meant it.
      The general view was that it was all a bit of a show. Window dressing. Never actually going to be acted upon.
      Yet, suddenly, with Everton sucker-punched with the biggest penalty in the League’s 30-year history — a ten-point deduction — and facing a likely season-long fight against a relegation that could be the final nail  in the famous old Merseyside club’s coffin,  the entire picture has been altered.
      The Toffees, swinging in all directions, made clear they will push for equal action elsewhere.
      Read More on Football
      Attacking the “harshness and severity” of the punishment, Everton’s statement noted: “The club will monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.”
      But a new standard has been set. In their 41-page written reasons, a three-man independent commission, headed by David Phillips KC, made clear that the Premier League — under fire from Westminster and other critics — has an obligation to come down hard on clubs who try to cheat the system.
      They wrote: “The Commission has no doubt that one of the primary purposes of the sanction is to punish the transgressing club.
      “We must not be swayed by sympathy — for example, the fact that the penalty might make the prospect of relegation greater.
      Most read in Football
      “The inference of a sporting advantage should properly be drawn from the fact of a breach, and that sporting advantage was enjoyed for four seasons.
      “One of the purposes of a sanction is to provide a deterrent effect. That is a legitimate purpose.”
      Unsurprisingly, Everton supporters have asked why they have been hit so hard, so quickly, when other cases drag on, seemingly endlessly.
      Rival clubs have no expectation that the 115 charges against City will be concluded inside the next 12 months, while the League is still to charge Chelsea — although they were fined £8.6million by Uefa for issues they themselves flagged up.
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      Manchester City are also facing serious Financial Fair Play charges
      Even Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, admittedly a boyhood Blue, wrote: “The ten-point deduction is excessive and not right.
      “They have been working with the Premier League about this for the last couple of years. Would it have been better to be evasive and try and drag it out like other clubs? Until other clubs are sanctioned  Everton will feel they are being used to show there is no need for an independent regulator, and they are right.”
      Last summer, the Premier League clubs voted through new rules that mean  “simple” sustainability rule breaches MUST be dealt with within three months of a charge being laid.
      That did not apply to City’s case while it is understood the Chelsea issue is made more complicated by the non-involvement of any officials currently at the club.
      Everton, though, now face the prospect of a major financial blow as well.
      While Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Burnley were  prevented from interceding in the case by a commission, they have 28 days to apply for compensation claims to be assessed.
      Fans will expect the Premier League to be as strict with Chelsea and Man CityCredit: Reuters
      In the cases of the teams relegated over the past two seasons that could run into millions of pounds — with Leeds likely to point out they were forced to sell Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha to comply with FFP.
      Everton, in a parlous financial state and now staring at the real prospect of relegation, could not afford to be hit with such a payment demand.
      But what is unquestionable is that the entire financial framework of the Premier League has now been transformed.
      Everybody knows it. And it is why the ultimate outcome for City and Chelsea will be so scrutinised.
      The Charges
      EVERTON were hit with an unprecedented ten-point penalty after being found to have “taken chances” with the Prem’s financial regulations.
      A 41-page  independent  commission report found their bid to improve results led to them acting “irresponsibly” to exceed permitted losses under the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
      Its damning report stated: “This was a serious breach that requires a significant penalty.”
      Despite posting £372million in losses over three seasons, the club were found to have breached the £105m allowed loss by £19.5m, spending £124.5m.
      They persistently denied the charges — until the hearing, when they admitted breaching the regulations.
      The panel confirmed Everton flagged up issues as early as January 2021 with the club wanting to claim £54m in stadium expenditure. That claim was rejected by the League.
      Everton are facing relegation after their Premier League sanction
      The club recognised by early 2022 they would fail to meet Premier League guidelines.
      That saw other clubs take advantage in transfer deals. Spurs bought Richarlison in a £60m deal, some £20m less than Everton had anticipated.
      The Toffees argued the Ukraine war, which saw billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri’s business partner Alisher Usmanov placed on the UK sanctions list, cost £10m per year in lost sponsorship income.
      In their official accounts of 2022, Everton tried to exclude £17.4m in stadium loan interest. The club also claimed £61m of Covid-related losses, dismissed by the League.
      The 2023 accounts claiming a loss of just £87.1m over the three-year period were rejected.
      In 2021, the Premier League warned Everton about signing new players but the  commission stated that for the club to continue its transfer policy was “recklessness that constitutes an aggravating factor”.
      Everton will be looking for the same restrictions to be applied on the bigger clubs
      It added: “It was unwise for Everton not to have curtailed player purchases.
      “It was aware of potential Profitability and Sustainability Rules difficulties but pressed ahead in the hope that it would make sales of players that would enable it to achieve PSR compliance. Events have proved that to be a poor judgment.
      “The position that Everton finds itself in is of its own making — it is Everton’s responsibility to ensure that it complies with the PSR regime. The excess over the threshold is significant.
      “The consequence is that Everton’s culpability is great.
      “Further, Everton was less than frank in its dealings with the Premier League over the stadium interest issue.
      “The reality is that Everton failed to manage its finances so as to operate within the generous threshold of £105m.
      “Its mismanagement led to that threshold being exceeded by £19.5m. A financial penalty for a club that enjoys the support of a wealthy owner is not a sufficient penalty.”
      The Defence
      EVERTON’S failed attempt to escape a record points deduction saw them claim they should be allowed extra wriggle room for NOT suing a player.
      They said that after ‘Player X’  was arrested in July 2021, they sought to protect his “mental welfare” at a financial cost.
      The player — who is not named in the independent commission report —  was sacked the following month but Everton opted not to sue him for breach of contract.
      Yet at the hearing, Everton argued the £10million they could have demanded should have been included in their losses, minimising the breach of League rules.
      According to the written reasons, Everton claimed they were “entitled to credit for not  pursuing an economically viable claim” against the player.
      But the commission branded the argument “speculative”,  adding there was “no evidence that Player X would have been able to meet whatever judgement might have been obtained”.
      Everton were slapped with the heaviest punishment in Premier League historyCredit: Reuters
      Prem chiefs were also underwhelmed by a claim that Everton missed out on the transfer value of another star — ‘Player Y’ — because of Covid.
      Lawyers claimed the “factual reality” was that Everton had made a decision NOT to sell.
      Prem rules allow losses of £105m over a three-year period but Everton’s up to 2021-22 were found to be £124.5m.
      The club put forward various items they felt should be excluded from the calculation, including interest costs related to construction of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the portion of the club’s transfer levy related to youth development plus the £10m lost by deciding not to seek damages against ‘Player X’.
      Everton also argued that a depressed summer transfer market in 2020 owing to Covid-19 reduced the revenue they would have earned from player sales.
      They also said they had lost  out on a £200m stadium-naming-rights deal with conglomerate USM as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the British Government.
      Everton boss Sean Dyche is now dealing with a relegation battle
       USM’s single largest stakeholder is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
      The club said in a statement: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s commission.
      “The club believes that the commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.
      “The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League.
      “Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League.
      “The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.
      “Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the  evidence submitted.” More

    • 200 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      How Kroenke family may have SAVED Arsenal from Everton-style fate with huge decision five years ago

      by

      THE Kroenke family may have inadvertently saved Arsenal from suffering an Everton-style penalty. Everton were handed a ten-point deduction that has seen them plummet into the relegation zone after being found guilty of breaching Premier League Financial Fair Play rules.
      David Ornstein explained how a decision from Stan Kroenke five years ago may have saved Arsenal from an Everton-style fateCredit: PA
      Everton-linked Alisher Usmanov was brought out of Arsenal five years agoCredit: EPA
      Josh Kroenke has been heavily involved in the running of the club during their rise up back up the tableCredit: Getty
      The Toffees recorded heavy financial losses of £124.5million over the past three years. This is £19.5m over the Prem’s budget of £105m.
      Part of these losses came as a result of Alisher Usmanov, a former shareholder in Arsenal, seeing his assets frozen in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
      Everton suspended its partnership with Usmanov’s holding company USM which had a five-year deal worth more than £12m.
      Usmanov held over 30 per cent of shares in the Gunners as of October 2013, before accepting a £550m bid for his shares in Arsenal from Stan Kroenke in 2018.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      And it has been suggested by David Ornstein that the North London club could have suffered a similar fate to Everton had things worked out differently.
      Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, he said: “You’ll look at clubs like Arsenal for example who had, as a large minority shareholder, Alisher Usmanov at some point.
      “Who with Farhad Moshiri moved over to Everton and a lot of the problems Everton are facing are due to the loss of money that was on behalf of Usmanov.
      “You could say that might have been Arsenal had things worked out differently and KSE, the Kroenke family hadn’t taken full control.”
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
      Amid Ornstein’s hypothetical argument, there has never a suggestion that Arsenal have broken FFP rules.
      Ornstein continued: “There were so many questions about why aren’t you spending more money for so many years.
      “And clubs like Arsenal, now Manchester United and even Newcastle under their Saudi ownership are saying ‘we can’t because of financial fair play rules and profit and sustainability.’
      “‘We don’t want to break them because of the potential consequences’, and perhaps now we are seeing why they were so firm on that.
      “And maybe their supporters will give back a little bit of credit or reduce their frustration that they expressed at lack of spending because if you’re not careful it could be you in this position.
      “Ultimately, whatever the politics or agenda around this – and there will be so much conversation and conspiracy theory – the Premier League are clearly trying to get tough and show they can govern properly and create a league that has the trust of the people.” More

    • 188 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      Premier League must hit every team with same harsh penalties after Everton ignored financial rules

      by

      THE Premier League has finally shown it has the teeth to deal with clubs ignoring financial rules.But having handed Everton the harshest penalty in the competition’s history, League chiefs must now demonstrate that the same bar is there for EVERYONE.
      Everton were found to have deliberately lost £19.5m more than allowed over three yearsCredit: Reuters
      Everton have been pushed into the relegation zone, but fans will be looking to see if the likes of Chelsea and Man City are treated as harshly if found to have breached rulesCredit: Getty
      Yesterday’s ten-point deduction, plunging Everton into the relegation zone, could imperil the club’s very future.
      Everton were found to have deliberately lost £19.5m more than allowed over three years and then attempted to mislead the League over their finances.
      Their punishment is tough but fitting.
      Yet Everton fans — and those of other clubs — will now expect even tougher sanctions if giants Man City and Chelsea are also proven to have ridden roughshod over the rules.
      READ MORE ON EVERTON
      City were hit with 115 charges, for alleged offences in seven seasons, in February, just weeks before Everton were next in the Prem’s bad books.
      And while the Treble winners are contesting the allegations, there are plenty who do not believe you can have that much smoke without some fire.
      Chelsea actually flagged up breaches that allegedly saw millions syphoned illicitly out of the club, pinning the blame on Roman Abramovich’s old regime.
      Yet fans of many clubs, not just Everton, will demand City and Chelsea are held to the same standards. And if that means relegation for two of the Prem’s shining symbols, so be it. If they are guilty, they MUST be hurt.
      Most read in Football More