Deadline Day Preview
For most Evertonians, the silence is deafening. Most players that have been linked to the club have either gone elsewhere or the news has simply died down, with most fans expecting the worst come deadline day.
What do we expect to happen on deadline day?
First of all, we expect Ramiro Funes Mori to finally be unveiled as an Everton player. The Argentinian has been patiently waiting for all paperwork to go through so that he can formally be presented to the fans. The deal has taken longer than expected due to the player needing a work permit to play in this country. Everton applied for his work permit under the ‘exceptional talent’ ruling, due to his call-up to the national team as well as his club achievements this season.
Secondly, the signing of Aaron Lennon. Recent reports suggest that after losing out on their summer targets, Roberto Martinez is ready to negotiate with Spurs about a potential permanent deal. Fans would happily have the Englishman back, but Everton are currently overcrowded with wingers. Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas had to sit on the bench at White Hart Lane after impressive performances against Barnsley on Wednesday night, so where would that leave them? Not to mention McGeady and Pienaar, who both look set to be shipped out.
Roberto Martinez has stated all summer he is looking to find that perfect no.10 that can give us the creativity we so desperately crave in the final third. Andriy Yarmolenko was heavily linked with the Blues but the club pulled out of negotiations with Dynamo Kyiv as they could not find an agreement. Shakhtar’s Bernard has also been linked but the club were quick to dismiss any possibility of a transfer, claiming that there had been no serious interest in their player.
Adnan Januzaj was another name mooted but has now joined Bundesliga outfit Bourussia Dortmund. Everton have also been linked to a player looking to leave Dortmund, Jakub Błaszczykowski, but the Pole has signed a loan deal with Fiorentina. I’m sure a lot of names that fit the ‘no.10’ criteria will be thrown into the mix tomorrow.
So, at this stage in the window fans have no clear idea of who the club will pursue tomorrow. All we know is that at this stage it could be anyone, but what we do know is that Martinez two seasons ago pulled off arguably one of the best deadline days Evertonians have ever seen. Romelu Lukaku came in on loan in the eleventh hour, while Gareth Barry also came into the club on loan, both signing permanent deals and becoming mainstays in Roberto’s team.