The news today is that Tom Cleverley is having a medical at Watford as he prepares to go on a loan move to the club for the rest of the season with an option to buy in the summer.
So we are missing out on some of our top targets as it’s always difficult to persuade Premier League players to take the step down to the Championship.
Tom Cleverley – having medical at Watford
Cleverley was wanted by Rafa Benitez although Everton wanted to sell the player this month.
However, it looks like Watford is the club who will win the race to get Cleverly on loan for the rest of the season and can then make the deal permanent in the summer.
It’s interesting that Cleverley spent a season-long loan spell at Watford back in the 2009-2010 season when he was still a youngster at Manchester United.
It seems the sooner we are back in the Premier League the better it will be for us, so we can bid for players on a more level playing field.
Of course trying to attract top players to the club is just one of the difficulties that happens when any club is relegated from the Premier League.
Rafa will now turn to other central midfield targets as he tries to bring in another creative playmaker to the squad.
Maybe we can persuade Fulham to sell us Tom Cairney who looks a very good player.
Comments welcome.
61 comments so far
Average_Contents
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:07 AM
Comment #1Good, he’s shite anyway.
G
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:09 AM
Comment #2To be fair, Cleverly wasn’t a name I was getting excited about. Good luck to the guy but another player who’s reputation exceeds his abilities.
sing in the corner
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:11 AM
Comment #3maybe the news of the Rafalution on Tyneside hasn’t really made it across the Tyne bridge. Is it proving difficult to attract players to this club with what we are offering, or too early in the window to judge? Unless Rafa pulls a surprise rabbit out of the hat it’s possible there will be no changes to the squad, as one by one the ‘linked’ players are being crossed off.
martoon
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:16 AM
Comment #4I’m still hoping Rafa will produce a couple of unknown Spanish gems out of his hat but that could be wishful thinking.
sing in the corner
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:18 AM
Comment #5Shelvey will be like a new signing though 🙂
Spoof
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:23 AM
Comment #6I quite like Cleverly but I don’t think that he is what we need right now, we need creativity and he is more on the defensive side, it’s backup and a challenger for Shelvey’s that we need and not an upgrade on Colback which is what I feel Cleverly would be.
beermonkey
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:23 AM
Comment #7i am sure rafa will add to the team
i am expecting a few academy players to come in as well
as for who he will buy i aint got a clue
Spoof
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:27 AM
Comment #8Kearney seems the most likely of the rumours to join us, either him or Osborn, I wouldn’t be disappointed with either.
Jan Stavik
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:35 AM
Comment #9Why not recall Saivet from his loan at St. Etienne? He’s for sure better than Colback, and was never given a proper chance.
He’s been operating in a no. 10 role in France this season, we could use some flair these days!
beermonkey
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:44 AM
Comment #10jan stavik
i think if rafa thought he could do a job for us
he would have kept him here
all i hope is we get our money back on him
hibbit
Jan 12, 2017 at 8:49 AM
Comment #11Saivet one of life’s little mysteries
Rotonda heights
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:14 AM
Comment #12Not overly upset. his record shows he could do a job in the championship which would have been great on a loan basis, but seems to struggle somewhat at a higher level if we were to get there.
G
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:19 AM
Comment #13Good little feature on f365 today quoting Cleverly earlier in his career, saying he was modelling his gamd on Xavi and Iniesta. That went well.
Rotonda heights
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:19 AM
Comment #14jan
not the worst idea
G
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:20 AM
Comment #15Game, not gamd. Damned fat fingers!
Rotonda heights
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:22 AM
Comment #16didn’t cleverley score a lot of goals in the championship for watford previously
martoon
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:24 AM
Comment #17According to paper gossip:
“•The Hammers have agreed a £15m fee with Brentford to sign striker Scott Hogan. (The Sun)”
So that could be one less player to worry about on Saturday!
G
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:25 AM
Comment #1811 goals for Watford according to google, his stand out season by all accounts
Novocastrian66
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:50 AM
Comment #19Dodged a bullet there. No better than what we have.
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:50 AM
Comment #20We dodged a bullet here.
Looking at things logically, assuming we gain promotion and aim for top 6, why would we be looking at a player who cannot get in an Everton team that is currently failing to get into the top 6.
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 12, 2017 at 9:54 AM
Comment #21Spooky
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:01 AM
Comment #22Saviet
How is he getting on at St Etienne – is he getting a game???
If so and playing well not a bad idea bringing him back – seen little of him in a TOON shirt
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:06 AM
Comment #23Charlie
From what I read recently, Saviet has been dropped because of his lack if contribution to goals scored. St.Etienne have one of the worst scoring records this season and their coach put a fair amount of blame
WWSBRD
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:07 AM
Comment #24expat
We arent going to challenge for top 6 next season and we arent going to get players now who will be able to
AncientC
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:12 AM
Comment #25Ashley has had to loan the club £33 million, not for transfers as originally thought, but to bolster the finances. The club would appear to be in similar financial shape to the last time Ashley’s decisions got the club relegated.
The last time we were relegated and came back up, the spending was minimal, and Carroll was sold.
Benitez is going to have to be quite creative in how he buys and sells over the next 18 months, and that’s if the club gets promoted this season.
I know some believe that Benitez stalled talks with the club, to make sure he had money to spend, but I cannot see Ashley putting himself into the same situation that saw Keegan sue the club (and win) for constructive dismissal. I would imagine Benitez has been given control of transfers, and guaranteed what is available, he can spend or save at his leisure… that’s just unlikely to be more than any of the other 17 PL clubs that survive this season.
It would be nice to be aiming for Europe next season… it’s wholly unlikely if we get to that position next season, it will be through buying our way there .
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:12 AM
Comment #26WWSBRS
Stranger things have happened mate. Remember Leicester City
ronaldo aarons
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:13 AM
Comment #27I’d like to take a moment to give Watford a big thank you for taking cleverley. I think he’s a poor player that wouldn’t have been given the chances he’s had if he hadn’t come through Man united academy.
Saivet wasn’t given a proper chance and I thought he had done ok in his few appearances. Thought he was worth keeping in all honesty. Although he hasn’t exactly been pulling up trees on loan, his manager recently said he needs to be more productive and have more goals or assists.
Legolas
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:13 AM
Comment #28Looks like Tiote is off to Spain to sign for sporting Gijon.
ronaldo aarons
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:15 AM
Comment #29Expat
Yes but Leicester struggled in their first season promoted. Only started winning games in the last 8-10 matches.
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:15 AM
Comment #30Legolas
Another £65K a week off the wage bill then.
hibbit
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:15 AM
Comment #31according to the BBC
watford was always Cleverley’s first choice as he had a successful spell there in the past and has a close affinity with the club
looks like we were never in the hunt !!
WWSBRD
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:17 AM
Comment #32expat
Leicester’s aim wasnt to win the league though and their transfer business wasnt with a challenge in mind, they lucked out a lot
I dont think Rafa is doing business this window with challenging for top 6 in the PL in mind, be daft if he was and I dont think hes daft
Legolas
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:18 AM
Comment #33Expat,
Long over due for me. He has basically been paid for over a year to go to training.
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:18 AM
Comment #34Sure the 33 million isn’t just effectively to make up for the shortfall of going down? Isn’t the parachute payment about 70% of what we’d have got had we stayed up?
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:19 AM
Comment #35ROLANDO
Yes I know mate.
However, I feel we have the semblance of a decent squad currently that could survive the first season return syndrome comfortably especially when you consider our current management structure and the purchase of half a dozen quality signings.
Munster Mag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:20 AM
Comment #36Its a bit worrying when an average player like Cleverley wont come to us, given we are half way through the season and in second place. Either way, we need to improve soon . Rafa has been able to build a big squad , some would say the strongest ever in the league ( not so sure about that ) , and certainly worth far more than others. And we are potentially five points behind Brighton. Rafa and the players need to up their games. Thankfully other fans have joined in this debate since around the Blackburn game, so that the guys who would not tolerate a negative word said about the man, have had to smell the coffee and drop the complacency. I’m still optimistic of promotion but to do that we need to win games, not control them.
WWSBRD
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:22 AM
Comment #37Steak
Dont think u get those payments until the end of the season and they are split up over 3 years…or something along those lines
But aye we are £33mill more in the hole to our owner
expatmag
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:23 AM
Comment #38WWSBRD
I realise this mate.
My post to Rolando explains it all. We already have a decent squad and when we go up, we have the management structure in place to enhance yhe squad further and getvrid of the remaining deadwood
Ron Knee
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:24 AM
Comment #39BREAKING: Sky Sources: Kevin Nolan close to agreeing deal to become manager of Notts County #SSNHQ
AncientC
Jan 12, 2017 at 10:25 AM
Comment #40Steak and Kidney Pie: The club only gets the full parachute payment if it remains in the Championship for 3 seasons. If we come back up this season, the club will only receive 1 of the 3 payments at £40 million, and due to the PL cashing in at the end of this season – the financial gap between PL clubs and a team yo-yo’ing is even bigger than on previous years.
Last season was the worst possible season to go down.