Everton Transfer Rumours: Are N'Zogbia and Brown on the Horizon?

As the offseason trundles on, Everton supporters are beginning to groan a little louder each day as they continually scour gossip columns only to find minimal traces of anything concrete from their club. In a bid to sort the truth from mischief, here is a look at how likely it is that any of the recent connections made in the media come into fruition. 

Charles N'Zogbia 

This link was prevalent at the start of last week, with rumors of a move perhaps imminent. Many Everton supporters may feel the sudden silence now means an end to the matter, however this one might not be dead yet. 

It seems Wigan have a number between £9-11 million in their heads for their mercurial playmaker. As of yet, Newcastle, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Everton are the admirers attributed to the Frenchman. Out of this quartet, it is believed N'Zogbia favours Everton, a good start for Evertonians. Furthermore, it was rumored that because of N'Zogbia’s current preferences, Wigan were willing to accept a down payment straight away, and collect the remaining sum in a year. 

However, raising just half the fee is something David Moyes is finding more than a little cumbersome. It was hoped Joseph Yobo and Yakubu could have been offloaded by now, freeing up valuable wage space and giving David Moyes much needed spending power. 

Yobo has agreed terms with Fenerbahce, but no fee has been agreed on. On the other hand, a fee has been approved for Yakubu by various clubs, but the Nigerian has been unwilling to take a cut in wages. Before everyone jumps on Yakubu’s back, he has grossly underperformed since his injury, often appearing lazy and uninterested on the pitch, if you were making close to £50,000 a week and were being offered barely 33 percent of that, would you not want to see out the final year of your contract? 

The best-case scenario is that Everton offload their Nigerian duo, collect sufficient funds and secure the down payment on N’Zogbia, a player whose creativity and width would be hugely valuable to Everton next season. Sunderland and Newcastle have both secured the services of wide midfielders this week, is this a sign that they are out of the N’Zogbia race? Despite this, if perhaps Liverpool, a team very short of options on the flank, or even Tottenham, or a side with more immediate Champions League credentials to come in for N'Zogbia, the plot would thicken once again. 

Likelihood of becoming an Everton player? 2/5 

Wes Brown 

Apparently out of favor at Old Trafford, Wes Brown is another player rumored to favor Everton over other potential suitors. A fee similar to the amount acquired from James Vaughan's move to Norwich City would be required to allow him to begin negotiations. David Moyes might feel it is necessary to use these funds elsewhere, although he does have a sweet tooth when it comes to former Manchester United players. 

Sunderland are rumored to be in talks with Brown, and Aston Villa may open up discussions soon, meaning Everton will have to move swiftly to attain his services. Wage demands could prove a stumbling block, despite Brown’s initial first choice of remaining in the Northwest. Everton rarely offer surplus of £50,000 per week and would want Brown, who is not guaranteed to feature consistently, to accept figures proportionally lower.

Everton have recently gotten into the habit of being outbid by contemporaries when it comes to wage offers. Apparently, last week Newcastle trumped Everton’s final £40,000 per week offer for Demba Ba with an offer of £52,000 per week. Ba was a player high on David Moyes’ wishlist. 

Brown would inflate the contingent of former Manchester United players plying their trade at Goodison Park. All would offer valuable experience, certainly useful in nurturing the likes of Jack Rodwell, Jose Baxter, Ross Barkley, and many other younger players at Everton. 

Likelihood of becoming an Everton player? 4/5

Other Links. 

Elsewhere, rumored target Jay Bothroyd appears set to make a decision on his future soon, although Everton have previously dismissed any notion of interest in the striker. Despite denials from Goodison Park, many media outlets are convinced Everton is still a likely destination for the former Arsenal trainee. 

Likelihood of becoming an Everton player? 2/5 

Andy Lonergan is a legitimate target as backup goalkeeper. The Preston stopper trained with Everton last season and Iain Turner’s likely move to Preston could contribute to the chances of Lonergan appearing on Everton’s bench for the majority of next season. 

Likelihood of becoming an Everton player? 4/5 

Finally, Everton fans will be very familiar with a summer rife with rumors of Chris Eagles moving to Everton. Yet another former Manchester United player, Eagles has been monitored several times by Moyes in person, and as usual when it comes to Everton, a fee is the only thing that has prevented him arriving at Goodison Park through a number of transfer windows. With Everton woefully short of options out wide, watch this space, again, again(!) 

Likelihood of becoming an Everton player? 3/5