Football Daily - Man Utd lead race for Benjamin Šeško

Episode Date: August 6, 2025

Kelly Somers talks Benjamin Šeško, Alexander Isak and Darwin Núñez. She’s joined by senior correspondent Sami Mokbel & The Athletic’s Adam Crafton. Chief football news reporter Simon Stone and The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards drop in to discuss Benjamin Šeško and Alexander Isak.01:50 Benjamin Šeško to Man Utd? 08:55 What does this mean for Rasmus Højlund? 12:20 Why is it not working for Newcastle? 18:50 What are Newcastle’s other options? 22:10 What about Jean Philippe Mateta? 25:00 Darwin Núñez appears to be leaving Liverpool 28:25 Everton sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 33:35 Everton bidding for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling 37:10 Could Everton bring in Jack Grealish on loan?5 Live commentaries: Sun 1500 Crystal Palace v Liverpool for the Community Shield, Wed 2000 PSG v Tottenham for the UEFA Super Cup.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcast. The Football Daily podcast with Kelly Summers. Welcome along to the Football Daily. We're going to be talking transfers. We'll get updates on the latest rumours and we'll reflect on some of the business, which has been done so far. And joining us to do so,

we've got the BBC Sport, senior football correspondent, Sammy Mockbell and the athletics, Adam Crafton. Good evening, guys. Firstly, Sammy, it feels like winter transfer silly season. Are you going to be able to get through the next 90 minutes or so without being on the phone? No, is the simple answer to that. I was on holiday last week, Kelly, in Corfu with the kids and my wife. You try to switch you off, but it's impossible at this time of year. You're on your phone sweating on the sunbed, but at least you're in Corfu,

so it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Given the weather here in the UK, I have absolutely. Absolutely no sympathy. I'm sorry. From Corfu, well, you're actually in Salford tonight, to New York. Adam, good to have you with us. Is there a benefit to being in New York? Because I guess you're asleep at different times to the rest of us. So maybe you get a bit of respite.

Yeah, I mean, the big selfish benefit is from kind of six in the evening. Most people I work with are asleep. So kind of left alone at that point. But we have the same issue in terms of it being a very sweaty summer, as Sammy's had but the phone is still going sort of all around the clock as well and you're right, it is silly season now

because what are we? Like 10 days away almost from the start of the season and a lot of teams still have a lot of work to do. There is honestly so much to talk about as Adam said before it's got into silly season

but there is only one place we can start the show and that is with the Benjamin SESCO saga and joining us now the two halves, the two teams that are fighting. for his signature. BBC Sports Chief Football News reporter Simon Stone, who's got the Manchester United viewpoint, and the Daily Telegraphs, Luke, we're going to come to you in just a moment, but Simon, let's start with you, because Manchester United bid for Sesco yesterday. And there are suggestions, reports today are saying that he may actually prefer a move to United rather than to Newcastle. Yeah, so I think what we've got to do is kind of unravel this slightly and go back to Brian and Buemo. So what happened with Brian and Buemo,

was that basically Manchester United kind of reached an agreement with Mbemo and he decided that he wanted to go to Manchester United. And then Manchester United started negotiating with Brentford and then it got a bit fractious, which is why it took so long. And this seems to be a kind of negotiating tactic. So as far as we're aware, Manchester United held off and held off putting a bid in for CESCO until they basically were understanding that the player wanted to join them

and then they put the bid in and then there's kind of haggling then over whether they can reach the numbers that Newcastle have bid which is more than Manchester Now that is the assumption that we are working to here because we think and certainly the impression that we're getting from Manchester United is that the player wants to come to them and it raises all kinds of questions over how Manchester United have afforded it given Jim Ratcliffe's apocalyptic warnings

about the club going bust as recently as March and also the fact that they finished 15th last season and then they're bidding against in theory a club that's in the Champions League so there's all kinds of discussions that are being raised by that and clearly until it's done, it isn't done. But that is the assumption that we're working to here that Manchester United have been given a very strong indication

that Cessca wants to go to Old Trafford, and that is why they have started bidding. Yeah, you're right there, Simon. It did take a lot of unraveling, didn't it? All these transfers linked to each other. But Luke, it feels like it's been a bit of a summer of this for Newcastle, hasn't it? We'll come on to their transfer window as a whole in just a moment,

but just how much is this one going to hurt Eddie How on his side if they don't get him? Yeah, I think Newcastle have become football's equivalent, the undatables this summer, the amount of people they've tried to hook up with, as it were, and keep being rejected. Yeah, I think it will hurt, but it's just repeating everything that's happened this summer. They go in for players, they have their list of targets. They're going for elite targets. Every time they go in for somebody, one of what I would call the legacy big, come in and snap them away.

And I think CESCO will hurt. Obviously, it has ramifications for Alexander Isak at Newcastle as well. But my understanding was that CESCO was not been signed to replace Alexander ESAC. They wanted to bring in a second striker this summer anyway. I think the only way ESAC would go is if they brought in two strikers, but they can't even bring in one. And CESCO has been tracked by Newcastle for a number of years.

I think his agent came over to Tyneside two years ago, maybe, before he went to Leipzig. They had very constructive talks then, but it was sort of decided that it wasn't the right move for CESCO at that time. It's the same with Vecke, long-term target, long interest, long pursuit, and it's failed. So it's just playing up to this idea that, unfortunately, as good as Newcastle have been under Eddie Howard since the takeover by Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, they are not seen as an elite club in the transfer market and this would almost be the final nailing the coffin really for them that again they've gone to head with another club and the player has chosen the other club not them

I guess one of the questions Sammy would be how are Manchester United kind of affording him they've already spent big Simon alluded to and Burma they've also bought in Coonier as well so that's where a lot of people are going to be saying they haven't got Champions League footballs so just how are they doing it I guess from the outside I think, Kelly, the secret to this is all about the structure of the deals

and it's something that all the clubs do now. They try to pay or they would rather pay these extortionate and these massive transfer fees in installments. PSR and the implications of going over your PSR limit have massive implications for clubs and their points deductions and that is absolutely something that all clubs want to avoid. but this kind of new approach of paying for deals as you would maybe a TV over the course of two or three years is something that allows them to spend more than they would generally be able to

and I think that is the case here with United that they've managed to structure deals for Brian Mbormo and Matthias Cunia in a way that allows them to go. go heavier on this SESCO deal and that's make no bones about it you're looking in a region of 80 million euros which is a massive outlet but it will be it will be interesting to see

how this deal is structured and how many years United will pay this deal off if it comes to fruition of course. Yes Sammy I think you're right and I think the thing that we still have to remember is man United whichever order they did their business in this summer they have to

sell a load of players You know, that's not changing just because they're bringing these players in. What we're seeing is they have this continuing ability to attract top-level players. And actually, that's an ability that's never really gone away. Even over the past decade, they've continued to sign players that look like they're on the top of the market. They don't always look like that once they play at Old Trafford in a Man United shirt. But what they've been really bad at the last 10 years is getting value back on those they're trying to sell. And even this summer, you know, I mean, the only players,

they've really moved out so far is Rashford. And yeah, there's a, you know, there's a saving on the wages, but they've not got a fee for him, you know, certainly at this point. So, you know, you're looking now at those players like Garnacho and Anthony and Jaden Sancho. I wouldn't be surprised if other players come into the mix, particularly Man United States still want to do a midfielder of some sorts as well. So they're going to have to unlock a little bit more money in there. And it's also, you know, it's all well and good kind of spreading these payments.

over however many years, but they still have to pay it at some point. So it's a kind of a solution for now, but it does create problems down the line, particularly if United don't get back into the Champions League pretty much immediately next season. Simon, what does this mean for Rasmus Hoyland? Well, I think it means that he's not going to be the starting striker.

Clearly, I mean, there was a theory that Manchester United would be better keeping Hoyland. He's actually looked quite good. during pre-season so far, scored a couple of goals in Chicago last week and focusing on the midfield that Adams just said. I mean, and that was, even on this trip, has been a fairly obvious weakness. But I think there is an acceptance,

and the interesting thing is that Hoyland came out after the game against Bournemouth last week, and he sought journalists out in the mix zone, and you'll know, everybody will know how unusual that is. and he wanted to speak and he wanted to say that I want to stay at Manchester United, no one matter what happens. Well, it's okay saying that, but then when you look at the forward players that Manchester United have got, how often really is he going to play?

And he is one of the players that they may be able to raise some money for. Now, you know, they paid 72 million pounds for him. So you've got to be very careful, as Adam said, in terms of profit. and sustainability, although the deadline is not now until the 30th of June next year. You've got to be careful that you're not adding to the situation by putting a loss on there in amortization terms. But I don't see the point really of keeping Hoyland a kind of younger striker that they invested in to develop when you're signing another younger striker who you assume is going

to develop as well. I don't really see the point in that. And I think that will clearly be articulated to Rasmus Hoyland over the next two or three weeks. And I would be surprised if he was still at the club on, well, on the 2nd of September. So, but then as Adam rightly says, there's a lot of other players as well, Jaden Sancho, well, how much money are you going to get for him? Garnacho is a homegrown player in the sense of profit and sustainability, but they're not going they get what they thought they might get at the start of the summer, to Melassia, I don't know what they're going to get there. It seems pretty certain as well that Anthony is holding out to go back to Real Betis,

but they don't have the amount of money that Manchester United want to realize that in a permanent deal. And then you're looking at all these players that they've got, Ugarte there, Casamiro, Bruno Fernandez, clearly has committed himself to the club. you think he's going to play in one of the deeper positions. So then you've got Cobby Mayneau as well. There's all these players around the club. And you just wonder at some point this summer

whether they will look beyond the players that they clearly don't want and have said that they don't want and look into the squad of players who were in the United States over the last couple of weeks and think, actually, it's probably worth our while selling one of those. And then that raises more money, doesn't it? Lou, coming back to Newcastle, you talk there about the fact they keep losing out to these legacy top six clubs, so to speak. They have still got Champions League football, which is really attractive for players.

Why is it just not working for Eddie Howe in terms of getting the players in? Is it something to do with maybe the structure at the top of the club, the way they're recruiting? Ages are part of it. They have a wage structure at the club, which means they can't, you know, certainly with deals like Embremo, they walked away very early from that, you know, before Embramo had signalled that he wanted to go. to Manchester United just because of wages. So that is a factor. I think there is, I talked about, right at the start of this, I talked about a legacy aura, you know,

that there is the traditional Big Six. And those clubs are still more attractive on a reputational perspective to players. I think the structural problems are there, not having a sporty director, Paul Mitchell walking out, just before the transfer window opened effectively. I think him leaving wasn't necessarily a support. but the timing of it certainly caught everyone by surprise. So you've got a manager in Eddie Howe who's trying to do, I think, far too much.

You know, I've got Jamie Rubin, who's one of the co-owners who's helping out. You've got Andy Howe, whose job isn't a sporting director. He's, you know, he's in recruitment, but his job isn't to negotiate deals. I think they were too slow at the start of the window. I think that handover from Mitchell to Andy Howe was stuttering. I don't think it was perfect. I think they would assign James Trafford, for example, who's since gone to Manchester City if they'd have moved quickly.

I think they might well have got Pedro if they'd have moved very quickly at the start of the window as well. They just weren't in a position to do that because they're in this strange paralysis of the club being handed over from an outgoing sporting director working his notice to base effectively the manager and an ad hoc team of recruitment. So I don't think that's helped them, but I ultimately think there are clubs that are more. attractive than Newcastle out there. And I think when you're going for the elite band of players, they wanted players, I've described them as plug-in and play players,

players who could come in and instantly impact a Champions League team. Now, trying to sign those players, it's a very, very small pool of talent. And Newcastle have come for players. They've gone for good players. You can tell they've gone for good players, because all the other clubs, you know, we were in the Champions League or aspire to be back in the Champions League.

They've gone for them as well. And I think, I think for me that probably the most painful blow, two blows of this window. Forget about CESCO and Ecotique for a while. I think Pedro and Trafford are the two that really they could have got done and failed to do so, opening the door, leaving the door ajar for Manchester City to come in and literally swoop in, you know, on the same day that Newcastle agreed a fee with Burnley and then just leaving that door open for Chelsea to earn that money through the Club World Cup and decide that they could then also afford Jail Pedro.

So I think they are the two players that they'll be kicking themselves they've missed. But it is a problem. And look, you know, the Premier League starts. We're all very, very aware on this panel. The Premier League starts very soon. Is Alexander Isaac going to be playing in a Newcast United shirt? That is probably now the big question. Forget the players they've missed out on.

Is Alexander Isak going to be in the right frame of mind to play for Newcastle again? Newcastle are working very hard to make sure that happens, but we just don't know at this stage. Luke, with regards to Isaac, what have Newcastle being done? I mean, you said earlier they were telling CESCO that he would be playing with Isaac or rotating with him. Is that what they've been telling all their forward targets this summer? Because in that case, you know, if you were able to tell Liam DeLap two, three months ago, or Eka Tika or Jual Pedro, you're going to be the main man, surely that might have made a bit of a difference to getting some of these players over the line.

So how much did they actually know about EZAC's intentions way back at the start of summer? Did they genuinely have no idea? I think they had, I mean, I've described it as war gaming, Adam, in terms of they were prepared for a bid to come in for him. I know there seemed to be a bit of a narrative building that Alexander Isak had told Newcastle this was going to be his final, last season was it to be his final year. As far as I'm aware, that was never communicated to Newcastle. I think they knew there was going to be bids. I think they knew he could be unsettled. I think there was a possibility that he would agitate to leave.

I think they've been prepared for that. But I think they're so stubborn, Adam, they're so obtuse the ownership in terms of trying to keep hold of him that I think they always thought they were being a position where they would dig in and resist. But I think they also knew realistically they were going to lose him at some point. But I think the plan was next summer. So I think they were working under the proviso in their recruitment that they would sign his replacement before he left. Now, in an ideal situation, that would be to leave next summer in the summer of 2020. 26 or, you know, extending it 20, 27. They had no intention of selling this summer.

So I think you're right. I think the pitch was you will come in and compete with Alexander Isak. And I think that's probably scared a few players off because there aren't many better players than Alexander Isak. But from a Newcastle perspective, you have to understand, they lost Callum Wilson. They have only got one striker. They ran Alexander Isak into the ground last season because there was nobody else to come in and play.

So they already needed a second striker, but they've tried to do that perfect thing of signing his replacement while keeping that player at the club for another year. Now, events have taken over in which Isak, I think, has behaved more stringently looking to leave than they thought he would. I don't think they anticipated this, you know, five strain opting out of the chore to, I think that blindsided them completely. They didn't think he was going to behave that badly. That then puts them under a huge amount of pressure.

So when they were trying to sign Hugo Eckert, TK, it was, as you say, with the proviso, we would come in and he would compete with Alexander. When they were trying to sign Pedro, it was that he would come in, he can play wide as well. That was the other thinking. It was a forward who can play through the middle, but also play a wide and can play with Alexander Isaac. They're now in this situation where they're trying to scrambling, said, can they sign two strikers to allow Alexander Isak to leave?

I don't think they are going to be able to sign two strikers. And I think they are going to be in a very uncomfortable position where they're going effectively have to tell Alexander Isak, he can't be sold and he can't go anywhere. And again, then it comes down to what is the reaction of the player going to be? to that. Wow, it's certainly going to be an interesting few weeks everywhere, but particularly at Newcastle and Manchester United as well. Thanks very much to Simon Stone and Luke Edward's there. Continuing this Newcastle chat, Sammy, they do have pressure on them to sign at least one strike an hour. As Luke said, we knew they needed to because they let Callum Wilson go.

We've heard in recent days that Nicholas Jackson could potentially be looking for another club after Chelsea, of course, of both of their forward ranks. Is he a possibility? Where else could Eddie Howe and his team look? Yeah, I think there would be legs in Nicholas Jackson. What I understand of that situation is that Chelsea are open to selling Nicholas Jackson. They've strengthened quite significantly in attack, and they continue to do so. They've signed Liam DeLap. They've signed Zhao Pedro.

They're looking to sign Javi Simmons from R.B. Leipzig and potentially Alejandro Garnat Chau as well. So there's a lot of attack options there, right? in terms of Nicholas Jackson and Newcastle I think there is an interest there from Newcastle but I also understand that certain individuals at St James's Park need to be fully convinced that he would be the right option for them ahead of next season one name I do understand to have pretty big credit in the bank

at Newcastle is Ollie Watkins Aston Villa proven Premier League strikers scores plenty of goals in England international and I think Eddie Howe looks at him and believes he would maybe be a safer pair of hands he's a consistent performer he's multifunctional

can play through the middle, can play out wide but Nicholas Jackson is younger will probably have more of a sell on so I can see the value in Newcastle perhaps prioritising Nicholas Jackson over someone

like Ollie Watkins who is entering the twilight of his career. You talk about prioritising, but they need two strikers, I guess, though, it'll be cost that will mean they probably can't go for both of those, Adam. Yeah, well, it depends how, I mean, if they were to sell Isaac, it depends how much they managed to get in. You know, if they can push Liverpool up to 140, 150 million pounds,

I think it's Newcastle still have a lot of other stuff to do. I mean, they've really not managed to do very much at all this summer. So I think they still want a midfielder, they still want Eddie Howes wants a centre, back all summer as well, maybe another wide option, or at least a forward who can play wide and through the middle. I think one of the challenges, and Luke kind of hinted at this as well, is Eddie Howard's been really keen this summer on players with Premier League experience, Premier League ready. And it's something we've seen really kind of like a real renaissance of it

across the Premier League, what we would think of as the Big Six plus Villa and Newcastle this summer in terms of people wanting to go back to signing players who have, played in the Premier League who are ready to go. You know, you look at CUNYU en Buemmos, while Pedro, city signing, James Trafford, you know, we're seeing, we're seeing a lot of these kind of signings, and that means there's a lot of competition.

And there's another question in terms of, do Villa definitely want to sell Olly Watkins? I'm not sure if everyone at Villa is necessarily on the same page in terms of doing that. There's another danger with Newcastle doing that deal, which is if Villa then need to sign a replacement, it brings Miller potentially into the marketplace as another rival for Newcastle

and actually Una Emery is very attractive to a lot of forwards on the continent as well. So there's a lot of kind of moving parts to it. I mean, one that Sammy might know more about who hasn't really, there hasn't been much noise about at all from a Premier League point of view is Mattetta at Crystal Palace. And I've not heard him kind of speculated about with any of these kind of big Premier League moves

but I do wonder why you look at his goal scoring record last year the impact he has on the front line not trying to upset Crystal Palace fans even more than they're already upset this summer but why is no one gone for him other than Marseille I think you make a really good point

I've watched a lot of Jean-Philippe Matetta and if you take John Philippe Matetta for what he is a figurehead of an attack a player who will bring midfielders and he's attacking midfielder to play. I find it difficult to find another one in the

Premier League who can do as good a job as Jean-Philippe Matetta does for Crystal Palace. I think where the issue might be for him is, I don't know

how old, exactly old he's up. I think he might be 27, 28. It sounds weird because that's when you're at your peak powers, that is

going into your best years. But a lot of Premier League clubs would look at a 27 or 28 year old and look at that from a purely financial point of view, where is the resale?

Yes, we're buying a player who we can perform and hopefully score us a lot of goals and provide us of a lot of assists and complement the way we play. But three years down the line, four years down the line when his contract's running down and we're looking to sell, if we've spent 40, 50 million quid on John Philippe Matetta, how much of that outlay are we going to get back? And I think that's where the problem lies in Jean-Falit Matetta and him moving on to maybe a top six, top eight Premier League side. But I totally agree with you. I think for the style of forward that he is, there's probably no one better in the Premier League right now.

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Listen on BBC Sounds. The Football Daily podcast with Kelly Summers. Back to the transfers then. And Liverpool are of course yet to come back in with the second big for Alexander Isak. But if they sell Darwin Nunez to Al-Hal, surely they'll come back in once again. Adam, is this a move that you're hearing

is likely to get over the line? Noonet, yeah, it sounds increasingly like that one is moving in the direction. It seems a bit of a shame in that, you know, whenever I've watched Nunes over the line, last couple of years. He's looked like he might be something. You always kind of watch him and like there's moments and flashes where you think he could be a really top player. You know, obviously we'll now see a lot less of him just, you know, with kind of the exposure that the Saudi

league gets. I'm sure it'll be very lucrative for him. Again, it's great money for Liverpool. You know, we've seen so often over the past decade or so their ability to get good value even for players who, you know, I mean, Nunes doesn't really have a role. to play at the club and they're going to end up, you know, probably, what, close to 50 million for him. So it's a great deal for Liverpool. I'm not sure how good a deal it is necessarily for the play. He's one of those that you could actually see him going to a kind of a Newcastle or a villa and surprising you, you know, where he's given that real trust and running a team. But, yeah, that does look like a deal that's going to get done now. The other one to add here is the

potential move of Harvey Barnes to R.B. Leipzig and also Tyler Morton to Leon, which was confirmed yesterday for I think around £50 million. Sammy, do you mean Harvey Elliott or Harvey Barnes? Sorry, Harvey Elliott. Did I say Harvey Barnes? Scaring Newcastle fans. Thank God. Thank God. Yeah, Krafto. The reason those two deals are so pertinent here is that they would represent pure profit on the balance sheet for Liverpool because of their homegrown status. So that provides even more impetus for Liverpool to go and make another sizeable bid for Alexander Isak and for Liverpool to be able to go and spend

potentially 150 million pounds on Alexander Isak is largely dependent on them being good sellers and what we found there is evidence to back us up at Liverpool were one of the best sellers of players in Europe in football. They're also really good at knowing when not to sign players. You know, you look at last summer when a new manager comes in on a slot, Yerun Klop's just left. The amount of pressure that I'm sure they would have been feeling from some sections of the fan base, you know, go and give him new players. He needs new players to, you know, start a new era. And actually,

Liverpool just held their nerve. You know, the players they wanted weren't on the market. Okay, they tried for Zubi Mandi, didn't get him. But then they thought, actually, we're better So keeping our powder dry and then having a really big year the next year, once we've also had a chance to move some players out. And in between all that, they win the league as well. So it went kind of beyond anyone's wildest dreams. But it's not just knowing who to buy and when to sell and who to sell, but it's also having that confidence in your vision to know when not to waste money as well,

which again, a lot of other clubs could learn from. Whatever happens for Liverpool, whether they get ESAC or not, I think most people agree it's been a really strong. strong window for Arna Slott's side so far. Okay, let's head across the other side of Merseyside then. And Everton, they signed Kin and Dewsbury Hall from Chelsea. That one for a fee of around £28 million on a five-year deal. And from all of David Moyes' comments and everything that's been coming out of

Everton this summer, Adam, it just feels like they needed to get that signing to kind of silence a bit of a noise and kind of get their summer underway, albeit very close to the start of the season. Yeah, I mean, to be fair, it's for once. Normally we talk about kind of the noise coming from fans and media, the noise has been coming from their own manager. I mean, I was with Everton in New Jersey and also Chicago during preseason and spent quite a lot of time around noise,

both in press conferences and interviewing him. And he was the person who kept bringing it up. I mean, almost as a journalist, you know, in the interview I was doing, we were meant to be talking about other things. And he kind of really went off on, you know, the transfer is not getting done quickly enough, that he wanted them to be further ahead than they were, that they'd been this, you know, the speed hadn't, hadn't been there. And I think they are in a unique situation because they lost so many players at the end of last season, end of contracts in some

cases, you know, players like Dukore, Calvert Lewin, some players loans finishing up as well, Jack Harrison gone back to lead, there's other players there that have not mentioned. So he wanted, really from the start of the summer, seven to ten players. And the challenging thing for Everton, and again, this is what he is saying, is you have this positive story to tell of new owners, new stadium, Moy's back, decent end to last season. But the story that most young footballers are familiar with with Everton is a team that kind of skirts around a relegation places, a team that's not regularly in European football. And this year in particular, you've got a really challenging Premier League to compete with in the transfer market because you've got nine Premier League teams in Europe this time.

You know, when you add in Crystal Palace having won the FA Cup and Forrest and Tottenham having won the Europa League as well, it means you've got more teams than usual in Europe, which is something Everton don't have to offer. And Everton are going for players against some of these teams, not maybe against the, you know, the Man United. and Chelsea's and Liverpool's, but against, you know, probably forest and villa and maybe even Newcastle in some cases. So I think they've found it challenging to get these deals over the line. I think in certain deals,

Moyes felt they could have just acted quicker and got stuff done. I think in other cases, they've probably been led up down the garden path a little bit and given the impression that players are more interested than they are and then they end up elsewhere. So I think he's found it difficult.

And I think he's just been, really wary of losing the momentum. You know, they built really good momentum at the end of last season and their performances, certainly the first two during the summer series where they didn't have Tarkovsky and Branthwaite and Michael Keene available. They looked really poor. I mean, they looked frankly like a championship team, which is, you know, when you look at the players, that's really what they looked like.

So he knows they need bodies in. So Juesbury Hall's a good start. They've got a young kid in from Bayern Munich at left back, as new. But again, I think that's one that Moise sees for the future. He wants Premier League ready. Again, it's what I was saying about Newcastle. He wants Premier League players over the age of 25 that are ready to come in and not just do a job to keep Everton in the Premier League,

but do a job so that if Everton are in the Conference League or Europa League next season, that they could play there as well. He doesn't want to be turning over seven to eight players every year. Yeah, and let's not forget he was ever present for Chelsea as they won the Conference League, got four. goals in 13 games. He originally followed Enzo Moreska from Leicester to Chelsea. Is he the type of player that Everton needed, do you think, Sammy?

Yeah, Keenan Juby Hall didn't have a fair crack at a whip. He arrived at Chelsea and everyone just thought it was a case of nepotism, didn't they, that Moreska brought him over from Leicester. But I think that's really unfair to him. I watched a little bit of him in that Leicester side. And he's got all the attributes to be a top Premier League performer. and I liked his quotes today after the announcement of his signing. He sounded so passionate and so excited about signing for Everton.

He mentioned his family and how excited his family were as well. So it sounds like he's fully on board. And that's the kind of player and that's the kind of attitude that David Moyes will thrive on. He loves players like that. He loves players that are willing to give everything for the shirt. and in Jusbury Hall I think he's got one there and he's got a player who is

chomping at the bit to prove that he is a Premier League pedigree player and he can cut it in the top flight and he's got everything to prove and I think Everton will benefit from that moving on from Jusbury Hall I think there are other attackers obviously that Everton are interested in

and interestingly today we're told so with regards to their interest in Tyler Dibling at Southampton, they've had three offers turned down so far. I understand that the latest one is around £40 million plus an extra 5 million in add-ons. But what I'm told is that Tyler Dibling at the moment in Southampton has been taken out and withdrawn from full contact training at the training ground

ahead of the new season. That only ends one way, doesn't it? And that is obviously in preparation. And it isn't because he kicked off. It's purely a club decision. And the only reason I can see for that is they want to protect him from getting injured ahead of a potential move to Everton. Now, how close that deal is, is the information varies on who you speak to. If you speak to people closer to Everton, they will tell you that that deal was reached an impasse.

and Southampton are asking far too much and the conditions that Southampton want aren't agreeable with what Everton are ready to pay. I think if you speak to those closer to the South Coast, I think there's a realisation there maybe that Tyler Dibling's time is coming to an end there. And the fact that he has been pulled out of full contact training kind of indicates that there is probably legs to that deal

and that there is a deal to be done. It's also a position that David Moyes has been desperate to bolster. He was generally pretty sort of shines instating exact positions, but he was pretty clear about we need pace on the right wing. We want one or two more options in that position. And Dibling, you know, I think he made a pretty big impact in a pretty poor Southampton team last season. He's another one that, you know,

where I say that Everton are going against some of the bigger teams to get these players. If Man United didn't get Emburmo and Cunya, I think that was one of the players next on their list. That would have cost them probably 50 to 60. I think because it's Everton, there probably is a bit of a Man United tax that makes these deals slightly cheaper,

but I can see Everton probably having to go over 45 million when you bring in all the bonuses and everything like that, which is still a lot of money for only really a season of work in the Premier League but he's been desperate for pace in the attack and he was also he was pretty stinging last week about how poor he thought his side

of being going forward joined preseason I mean he called out Beto for having not offered enough in the first couple of preseason games which was really good timing just after I'd interviewed Beto and said how fantastic he was

but so Moyes I think he's being very very kind of direct and honest this summer And I think it speaks to, one, playing up to the fans a little bit, but also maybe just recognizing that the new owners and the new CEO needs a bit of a rocket, perhaps, you know, to get this stuff done. Because they've also got this launch game, haven't they,

the first game in front of full crowd at the new stadium this weekend against Roma. And, you know, I think Moy's wanted two or three faces, you know, to be able to have a lift. He doesn't want that game to be like, you know, a drab, nil-nil or 2-0 defeat where everyone goes away worrying about what's coming next. He wants people going away from that game, excited about what happens next. What about Jack Grealish then, Sammy? What are you hearing about this one?

Because reports emerging that potentially Everton are interested, they're talking to Manchester City about bringing the 29-year-old across on loan. Yeah, the interest is genuine. I think Everton and David Moyes see Jack Grealish as a player who can add to their They're attacking impetus. And you don't need me to tell you how good Jack Grealish can be. A consistent performer, Ashton Villa, a consistent performer at Manchester City during the first two seasons there. But he's lost his way and his career needs reinvigorating.

And having spent some time with David Moyes over the years, I think he would be the perfect manager to get the best out of Jack Grealish. Jack Grealish needs to be loved. And I think David Moy is, in his own way, will show Jack Grealish the love and support that I think he kind of craves and that he needs to get his career back on track. Because the talent's undoubted, right? We've seen it. And we all hope that he can get back to those levels. I'm sure Thomas Tushul, who I understand is a massive fan and sees Jack Grealish as a starter in his team. If only he can get back up and running and playing on a red.

basis and that that will definitely be a motivation for jack greeish just you know a year or less in a year now isn't it until we all travel to america for the world cup jack greeish will want to be part of that squad um not only part of that squad he will want to play regularly in in in the states next year but i think there's still in terms of the everton interest i think there's still some work to be done there most notably to try and get his reported what and how they manage his reported 300,000 pound a week wages, that will be, I'd imagine, the biggest stumbling block towards a deal to Goodison Park, or not Goodison Park anymore, sorry, the new stadium. Old habits die hard.

Once it becomes clear what Manchester City will accept and what the wage percentages are, I'd imagine there maybe at least one or two other Premier League clubs, if not other clubs in Europe, who will jump on that deal. but I think there is a bit of a waiting game here just to wait and see what the financials, what the numbers are. There's a fair few questions still to be asked about a lot of players heading in to this deadline.

It's going to be an interesting few weeks ahead. One final transfer story to bring you tonight. Sunderland have confirmed the signing of 19-year-old Chelsea striker mark you. That one's on a season long loan. And that's where we will wrap it up. My thanks to Sammy and to Adam. Thank you so much for being with us.

How many texts did you get during that show? Sammy, I didn't see you looking down too much. No, there's a few times. I'm just looking down now, actually. I've got a few missed. I've got a few. Oh, yeah. It's probably about five transfer related texts and one for my misses.

I'm probably one from Adam, Sam. Can you shut up so I can talk? No, I'm joking. Adam, we'll let you go as well, because I'm sure you're just as busy and your phone's been off the hook as well. Great to have you with us. That's it for this episode of the Football Daily.

The next one will be 72 plus the EFL podcast as Aaron Paul and Joby McEnuff bring us their championship preview. They'll be joined by Tommy. Smith and Alex Bruce.