One alledged Everton transfer target has claimed he simply doesn’t care about rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League.
Aster Vranckx who plays for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga says any stories about his moving to England and perhaps Everton, are nothing to do with him and for his agent to deal with.
It’s a rather unusual attitude for a young footballer to display in today’s football market, at least in public anyway. I suppose you could say it makes a refreshing change in a way!
Generally, players rumoured to be moving on will bat away media interest with bland statements about just wanting to concentrate on football and doing their best for their current club etc.
In fact, exactly the sort of stance of another player, Morgan Gibbs-White, who is continually being linked with a transfer to Goodison Park.
Despite constant stories of bids and strong interest from the Toffees’, Gibbs-White has now said he is focused on his current situation and trying to break into the Wolves side this coming season.
This can be seen of course, as just the usual diplomatic approach given that his current employers are determined to drive a really hard bargain and the Blues’ are not exactly flush with cash so making a deal for the player now seem increasingly unlikely.
I would be inclined to take him at his word and move on. Paying the rumoured £25-30 million or so for a young and in Premier League terms still unproven player, is ridiculous and Everton should walk away.
Returning to Vranckx, the young Belgian is a midfielder who has had a reasonably solid season with Wolfsburg making twelve starting appearances and netting twice.
He appears to be best suited to playing in a more advanced midfield position rather than deeper as a number six type.
And that more defensive-minded player is the sort of midfielder who Frank Lampard says he is targetting as the wait for reinforcements at Everton goes on.
Various names have been mooted such as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Amadou Onana, but unsurprisingly they are likely to be going elsewhere if they move on.
I doubt that Vranckx really is a player on the seemingly never-ending target list being drawn up by Lampard and Kevin Thelwell, but with so many stories of player interest and so little clarity who knows.