jts1882
Dean Richards
Considering he apparently turned them down in the summer because he wanted to join us, only to join them now, suggests it was our choice not to go for him.
£15m we would have paid, Im sure. It seems we are no longer interested.
Maybe its his wages, though honestly I wonder (a little foresight will tell you our wage bill is going to go up anyway), I think maybe its more his injury.
I think the main reason he turned them down in the summer was money. He was injured and wouldn't be playing until January. Waiting meant Everton paid his wages while he was injured and Chelsea pay a lower transfer fee later. They can divide the savings between them. On top of that he could always change his mind if other offers came along.
I wouldn't have minded him signing with us. Poch has a great record with young English players and if he wanted him then there would have been a sound reason. He would offer something different to what we have. But wages he was supposedly demanding would be a deal breaker, as it would risk the relationship with far more important players. I also don't like the games I think he was playing over money and the transfer.
Going to Chelsea doesn't seem a good move for him as I can't see him starting for them. It seems more like a Parker, Sinclair, Johnson or SWP. Players that set back their careers by not playing during their formative years.