Wednesday 28 July 2010, 08:50
by Antonia De Feo @antoniadefeo
The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.
Everton have hit back at “ludicrous” claims they did not want to keep want-away midfielder Dan Gosling after a technicality in his contract allowed him to join Newcastle United.
The Toffees were left infuriated by suggestions from Gosling’s agent that they were complacent over contract negotiations with the 20-year-old and they assumed an injury would make him unattractive to other clubs.
Ordinarily clubs are entitled to a fee for any player under 24, but Everton’s failure to make Gosling a written offer of a new deal by a mid-May deadline meant Newcastle could sign him without paying compensation.
Everton had a verbal agreement in place with Gosling however, and have stressed their disappointment at the way events have unfolded.
A club statement read: “In the wake of a report in a Sunday newspaper in which the agent of Dan Gosling made a series of allegations, Everton Football Club has decided to take the unprecedented step of setting straight a record of recent events which has, in its opinion, been deliberately distorted.
“In the article, Mr David Hodgson suggested that not only did this club not wish to extend Mr Gosling’s stay at Goodison Park but that it had been deliberately tardy with regard to the formal offer of a new contract, presuming that an injury sustained by the player during the course of last season was of such a serious nature it would prevent him from signing for another club. Both claims are ludicrous, totally without substance and grossly misleading.”
Gosling, who joined Everton from Plymouth two and a-half years ago, suffered a serious knee injury in March which is likely to rule him out for the first half of the new season.
Everton insist they had several conversations with Hodgson, the former Liverpool player, over a new deal and were told their “handshake agreement” was “fine”.
The statement added: “It was Everton’s understanding that this gentleman’s agreement would guarantee that the player would extend, by at least two years, the three-year deal he signed upon his arrival from Plymouth Argyle.”
Everton have now accused Hodgson of exploiting the rules to ensure Gosling left for nothing. The club’s chief executive, Robert Elstone, said: “We wanted Dan Gosling to stay with us – and, after what we had been told, we expected him to stay with us. However, in the first week in June, Mr Hodgson rang David Moyes seemingly content that he had manoeuvred a situation where Dan was a free agent.”
Moyes also admitted he feels let down over the affair. “We feel aggrieved that they have contrived a situation to get the player out of the club when, if he had come and said that he wanted to leave, we could at least have done something about it – but at no point did Dan say he wished to leave.”
Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright, added: “In the very long history of our club, our executive team have never once forgotten or neglected to deal properly and professionally with contractual matters.
“We place our trust in people; we always keep our side of any offered deal – and all we have ever asked is that others do the same.”
A Premier League tribunal acknowledged Gosling’s right to a free transfer. “Dan Gosling did not walk out on Everton, they chose not to keep him,” Hodgson was quoted as saying. “Everton had an obligation to offer him a contract in writing by the third Saturday in May.
“They could have offered him one pound more than his old contract and could have kept him or got a fee for him at a tribunal.
“I rang Dan that day to ask if he had got the letter. It hadn’t arrived. He wasn’t jumping around the room in delight because he was a free agent. He was broken-hearted, in tears.”
But Moyes added: “I read at the weekend that he cried when he didn’t receive a formal, written offer.
“ Well, trust me, the money Everton were offering was certainly not a crying matter.”
Everton defender Leighton Baines has urged star midfielders Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta to commit their futures to the club.
Pienaar and Arteta have both been subject of considerable speculation this summer linking them with moves elsewhere.
Arteta has been in negotiations over a new deal for some time but is yet to sign while Pienaar is now entering the final year of his contract.
Manager David Moyes has made the re-signing of key squad members his top priority since the end of last season and a number, including Baines, have committed.
Baines, who signed a new five-year deal, now wants the key pair to follow his example and that of Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman.
The 25-year-old said: 'They will definitely know we all want them to stay. They are among our better players and a key part of what we are looking to do.
'We want to keep our better players to give us the best chance of success.
'Hopefully they will stick with us. I don't know what their thoughts are - they are personal matters - but we are all hoping, like the fans, they stay with us.'
Baines is looking forward to the new Barclays Premier League campaign after the disappointment of missing out on a trip to the World Cup.
The former Wigan player was a member of England's provisional 30-man squad for the tournament in South Africa but failed to make the final cut.
Everton begin their campaign with a trip to Blackburn on August 14.
Baines added: 'Hopefully there'll be positives to come out of a negative and I'll feel fresher come the start of the season.
'The summer is always nice and enjoyable. You relax and spend some time with the family - I think everyone enjoys it.
'I put my feet up and fully relaxed during those four weeks but, now it is coming to an end, I think everyone is ready to come back.
'I've had a nice few weeks' break but I was more than happy to come back and get training again.'
Everton have dismissed as "ludicrous" claims they did not want to keep the midfielder Dan Gosling, who signed for Newcastle United this week after a technicality in his contract made him a free agent.
The club have been angered by suggestions from Gosling's agent that they were complacent over contract negotiations with the 20-year-old and they assumed an injury would make him unattractive to other clubs.
Ordinarily clubs are entitled to a fee for any player under 24 but Everton's failure to make Gosling a written offer of a new deal by a mid-May deadline meant Newcastle could sign him without paying compensation.
Everton thought they had a verbal agreement in place with Gosling and have expressed their disappointment at the way events have unfolded.
A club statement read: "In the wake of a report in a Sunday newspaper in which the agent of Dan Gosling made a series of allegations, Everton Football Club has decided to take the unprecedented step of setting straight a record of recent events which has, in its opinion, been deliberately distorted.
"In the article, Mr David Hodgson suggested that not only did this club not wish to extend Mr Gosling's stay at Goodison Park but that it had been deliberately tardy with regard to the formal offer of a new contract, presuming that an injury sustained by the player during the course of last season was of such a serious nature it would prevent him from signing for another club. Both claims are ludicrous, totally without substance and grossly misleading."
Gosling, who joined Everton from Plymouth two and a-half years ago, suffered a serious knee injury in March which is likely to rule him out for the first half of next season. Everton insist they had several conversations with Hodgson, the former Middlesbrough and Liverpool player, over a new deal and were told their "handshake agreement" was "fine".
The statement added: "It was Everton's understanding that this gentleman's agreement would guarantee that the player would extend, by at least two years, the three-year deal he signed upon his arrival from Plymouth Argyle."
Everton have now accused Hodgson of exploiting the rules to ensure Gosling became a free agent. The club's chief executive, Robert Elstone, said: "We wanted Dan Gosling to stay with us – and, after what we had been told, we expected him to stay with us. However, in the first week in June, Mr Hodgson rang David Moyes seemingly content that he had manoeuvred a situation where Dan was a free agent."
Moyes, the Everton manager, has also admitted he feels let down over the affair. "We feel aggrieved that they have contrived a situation to get the player out of the club when, if he had come and said that he wanted to leave, we could at least have done something about it – but at no point did Dan say he wished to leave."
The Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright, added: "In the very long history of our club, our executive team have never once forgotten or neglected to deal properly and professionally with contractual matters. We place our trust in people; we always keep our side of any offered deal – and all we have ever asked is that others do the same."
A Premier League tribunal acknowledged Gosling's right to a free transfer. "Dan Gosling did not walk out on Everton, they chose not to keep him," Hodgson was quoted as saying at the weekend. "Everton had an obligation to offer him a contract in writing by the third Saturday in May. They could have offered him one pound more than his old contract and could have kept him or got a fee for him at a tribunal. I rang Dan that day to ask if he had got the letter. It hadn't arrived. He wasn't jumping around the room in delight because he was a free agent. He was broken-hearted, in tears."
But Moyes believes Gosling would have been well rewarded had he chosen to stay at Goodison Park. "I read at the weekend that he cried when he didn't receive a formal, written offer," he said. "Well, trust me, the money Everton were offering was certainly not a crying matter."
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The views below are submitted by registered users of evertonfc.com and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton Football Club.
Mikel Arregui
Well, finally all the messages I wrote yesterday appeared like magic! I suppose the same happened to you, Carl.
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 17:14
Agree with Mikel?
carl jones
just done another 1 held for approval again don't suppose I'll see that on here either
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 16:57
Agree with carl?
carl jones
I'll try again. If gosling wanted to stay; himself or his agent would of been on the phone to DM or BK to find out what was happening regards his contract not just sitting there waiting for the days to tick by until it ran out (the third saturday in may).They probably knew he was never going to get into this everton squad never mind the team thats probably why they let it run out cos we would of wanted about 3 mil for him and nobody was going to pay that for him.
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 16:55
Agree with carl?
carl jones
can someone from everton explain y none of my posts make it on the wall I suppose this will as theres no comment about anything
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 16:32
Agree with carl?
Mikel Arregui
David Badcock, sorry but it seems my answer to your question didn't make it through, I tried it twice :(
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 11:56
Agree with Mikel?
Chris Bannantyne
Sorry Mr Badcock. I'm not sure I was having a go at you? Maybe it was, I'm not sure, but reading your comment here I don't think it was you. I agree with the whole priority thing (aka your "hot date" analogy) but disagree with anyone who says the lapsed contract was intentional. It wouldn't make sense for the club the purposefully get rid of Dan in this way because they would recieve no compensation for him. If they WANTED to get rid of him it would have been much easier to say "Dan, it's been nice knowing you..." Anyways, some folks here (maybe it was you, I don't know) started saying it was done on purpose like some kind of elaborate "get rid of gosling" scheme, which is a bit of a farce really, because it would have been so much easier and cleaner to just tell the lad. Nope, it was a bit of a cockup, gentlemans agreement or no gentlemans agreement, and dan/his agent or whoever took advantage of it because Dan wouldn't get a run at CM or wanted money or whatever the case may be. Enough said, I believe. But yes, Mr Badcock, Dan certainly wasn't the first choice date for the prom.
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 01:34
Agree with Chris?
Padda Brewster
After reading both sides of the story I have come to the conclusion that there are 3 side to this story’ his side the clubs side and the truth and we won’t hear the truth
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Thursday 29th Jul 2010 00:03
Agree with Padda?
Mikel Arregui
David Badcock, I answered your question but I'm afraid it will take a long time till it appears as it happened with yours!
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Wednesday 28th Jul 2010 23:18
Agree with Mikel?
Mikel Arregui
David Badcock, all I can tell you about Arteta is 'no news, good news'. I haven't spoken with him since what I wrote, but he lives there in Merseyside and can only connect to the internet from time to time. However, if there's something important to know he always sends me a text message. This source told me it was 100% sure he was staying and had never thought of leaving, he thinks he owes the club, Moyes and the fans after all the support throughout his long injury. It's true that Arsenal and Citeh have been after him, but nothing serious, he never sonsidered leaving, and all the Spanish League offers were absolutely false. Don't worry, Arteta is staying.
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Wednesday 28th Jul 2010 23:16
Agree with Mikel?
Justin Corio
Fellow fans, there is not much point looking forward to when Gosling returns to Goodison as Newcastle will be here in September and as they have bought a crocked player who won't be fit until January. Lot of wages for a player who won't be kicking a ball for several months. And then next season we won't even care as we'll be toasting European football again and Newcastle will probably be relegated.
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Wednesday 28th Jul 2010 23:14
Agree with Justin?