What The Papers Say - 19 January

Round-up of the day's Everton related paper talk.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

 

 

EVERTON are looking to reward Tony Hibbert's long service with a testimonial match.

Hibbert has been a mainstay of the Goodison defence since making his debut as a 20-year-old at West Ham United back in March 2001.

And the idea has been raised at the club for a match to salute more than a decade of service from the right-back.

Hibbert, who is 31 next month, has made almost 300 appearances for Everton and is third on their all-time list for most Premier League outings.

Famously, Hibbert has yet to score a senior goal and has the dubious tag of playing the most amount of games without scoring for Everton, and possessing the longest run of games in the Premier League without a strike.

Hibbert has missed Everton's last three games having suffered a groin strain during the home defeat to Bolton Wanderers earlier this month.

But he has resumed training this week and could press for a recall ahead of Saturday's Premier League visit of Blackburn Rovers, easing an lengthy injury list for Everton manager David Moyes.

Moyes has been busy stretching his limited resources in the transfer window this month, signing Landon Donovan on a short-term loan and recruiting Republic of Ireland midfielder Darron Gibson from Manchester United for £500,000.

The Everton manager remains in the market for a striker and has taken 30-year-old United States international forward Edson Buddle on trial.

But suggestions he could bring David Weir back to Goodison to provide cover at centre-back have been played down.

Weir will leave Rangers tomorrow after agreeing a release from his contract and is targeting another stint in the Premier League.

But any return of the 41-year-old to Everton would not be as a player, although the Goodison outfit could ask Weir to bolster the coaching staff in the summer.

German side Wolfsburg have rekindled their interest in Diniyar Bilyaletdinov but would most likely have to improve their expected offer of £5million to sign the Russia international.

 

 

NEDUM ONUOHA is considered the right man to ease Everton FC's defensive worries - but it is Queens Park Rangers who are favourites to land the Manchester City player.

The 25-year-old has featured just once in the Premier League for Roberto Mancini's side this season - as a late substitute in Monday night's win over Wigan Athletic - and the Etihad Stadium club are ready to off-load the utility defender in the transfer window.

According to the player's representative, Kia Joorabchian, Everton FC made an offer for Onuoha in the summer and it is understood the former England under-21 international is back on the club's radar as they look to bolster their painfully thin options at the back.

However, QPR and their new manager Mark Hughes are believed to be readying a bid for the Man City academy graduate who has been valued at £4m, though the ECHO understands his club may try and hold out for a bigger fee.

Hughes, also advised by Joorabchian, was in charge at City when Onuoha was breaking into the first team and appears ready to give him a chance of regular football at Loftus Road.

Owner Tony Fernandes has promised Hughes money to spend this month and given Moyes' transfer kitty is stretched, Everton are in no position to enter a bidding war with the London club.

Even if Everton FC managed to generate money by selling anyone, it is unclear if the proceeds of such a move would even be used to fund a bid for Onuoha with spending the precious cash on a new striker a more likely scenario.

But Everton will continue to monitor the defender's situation and should a deal with QPR not materialise, and the possibility of Onuoha leaving Eastlands on loan emerges, Moyes may make a move.

Onuoha, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland, has two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2009 and City are ready to cash in on the highly-rated defender in this transfer window.

Everton, though, are not optimistic about being the ones to sign the Nigerian-born defender but are refusing to give up hope that he could become available on loan at some stage this month.

In the meantime, Moyes will continue to scour the transfer market for a defender as he continue to make do with just two fit centre-halves, John Heitinga and 20-year-old Shane Duffy, in the absence of the injured Phil Jagielka (knee) and Sylvain Distin (hamstring).

 

 

Everton are considering reviving their interest in Greek defender Kostas Manolas.

The AEK Athens centre-back, 20, is available for a knockdown price as the financial crisis hits Greek clubs hard.

Everton are also in talks over a new contract for young Greek striker Apostolos Vellios.

Everton midfielder James Wallace is joining Tranmere Rovers on loan.