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Everton star Tim Cahill is quitting - and moving to the USA to team up with Thierry Henry.
Australian ace Cahill has been looking for a new club and a fresh challenge all summer and will now sign a deal with Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.
The Toffees are said to be allowing the 32-year-old midfielder for a small fee as a reward for eight years of sterling service.
New York already pay Arsenal legend Henry a fortune, but will be cleared to splash out on Cahill’s salary too because of his big name and commercial appeal.
Cahill has been a revelation with the Toffees since joining them from Millwall in 2004, scoring 68 goals in 278 appearances.
A statement on Everton's official website said: "Everton have agreed with Major League Soccer (MLS) that Tim Cahill can be transferred to the New York Red Bulls.
"Tim, 32, will move to the Red Bulls for a nominal fee, subject to agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. He will travel to the US in the next few days."
There are currently no leading Aussies playing in the MLS and Cahill - who is still a top player, despite his advancing years - should be a massive asset for the Bulls.
Cahill was being offered a three-year package that could be worth around £3million-a-season, with the potential for other money-spinning deals on top, to move to the Big Apple.
The switch will give Everton boss David Moyes some extra cash in his small budget because of the wages being saved.
A move to bring midfielder Steven Pienaar 'home' to Goodison after his unsuccessful spell at Tottenham is high on Moyes' ‘to do’ list.
Tim Cahill is on the verge of ending his eight-year association with Everton by joining New York Red Bulls.
Everton have agreed a £1million fee with the Red Bulls and the Australian international, who had two years remaining on his contract at Goodison Park, will sign terms a lucrative deal in the next 24 hours.
Cahill has been a mainstay of Everton's team since he arrived from Millwall in the summer of 2004 and his impact has been so great that David Moyes has frequently described him as 'one of the greatest signings I have ever made'.
His future has been the subject of significant debate this summer, though, and Cahill – who scored 68 goals in 278 appearances for Everton – was linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and China in the quest for a new challenge.
The switch to New York, however, offers the 33-year-old a exciting new opportunity and he will link up with former Arsenal star Thierry Henry.
This could turn out to be a summer of significant change at Goodison Park, as Everton also offloaded Joseph Yobo for £2.5million to Fenerbahce on Monday after weeks of haggling between the clubs.
Moyes, who has already brought in Scotland international Steven Naismith, will now aim to press on with completing the signing of Steven Pienaar from Tottenham and that business should be completed before the end of the week.
Once Pienaar arrived, Moyes will then look to bring in central defensive cover, bolster his midfield and land a striker to ease the burden on Nikica Jelavic and fill the void left by Cahill, who had a knack of scoring crucial goals for Everton.
Tim Cahill has ended his eight-year spell with Everton by agreeing to join Thierry Henry at New York Red Bulls. The Australia international had two years remaining on his contract.
Everton said: "Tim will move to the Red Bulls for a nominal fee subject to agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. He will travel to the US in the next few days."
Cahill is likely to be accompanied out of Everton by Joseph Yobo, who is close to joining Fenerbahce for £2m. Proceeds from the deals should enable David Moyes to bring Steven Pienaar back to Goodison Park from Tottenham Hotspur. Pienaar flourished back on Merseyside on loan last season and is a transfer priority for the Everton manager. Spurs want £5m for the South Africa international, who has made clear his desire to return to Goodison, while Everton want to pay a reduced fee that could rise towards Tottenham's valuation with achievements.
Cahill's departure removes a huge influence from the Everton dressing room and marks the end of an outstanding career with the club, although the midfielder's impact on the field has lessened over the past two seasons. Bought for just £1.5m from Millwall in 2004, he has proved to be one of Moyes' finest signings with 68 goals in 278 appearances for Everton and many vital contributions.
He has scored more league goals against Liverpool than any other Everton player in the post-war era, and encouraged Moyes to adopt a 4-4-1-1 system for the majority of his time on Merseyside. His role behind Nikica Jelavic next season had been threatened by the arrival of Steven Naismith, who joined Everton on a free transfer following his acrimonious exit from 'newco' Rangers.
Yobo is expected to finalise his permanent transfer to Fenerbahce after having spent the past two seasons on loan with the Turkish club, who have consistently refused to meet Everton's £4m valuation but are willing to pay £2m.
Everton have yet to receive an approach from Manchester United for Leighton Baines despite the England international, who Moyes does not want to lose, being frequently linked with Old Trafford. A more likely big-name departure from Goodison this summer could be Johnny Heitinga, the Dutch international and the club's current Player of the Year who is a target for several European clubs.
TIM CAHILL will bring the curtain down on a distinguished Everton career today by moving to Major League Soccer with New York Red Bulls.
Australian attacker Cahill will join Thierry Henry at the US club after eight years at Goodison Park during which his passion, commitment and goalscoring ability established him as one of David Moyes’ best signings.
Cahill, 32, had received lucrative approaches from China and a £10.3 million, three-year deal from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club, but has opted for Red Bulls, for whom Everton team-mate Tim Howard once played.
He is due to sign a contract today with the New Jersey-based club, who also have the former Tottenham and Sunderland midfi elder Teemu Tainio and ex-Barcelona star Rafael Marquez in their ranks. They are currently top of the Eastern Conference and face Tottenham in a friendly next Tuesday.
Everton will receive about £1m for Cahill, who had two years left to run on his contract, and expect to bank a further £2m from the permanent departure of Joseph Yobo to Fenerbahce in the coming days.
Those funds will help smooth Steven Pienaar’s return to Merseyside from Spurs, with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright continuing top-level talks for the South Africa midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan from the Londoners.
A deal is imminent, although Everton are due to fly to Indonesia today for the Java Cup, where they will play their opening game on Thursday.
Cahill, meanwhile, will be beginning a new adventure in America having proved himself to be Everton’s heart, soul and lungs since a £1.5m move from Millwall in July 2004.
He made 41 appearances last season – he was sent off after the final whistle on the final day of the campaign following a clash with Newcastle’s
Yohan Cabaye and would have missed the start of next season – but became less sure of a regular starting place and managed only three goals.
Moyes said: “I always think Nigel Martyn was my best signing, but Tim has probably been the best thing that has happened at Everton. He has been fantastic for the way he has conducted himself, how much he has helped me and the club.”
Cahill’s departure from Everton after 278 appearances and 68 goals marks in many ways a new era for the club, as Moyes forges ahead with players such as Nikica Jelavic and Marouane Fellaini.
As well as Pienaar and Steven Naismith, recruited from Rangers,
Everton are also interested in Blackpool winger Matt Phillips.
TIM CAHILL’s eight-year Everton FC spell has come to an end after the Goodison hero completed a £1m move to New York Red Bulls.
The Australian international has already been linked with moves to the Middle East and China during the summer, but a glamorous switch to one of Major League Soccer's top clubs emerged as the midfielder’s favoured option, and following talks a deal was agreed tonight.
Cahill, 32, was still regarded as a valuable squad member by David Moyes despite only scoring three goals for the Toffees last season and not finding the net throughout 2011, during a period when he saw his previously guaranteed first-team place come under more scrutiny.
However, the Soccerro had to decide between staying on Merseyside, where he earns £55,000-a-week and potentially accepting less first team action in the wake of Steven Naismith's arrival, or taking the option of a high-profile move to the USA where his signing will be seen as a major coup.
Red Bulls already boast the talents of Thierry Henry, but just as LA Galaxy recruited Robbie Keane to supplement David Beckham last season, coach Hans Backe has been keen to team-up Cahill with the mercurial Frenchman.
Cahill’s contract at Everton did not expire until 2014, and he has previously hinted that he would like to play on for another season in the Barclays Premier League.
However, the chance to become a star name in the USA proved too tempting to resist, while the Toffees have been be able to consolidate their finances by removing his £2.9m-a-year salary from their wage bill.
SHANE DUFFY hopes his steady pre-season performances will force him back into Everton’s first-team equation next term.
The 20-year-old has featured in all three fixtures so far and played another 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday, giving his side the lead with a first-half header.
But despite that highlight, the Republic of Ireland U21s defender is simply focusing on building on his fitness ahead of a pivotal season, when he hopes to make further Premier League appearances for David Moyes’ side.
He said: “It was a good run out for most of the lads.You can see they are getting their fitness back now with the 90 minutes.
“It was our most competitive game I’d say and you can see Motherwell are a good team. They have a Champions League qualifier soon so it was a good test. I think we perhaps could have played a bit better but at this stage it’s all about the fitness.
“I felt okay out there, it was my second game in a couple of days so the legs are heavy but that’s what pre-season is for – you want the games. I think most of the lads feel that way.”
“It was nice to score,” he added on his goal.
“It’s not my job but if I can pop up and get one it’s good. I guess I’m a threat – I’m big aren’t I? I was hoping for a clean sheet but unfortunately we didn’t get one.”
Lining up against Everton was former Toffee James McFadden – who made a cameo for the side he has been training with recently as he bids to engineer a move to Celtic.
And McFadden insisted he enjoyed his second spell at Goodison last season, even if it did not lead to a permanent deal.
“It was great to be playing against Everton. Shane’s nearly spoilt the party because it was supposed to be a testimonial and a Motherwell win but he had other ideas,” he said.
“Being at Everton helped me get my fitness back up because it’s an excellent set-up. Everyone was great and looked after me. It was good to go back knowing I wasn’t under any pressure.
“Obviously I put pressure on myself to do well when the manager brought me back, but I knew I would be looked after.
“Any time I got on the pitch was great for me – I was just delighted to be back.”
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Meanwhile, Everton appear to have inched closer to a permanent deal for Steven Pienaar, after the South African did not travel on current club Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season tour of America.
The midfielder has agreed personal terms with the Blues, and negotiations between Bill Kenwright and his Spurs counterpart Daniel Levy are at an advanced stage.
EVERTON are to pay tribute to the club’s most successful ever side with one of Goodison’s executive lounges renamed in their honour.
The achievements of Everton Giants Howard Kendall, Graeme Sharp, Kevin Ratcliffe, Neville Southall, Peter Reid, Trevor Steven and the rest of the 1984/85 squad will be recognised in the newly refurbished ’85 Lounge.
The Blues 100 Lounge, as it was previously known, will undergo a significant refurbishment over the summer as it is transformed into a celebration of that unforgettable season.
The ’85 Lounge will bring to life the atmosphere, tension and triumph of the incredible year when the Blues became the league champions for the eighth time in the club's proud history and achieved success in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Everton legend Reid said: “The new ’85 Lounge is an honour for every one of that squad and there were some really good players in there. It was a good side and one that had camaraderie and played great football. I’ll have to get along and have a drink soon!”
EVERTON have agreed a three-year partnership with a US-based ticketing firm to allow fans to sell their season ticket seats to other supporters when they can’t attend games.
The groundbreaking deal with StubHub is the largest commercial deal, excluding shirt sponsorship and retail, in the club’s history.
It represents one of StubHub’s first forays into the Premier League and the UK, after the company have worked alongside more than 65 of the most prominent brands in music, media, ticketing and sport – including baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
Under the system there will be no restrictions on pricing set by the club or StubHub, creating the only official marketplace where Evertonians can purchase tickets directly from other Evertonians.
A dedicated StubHub pick-up point will be located at the Bullens Road Box Office at Goodison Park, where buyers can collect their tickets on the day of the match.
Dave Biggar, commercial director at Everton, said: “StubHub enters the UK market with a great track record working with major sports brands in the US. It was important for us to find a partner who takes the fan experience as seriously as we do. StubHub’s focus on service, plus the support provided online, over the phone and in person at the stadium, made it the natural choice for us.”
