What The Papers Say - 18 July

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

The Guide Liverpool focuses on Everton’s pre-season friendly against Roma, with the clash set to be the first sold-out fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The opening Men’s Senior Team fixture at the Blues' world-class new home is also a historic double-header, with a Legends game following the pre-season meeting between the Blues and Italian giants on Saturday 9 August. 

On a landmark day of celebration at the Club's new waterfront home, David Moyes' team will take on Serie A counterparts Roma in their final Premier League warm-up fixture (kick-off 3pm BST), before the Legends dust off their boots to mark the opening of the 52,769-capacity stadium (kick-off 5.15pm BST).

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee said:  “As a proud Evertonian myself, I can’t wait to see Hill Dickinson Stadium full for the first time as the Club enters a new chapter.

“The new stadium is a massive moment – not just for the Club, but for the regeneration of North Liverpool – an area which is only going to go from strength to strength in the coming years.

“We want to make sure fans can get to and from matches easily, safely, and sustainably, while keeping disruption to local residents to a minimum. Since the last test event, we’ve continued working closely with Everton, transport operators, the council, and, most importantly, supporters themselves to sure we get the best matchday experience possible.”

Colin Chong, Chief Real Estate and Regeneration Officer at Everton Football Club, said: “The first two test events at Hill Dickinson Stadium were incredibly valuable in helping us fine-tune matchday operations — and that success is down in no small part to the passion, patience and feedback of our supporters.

“This third and final event is a major step forward as we welcome a full capacity crowd for the very first time. We’ve listened to fans, learned lessons, and worked with our partners to strengthen the transport offer, with new shuttle services, increased capacity on the rail network and post-match ferry options now in place.

“Evertonians will continue to play a vital role in shaping the future matchday experience at our new home, beyond the test events, and we thank them in advance for planning their journeys and supporting the Club every step of the way.”

Elsewhere, GiveMeSport claims the Toffees are prepared to offer in the region of £12million to West Ham United to sign Czech Republic international Tomas Soucek.

Blues boss Moyes worked alongside Soucek at West Ham, the midfielder playing a part in the Hammer’s Europa Conference League triumph.

With Everton possibly looking to bolster their midfield, the 30-year-old could be on his way to Merseyside.

“Adding a midfielder to their squad could be one of Everton's priorities after losing a host of players in this position over the last few weeks,” writes Matt Smith.

“Abdoulaye Doucoure left the Club following the expiration of his contract, while Orel Mangala also departed after his loan spell from French side Lyon ended.

“The Hammers are said to be in no rush to offload Soucek, but they will consider an offer if an approach is made. Moyes is a 'big fan' of the towering midfielder, and with his close friend Vladimir Coufal leaving, that could mean he also looks to depart in the summer transfer window.

“Soucek's versatility could make him a useful option for Moyes, and it's unclear where he would actually be deployed. Under Moyes at West Ham, Soucek often played in an attacking midfield role, but he's spent a large portion of his career playing slightly deeper in the middle of the park.”