By George Overhill
Everton tried to sign Leander Dendoncker from Aston Villa on deadline day but the midfielder never arrived, according to Le Parisien.
The French outlet reported on their website late on deadline day (1 September) that because the move had failed it meant Andre Gomes was then unable to leave for Lille.
The Ligue 1 side wanted to bring the Portuguese midfielder back after a “notable stint” on loan last season, but it appears both the incoming and outgoing deals collapsed.
Everton ultimately failed to sign anybody on the final day despite high expectations heading into the end of the window, but Alex Iwobi’s exit to Fulham is thought to have gone through, as did Neal Maupay’s loan to Brentford.
Double-disappointment
Gomes was one of the players who had been seen as “deadwood” within the squad according to the Liverpool Echo on 6 August, with Sean Dyche and Kevin Thelwell having inherited the “headache” of the former Barcelona man, along with the likes of Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
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So if he had an opportunity to play elsewhere this season and it was lost thanks to an inability to get another deal done the Toffees boss’ supposed headache will have likely only worsened.
Since Gomes, 30, didn’t feature once last season after heading to Lille for the year, and hasn’t been involved yet under Dyche this term then he surely didn’t need a replacement signed in order to leave.
Unless the manager is worried about numbers after Tom Davies rejected a contract extension it seems like the club would have jumped at the chance to potentially get Gomes off the wage bill, or perhaps better, after his Everton career was long ago derailed by injury.
Gbamin has also gone after his contract was terminated so the numbers on the books have reduced further, but again the Ivorian has been a non-factor in the first-team amid injury and loan moves.
So unless Dyche has a mind to call on Gomes at some point this season it seems strange that a sudden interest in Dendoncker, 28, was so crucial.
The Belgian international is a solid player but hardly seems the key priority at Goodison Park, so it adds to a confusing deadline day that saw Iwobi, Maupay and Tom Cannon leave without being replaced and Demarai Gray kept after weeks of him planning to leave.
In other Everton news, a Chelsea talent has said goodbye to the London side after being on Merseyside with his next move imminent.