Tom Cleverley is inching closer to a move to Goodison Park this summer, as Everton look to complete negotiations for the Manchester United midfielder in the coming days.
Cleverley is out of contract at Old Trafford and will turn down Aston Villa, where he had a successful loan spell, to once again join up with Blues boss Roberto Martinez, whom he worked with during a spell at Wigan Athletic.
It’s fair to say the midfielder divides opinion, and for every Blue who thinks it’s a shrewd move by Martinez there’s another who would rather the Toffees steered clear.
Here’s what Everton fans have had to say on social media.
I’d rather have Tom Cleverley on a free transfer than James Milner. Younger, cheaper, hungrier and potentially a better Footballer.
— Daniel Brookfield (@dpbrookfield) June 4, 2015
dads gonna be so happy when I tell him Tom Cleverley is set to sign a 5 year deal with Everton
— tash (@taaashxx) June 4, 2015
Tom Cleverley. Been signed, criticised, had his misses checked out, his position worked out and now being praised. Not a bad days work. #EFC
— Adam Thorpe (@1987adz) June 4, 2015
Can’t argue with Tom Cleverley on a free transfer
— Liam Boggis (@lboggis1878) June 4, 2015
Tom Cleverley, on a free?
— Ollie Fletcher (@ofletcher93) June 4, 2015
I’m sitting in Amsterdam waiting for a flight to Bangkok and Tom Cleverley has signed for the toffees. What a time to be alive
— Ste (@SR_1312) June 4, 2015
Well in Tom Cleverley
— George Yeomans (@BluenoseGeo) June 4, 2015
Tom Cleverley finally Everton bound. Loan spell at Villa showed what the Blues missed out on last season. Would add new dimension to MF #EFC
— Richard Buxton (@RichardBuxton_) June 4, 2015
VIEW GALLERY
ECHO readers commented:
AlanBall: Sorry to bang on about this, but are we the only bloody team in the Premier League who buy or are linked with washed up Man Utd players who can’t get a game even in an average United team?
Give this guy a swerve…PLEASE. We’ve already got Gibson who was always injured at Old Trafford and couldn’t command a regular place and now, guess what…he’s always injured here and can’t command a place. Bench warmer!.
Ryuchi Sakamoto: sign him…decent player…nothing to lose.
Hogy: Hardly an inspirational signing, probably an indication of where we’re at as a football club..
Bradley Gardiner: Could be a very good signing, if you let him play and develop into a good player.
Roger: Whether Cleverley is the midfield player we want is a question only playing for us can resolve. He is mature and a hard worker but against Arsenal in the Cup Final he did find it very hard to make any impression. However, I suspect very few teams could have competed with Arsenal on that day. He looked effective against us but we were poor on the day. Could be worth a chance but I have a feeling he will stay with Villa.
Paul B: He was invisible in the cup final ! He showed up well on loan at Wigan maybe Martinez can motivate him , but I doubt it he’ s uninspiring to say the least.
Anne Cochrane: He started to show some real form for Villa when he played regularly. Who do you think we can afford? We need to be realistic.
Mike Donnan: If people have watched Tom Cleverley they will know he is just a poor version of Ossie and Ossie is still good for 20/25 games next season, we need to look for a combative midfielder not someone like Cleverly who won his Man U contract from the back of a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes box .
Margaret Temme: Oh dear, he is so rubbish, just look at him at the cup final for starters. The fans aren’t going to take him on board.
Willy Green: I think he showed signs of becoming the player he was.
Andrew Hawes: He’s a younger version of Osman, I would take him but only on a free.
Anthony McKinnon: I don’t know. I’ll welcome him but I just hope he proves me wrong.
Karl Edo: We get him for free why not he could be good and who knows maybe Bobby can get him playing. It will give the midfield more options. Get lennon signed and a number 10 and a striker to challenge maybe Hernandez.. Lets be realistic.
Darren Kelly: Nooooo said it before and I’ll say it again..no improvement on what we have.
Conah Watterson: He’s not all that bad, but why do we need a center mid?
Chris Williams: Yes for me. Will be a good squad player pushing the other centre mids, comfortable on the ball which is what RM needs re our current style of play. This was clearly missing when Ossie was injured. If he’s no good we’ve only lost on wages which we’ll no doubt make back on a transfer fee.
READ MORE: In profile – Everton target Tom Cleverley
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