EXCLUSIVE: Former Everton star Tony Cottee discusses potential transfer moves for Jack Grealish and Liam Delap
Liam Delap and Jack Grealish
Liam Delap and Jack Grealish
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Tony Cottee wants to see Jack Grealish return to Everton next season while he also believes the Blues should go back in for Liam Delap because “he’s the type of centre-forward that the Evertonians would love.”
The Brummie ace impressed during his time on Merseyside, receiving the first Premier League Player of the Month award of his career in the week of his 30th birthday after providing four assists in his first two starts and he then followed that up with Hill Dickinson Stadium’s first stoppage-time winner in the 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace and Everton’s first Premier League success over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
However, after helping the Blues to arguably their best result of the season, a 1-0 triumph on January 18 back at Aston Villa, who had won their previous 11 home games, it was revealed that Grealish had suffered a major injury setback and he has subsequently undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot.
Despite this disappointment, video footage of him at the club’s end-of-season awards black-tie event showed him enjoying himself with friends while leading the singing of: “One more year, Jackie Grealish, playing football the Everton way.”
The ECHO understands that there is an appetite from Grealish and Everton alike for him to return to Hill Dickinson Stadium next season, but the deal has to be right for both parties.
Former Everton star Cottee told the ECHO: “They’ve got to sign Jack Grealish, haven’t they? I’ve always loved watching Jack, he’s a phenomenal player.
“There aren’t too many players these days who get me genuinely excited like that. When you get someone who can do things on the ball like him, they’re a rare talent.
“It’s such a shame that he got the injury back in January and then didn’t play for the rest of the season. People will talk about the money with his wages but he’ll sell a lot of shirts too with his name on them.
“I know that’s not why you choose to sign a player, but for me it makes sense. He’s a top player and by all accounts, he’s also a great lad.
“I don’t think he’s going to play at Manchester City with the options they have now, so I’d love to see him come back to Everton. I think it’s time for him to move on, he’s 31 next month, so it will probably be his last big move.”
Meanwhile, with Beto enduring another difficult display in Everton’s 3-1 defeat at Stuttgart, Cottee, who netted 99 goals for the Blues in 241 appearances following his then club record £2.2million transfer from West Ham United in August 1988, reckons Moyes should make another raid on the capital to acquire Liam Delap. Everton tried to sign the Winchester-born player before he joined Chelsea last year and the Blues have been linked with him again this summer.
The 61-year-old, who was speaking courtesy of football betting, said: “I think Liam would be a good signing for the club, I really do. Chelsea have got a huge squad and they’re shipping players out.
“It hasn’t worked for him at Chelsea. He did well at Ipswich but maybe it was just a step too far for him?
“I think he’s the type of centre-forward that the Evertonians would love. He’s all-action, he runs around, he’s physical.
“When he’s got confidence, he can score goals. We know that.
“With Chelsea being one of the so-called big six these days, maybe he needed to go to an Everton, who want to be at that level but aren’t there yet. There is so much going on at Chelsea with the number of players they’ve got.
“The lads who are there now, they try hard but it never work and certainly not consistently. They might enjoy a little flurry when they score a few, but then it goes back to how it was.
“I think you can see with David Moyes, he’s not overly happy with either of them.
“Having signed Christian Norgaard, if Everton can get a right-back in and sign Jack and Liam, I think you’re talking about a really strong starting 11 that can push on from last season. Although it was a good season, given the way it ended and faded away, it became disappointing.
“They should have got into Europe. When you think that nine clubs qualified for European competition, Everton should have been one of them.”
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