With all the hype having subsided following Everton’s result at the Etihad over the weekend, it’s back to the basics of the week at Goodison Park, and although the transfer window has now closed, there has apparently been some activity going on behind the scenes with the Toffees.
That is of course if rumours from Danish newspaper Ekstrabladet, coming via the Liverpool Echo, are to be believed. A 20-year-old forward by the name of Marcus Ingvartsen has been causing quite a stir in the Scandinavian nation with club Nordsjaelland, and the paper claims that Everton sporting director Steve Walsh sent a scout to watch the youngster in his club’s clash with Brondby, the striker having drawn comparisons to former Juventus and AC Milan great Filippo Inzaghi.
The Dane has hit five goals in 13 for Nordsjaelland this season, as well as six goals in just three games for the Denmark U-21 side, which tallies his total for the season up to 11 in 16, which appear to have sparked interest in an acquisition, with scouts from Milan, Juventus, PSV Eindhoven, Nice, Werder Bremen and Club Brugge all thought to have been in attendance to watch Ingvartsen.
Elsewhere, there will be an unwanted feeling of familiarity ahead of the weekend amongst Everton supporters, as the referee for their game against Burnley has been confirmed to be Mike Jones by the Premier League.
He is a referee with a history as far as Everton are concerned. His most recent match officiating the Toffees was during their 3-0 triumph over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light back in September.
He had a quiet night on Wearside, only having to dish out bookings to Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Sunderland’s Duncan Watmore, on a night where Romelu Lukaku’s hat-trick ensured the Toffees ran out comfortable winners over the team managed by former Toffees boss David Moyes. But back in January, Jones was involved in an Everton match wrought with controversy.
He allowed John Terry’s offside finish to stand in the eighth minute of time added-on at Stamford Bridge on January 16th, as Everton were cruelly held to a draw against Chelsea Stamford Bridge.
Jones had ordered for seven minutes of additional time after Ramiro Funes Mori had edged Everton 3-2 ahead in the dying embers of the 90, but he allowed the game to eventually run even further over, Terry striking in the 99th minute of the alloted seven additional minutes and the hosts struck late to restore parity at 3-3 and deny Everton all three points.
Everton will be hoping for a repeat of the Sunderland fixture in that they will get more of the rub of the green in their trip to Turf Moor over the weekend, where they will look to build on the point they gained at the Etihad last week and consolidate their place in the top six.
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