Why we never signed Belfodil is in the Echo:
"The story behind
Everton’s failed bid to sign Ishak Belfodil in January has been revealed.
The Algerian international had looked set to move to Goodison earlier this year, with the Blues willing to pay around £10m to take the striker from Standard Liege.
However, just as it appeared the 25-year-old would be on his way to Merseyside, the transfer collapsed. Everton ended January without adding a senior centre forward to their ranks, despite Ronald Koeman acknowledging a lack of options there.
Christophe Henrotay, an agent involved in the Belfodil deal, claimed in January that Koeman had “suddenly changed his mind” on the player, and claimed that Everton chairman Bill Kenwright had become “annoyed” at the situation.
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In April, Liege president Bruno Venanzi claimed that the Jupiler League club had not received any kind of offer from Everton for Belfodil, challenging anyone to prove otherwise.
And the challenge appears to have been taken up by former Belgian international Daniel Van Buyten, who was acting as a transfer advisor with Standard Liege at the time.
Van Buyten gave his version of events to Sport/Foot, saying: “From the moment the player tells you ‘if there’s a good offer and I want to go, we sit down and discuss it’, you think it’s intelligent to force him to stay? You want to head into the play-offs with a player like that?
“In his head, he wasn’t at Standard any more.
“And when I tell you they are a bunch of liars... Bruno Venanzi went on TV and said there wasn’t an official offer for Belfodil? He also promised at the start of the show to tell the truth. Look.”
Van Buyten reportedly produced an e-mail from Everton on his iPhone at this point.
“It can’t be any clearer,” he said. “It’s an email from Everton. They offered €10m (2 x €5m), and an easy €2m bonus. What’s more official than that?
“I didn’t want to absolutely sell him, but when you can get €12m for a player who arrived on a free, and when you’ve promised him you won’t stand in his way, you have to follow through.”
Belfodil’s form tailed off somewhat following the collapse of his Premier League transfer. Having started the season well, he endured a six-game scoring drought, though he has since netted four goals in his last six appearances. Liege currently sit ninth in the Belgian first division."
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