On deadline day, Manchester United came close to sending Joshua Zirkzee out on loan to Sunday’s opponents.
Everton, having run into trouble with Folarin Balogun’s medical, offered the Red Devils a lucrative loan fee to sign the Dutchman.
But with hardly any time left to bring in a replacement, the 20-time English league champions turned down the Toffees, who have been left short in attack.
That explains why the team from Merseyside have been linked with a stunning move for former Old Trafford fan favourite Anthony Martial, who is currently a free agent.
Ethan Wheatley came this close to joining Everton
Interestingly, David Moyes’ side initially had another United striker in their sights, Ethan Wheatley.
The 20-year-old became the club’s 250th academy graduate to make his first team debut and racked up four senior caps under former manager Erik ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
At that point, it seemed like the sky was the limit for the Stockport-born starlet, but failed loans to Walsall, Northampton Town and Bradford City have dented his confidence.
He was this close to a permanent exit to join Everton, as per The Daily Mail, only for United’s Premier League rivals to pull the plug and focus their energies on different areas of the squad.
Everton pulled the plug at the last minute
“Perhaps the warning signs about the club’s true financial status were already there.
“Days previously, a £2m deal for Manchester United’s 20-year-old striker Ethan Wheatley had been put in place. All was agreed, only for Everton to pull back. Financial priorities lay elsewhere.”
Ethan Wheatley has ended up joining Lincoln City on a season-long loan. This might be his last chance to impress his parent club.
So far this campaign, the “fantastic” Carrington graduate has only managed a five-minute cameo off the bench in the EFL Cup while remaining an unused substitute in both league games.
Feature image Ian MacNicol via Getty Images
