Journalist: £35m Everton deal is now off after dramatic U-turn

Journalist: £35m Everton deal is now off after dramatic U-turn Everton Stop Harrison Armstrong Transfer as Nottingham Forest Move Collapses Everton have pulled back from the brink over Harrison Armstrong, with the proposed transfer to Nottingham Forest now appearing off despite an accepted offer worth £35 million plus add-ons. The developments, first reported by John Percy of The Telegraph, point to a significant late change in direction from the Goodison Park hierarchy. Forest had been advancing towards a deal for the 19-year-old midfielder and there had been an expectation the move would proceed quickly. Everton had granted permission for Armstrong to travel, with the framework in place for a medical. From Forest’s perspective, the transaction looked straightforward, particularly given the belief that Everton were prepared to sanction a major homegrown sale to support their SCR position. Instead, the move has stalled dramatically, and the clearest explanation is the reaction that followed on Merseyside. Supporters made their feelings known in no uncertain terms after the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, with chants aimed at the club’s decision-makers urging them to keep one of the academy’s brightest products. That backlash is understood to have weighed heavily on the eventual outcome. Harrison Armstrong Sale Raises Bigger Everton Questions What made the proposed transfer so striking was not simply the size of Nottingham Forest’s offer, but the profile of the player involved. Harrison Armstrong is not a peripheral youngster yet to be tested. He has already begun to establish himself as a serious first-team option, building on the experience he gained after returning from Preston North End last season when Everton’s lack of midfield depth opened the door. He has since taken that opportunity well. Early-season displays against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth have reinforced the internal belief that he can become a long-term figure in Everton’s midfield. That helps explain why the idea of cashing in, even at a considerable fee, landed so badly with supporters already weary from years of damaging calls in the transfer market and above it. Photo: IMAGO Forest’s interest made clear football sense. Oliver Glasner’s side viewed Armstrong as a replacement for Elliot Anderson and a player capable of growing into a key role. For Everton, though, the decision was more complicated. Balancing financial discipline with squad planning is one thing. Selling a teenage academy midfielder who already looks equipped for Premier League football is another. David Moyes Signals His Position on Everton Midfielder David Moyes did little to disguise his stance after the Bournemouth draw. Speaking about the interest, he said: “There’s been an offer. Apart from that I don’t think there’s much else I can say, it’s a club decision. We don’t want to lose anybody and we still need to add players to what we’ve got. I’ve been saying it for a while.” That message was revealing. Everton are still in a phase where adding quality remains the priority, and the prospect of losing one of the club’s emerging midfielders before strengthening sufficiently would have been difficult to justify from a sporting perspective. Moyes then added, “Their manager is an Evertonian.” It was a brief line, but one that reflected the emotional undertone surrounding this story. Armstrong is local, highly regarded and increasingly seen as part of Everton’s future rather than a convenient asset to monetise. Nottingham Forest Move Off as Everton Listen to Supporters For now, Everton supporters will regard this as a rare example of the club listening. Harrison Armstrong looks set to remain at his boyhood side, and that will be received as a major positive in a period when confidence in boardroom judgement has often been fragile. There is still a wider issue for Everton to solve around sustainability, squad building and future sales. Those pressures do not disappear because one transfer has been halted. But in this instance, keeping Armstrong feels like the right football decision and, perhaps just as importantly, the right cultural one. Everton need more players who understand the club and can grow with it. Letting one of the best young prospects leave now would have sent the wrong signal at the wrong time. Our View As an Everton supporter, this report brings a huge sense of relief. Selling Harrison Armstrong now would have felt completely wrong, regardless of the money involved. Yes, £35 million plus add-ons is serious money for a 19-year-old, but some players are worth more to you on the pitch than they are on the balance sheet. Armstrong looks like one of those. What matters most is that fans saw exactly what was happening and made enough noise to force a rethink. That does not happen often at Everton. Too many times in recent years, supporters have felt ignored while short-term decisions chipped away at the identity of the club. This time, it seems the message landed. Armstrong represents something Evertonians desperately want to hold onto, a talented local lad, developed at Finch Farm, earning his place properly and looking capable of growing into a major player. Those are the stories supporters connect with. Those are the players who make the club feel like itself. There is also a football point here that should not be overlooked. Everton are not overloaded with midfield quality. If anything, they still need to strengthen. Letting Armstrong go before that work is done would have been a gamble supporters would never have accepted. Keeping him feels sensible, necessary and overdue as a sign of better judgement. If this really is the club listening, then good. It should happen more often.