Duncan Ferguson warned Everton on transfer Farhad Moshiri wanted - 'Boss, don't take him'

Duncan Ferguson warned Everton on transfer Farhad Moshiri wanted - 'Boss, don't take him'

Cenk Tosun celebrates his 34th birthday today but back in January 2018, Duncan Ferguson told Everton not to sign the Turkey international striker from Besiktas

Everton icon Duncan Ferguson warned the Blues not to sign Cenk Tosun in January 2018 because he looked “like an old man”. But seven-and-a-half years later, the striker is still playing in the Turkish top flight and is still a year off from qualifying for veterans football.

‌

Tosun, born on June 7, 1991, celebrates his 34th birthday today but back when Everton came calling for him, Ferguson, who having netted 60 goals in 239 games, remains the club’s second top Premier League scorer, already had major reservations.

‌

Having sold the man who overhauled Ferguson for top spot – Romelu Lukaku, who plundered 68 goals in 141 matches in the competition – to Manchester United for £75million the previous summer and missed out on Oliver Giroud, despite Ronald Koeman revealing they had the France World Cup winner “in the building,” Everton were on the lookout for a new striker in the January window, midway through the 2017/18 season.

Ben Doak has perfect Everton inspiration for controversial Liverpool transfer READ MORE:

Thierno Barry Everton transfer benefits examined as Liam Delap alternative could cost more READ MORE:

Koeman – Farhad Moshiri’s first managerial appointment – had by this point been sacked but following the majority shareholder’s personal scouting mission the previous October, a week before he axed the Dutchman – his replacement Sam Allardyce was presented with the chance to sign a target to spearhead the attack.

Along with director of football Steve Walsh, Moshiri had taken in a Champions League match close to his Monaco home as Besiktas visited the Principality. Tosun bagged a brace that night as the Istanbul-based outfit recovered from being a goal down to triumph 2-1 against the previous season’s semi-finalists and the high-ranking Everton delegation were suitably impressed.

Article continues below

When asked for his opinion, though, their former Tartan talisman, by now part of the Goodison Park coaching staff was not.

Costing £27million, the signing of Tosun would be announced by the Blues, live to the nation on BBC One, at half-time of their FA Cup third-round tie across Stanley Park against Liverpool at Anfield.

The Reds’ own big money buy of the winter window, debutant Virgil van Dijk, headed in an 84th-minute winner on his debut and has since gone on to justify his record-breaking price tag, but if it was up to Ferguson, Everton should have saved their money.

‌

Recalling his version of events in his new autobiography Big Dunc, Ferguson said: “Me and Sammy Lee, who had come into the club with Sam Allardyce, got called into a recruitment meeting. Normally, Everton didn’t want me in there because I tell it how I see it.

“I went into the meeting with all of them, the technical director Steve Walsh is in there. And they’re all talking about Cenk Tosun of Besiktas, raving about him, ‘let’s take him’, they all said.”

Ferguson, who has subsequently had managerial spells himself at Forest Green Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, then told Allardyce: “Boss don’t take him… he can’t run, but more importantly, he looks like an old man.

‌

“How old is he? ‘27’, somebody replied.

“Everyone else was laughing and going you can’t say that Dunc. Well, I am saying it.

‌

“My point was Tosun didn’t look like he was good enough for Everton. He didn’t look vibrant.

“He didn’t look like somebody you wanted to take. ‘He doesn’t look quick enough’, I said.”

Tosun would score nine goals in 50 Premier League games for Everton and 11 in 61 matches in all competitions.

Article continues below

After loan spells at Crystal Palace and Besiktas, he returned permanently to his previous club in 2022 when his Blues contract expired and in 2024/25, he netted twice in 22 outings for their local rivals Fenerbahce in what was the first season of a two-year deal.

Click here to read article