• Midfielder exploits legal loophole as Goodison exit looms
• Newcastle, Sunderland and West Ham all interested
Dan Gosling has infuriated Everton by exploiting a legal loophole that will allow him to leave Goodison Park this summer as a free agent.
The England Under-21 international, best known for the winning goal against Liverpool in an FA Cup tie in 2009 that was infamously missed by ITV when a Tic Tac advertisement interrupted its coverage, took the club to a Premier League tribunal over a contractual dispute.
Everton had signed Gosling on a three-season contract from Plymouth Argyle in January 2008, the maximum period the then 17-year-old could commit to, with an agreement to extend the deal by a further two years and on revised terms this summer. However, as Everton did not put their offer for the two-year extension in writing before the mid-May deadline, the Premier League accepted the 20-year-old’s argument that he should be entitled to a free transfer when his contract expired on 30 June.
The decision means the Goodison club will miss out on compensation for the player and leaves Gosling free to negotiate a substantial signing-on fee with a rival club. Newcastle United, Sunderland and West Ham United are all believed to be interested in the midfielder, who made 20 appearances for Everton last season and scored in their 3-1 defeat of Manchester United.
Everton could have demanded a fee for Gosling had they submitted their latest contract offer in writing, and club officials and the manager, David Moyes, are seething at the manner of his departure. The club claim that an improved contract offer worth around £16,000 a week was verbally agreed with Gosling and his representatives before May, only for the player to stall on the deal as he sought a higher salary plus assurances from Moyes that he would receive more first-team opportunities in his preferred central midfield role. Everton had Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and John Heitinga occupying those positions last season.
The club’s offer to Gosling remained on the table after he ruptured a cruciate ligament at Wolverhampton Wanderers in March, an injury from which he is not expected to recover until January. Indeed, the deal had still not been withdrawn while the Premier League tribunal considered Gosling’s case last week.
Moyes and Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman, were required to give statements to the acrimonious hearing in London and are considering whether to appeal against the Premier League’s verdict.
EvertonTransfer windowAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk
