Everton FC News: Everton unhappy as Dan Gosling set to leave

Jul 8 2010 by David Randles, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON are fuming that Dan Gosling is set to walk away from Goodison Park for nothing.

The Goodison Park outfit insist they had a verbal agreement with the youngster to extend his contract on improved terms.

However, it is thought that after becoming aware of interest from other Premier League clubs, the England under-21s international has now rejected a pay deal in the region of £15,000-a-week from Everton and will leave the club as a free agent.

Newcastle United, Sunderland and West Ham are leading the chase to snap him up.

A Premier League hearing ruled that Gosling was free to leave because Everton failed to put their offer of a new deal in writing before a cut-off point in mid-May.

Everton will now lose out on a substantial compensation fee for the £4million rated player.

The 21-year-old was set to double his money at Everton but, after initially indicating he saw his future on Merseyside, is thought to have had a change of heart and has now told Everton he wants to leave.

Although Everton claim they had a gentleman’s agreement with Gosling they failed to tie him to the club by official means allowing him to exercise his right to move on.

Gosling joined Everton from Plymouth Argyle two-and-a-half years ago on a three year deal. Everton wanted to hand him a longer contract but players under 20 are not permitted to sign five-year deals.

It was alongside the initial three-year deal that a verbal agreement between all parties was said to be put in place that would offer Gosling a two year extension on much improved terms.

Since then, Gosling has made a relative impact at first team level as manager David Moyes patiently oversaw his development.

Often used from the bench as a wide midfielder or full-back, he scored the winning goal in extra-time against Liverpool in an FA Cup replay the season before last.

Gosling scored three goals in 20 appearances last season–- against Hull, West Ham and the second in a 3-1 win over Manchester United.