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As linked earlier today by TheRoosevelts in today's Hoddle, Everton and New York Red Bulls agreed on a transfer fee for Tim Cahill yesterday, believed to be in the neighborhood of £1 million. Cahill and the Red Bulls have not finalized a contract, but given the fact that Red Bulls have considerably more money to throw around than Everton, this shouldn't be a problem. With a small fee obtained and Cahill off the books, Everton should now be able to bring back Steven Pienaar.
David Moyes has been open about his desire to bring Pienaar back to the club all summer, saying over and over again that he hoped it would happen soon and that some other dominoes had to fall first. Apparently, that meant getting Cahill's wages off the books. While Cahill is one of the most popular players in Everton's recent history, he's also started to decline a bit and only scored two goals last year, a career low excluding his debut season, where he made one appearance as a 19-year-old.
Pienaar played in Tottenham's last friendly, but was left off the U.S. tour roster. Presumably, this is because Everton told Daniel Levy that they'd have the funds to sign Pienaar freed up very shortly, so Levy had Andre Villas-Boas leave Pienaar at home so that deal could get done quickly.
Don't be surprised if Red Bulls announce that they've agreed to terms with Cahill today, and don't be surprised if Everton announce that they've agreed to terms with Pienaar by the end of the week.
