Everton bid to tempt Cardiff star Aaron Ramsey to Goodison

Jun 5 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON are hoping to persuade Aaron Ramsey to snub Manchester United in favour of a move to Goodison Park.

United remain favourites to secure the 17-year-old’s signature – but he is due to meet David Moyes today after Cardiff gave Everton permission to speak to him.

The Everton manager will hope his proven record of giving young players first team experience can convince Ramsey his future lies at Goodison Park.

And Cardiff manager Dave Jones and assistant Paul Wilkinson – both former Everton players – are also believed to have made that point to Ramsey during discussions with him about which club to choose.

City accepted a £5million bid from Everton yesterday, as they previously did from United and Arsenal, but the Bluebirds do currently favour a switch to Old Trafford as they will automatically loan him back to them for next season, thus boosting their push for promotion to the Premier League.

But United’s premature announcement on Tuesday that they had completed the deal was hastily shot down by the Ninian Park club.

Moyes was then encouraged to make his move for the under-21 international who he checked on in Cardiff’s 3-3 draw with Burnley in April.

And the fact that Ramsey’s advisors are adamant that no decision has yet been made by the player gives the Everton manager some encouragement.

During his six years at the club, he has handed first-team debuts to the likes of Wayne Rooney, James Vaughan and Jack Rodwell when they were still younger than Ramsey, at just 16.

Rooney, Vaughan and Victor Anichebe all made a significant impact in the Premier League when they were still in their teens and Ramsey could be tempted by the chance to follow in those footsteps.

Moyes has also boosted the careers of a succession of players with little or no top flight experience, including Tim Cahill, Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka.

And Everton’s bid was accepted on the same day that chief executive Keith Wyness told the Daily Post that the development of such players under Moyes’s tutelage – with Jagielka making his England debut at the weekend – provides a major attraction for transfer targets.

Such opportunities for British youngsters have been rare under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, but Ramsey does also have incentives to make a move to north London.

His best friend is former Cardiff club-mate Chris Gunter, now with Tottenham, who also have another Cardiff-born youngster in Gareth Bale on their books.

All three are friends and international colleagues and having two familiar faces around him in north London would certainly help Ramsey as he steps up into the Premier League.

But despite their confident announcement being initially over-ridden, United will remain optimistic Ramsey will choose them after a second meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson this week.

He is set to make his final decision over the weekend, but fellow Welshman Kevin Ratcliffe, the most successful captain in Everton’s history, feels Goodison should be his preferred destination.

“I think it’s about playing first team football,” he said.

“I think he has more of a chance at Everton of gaining that first-team experience and going that next step. If he doesn’t pick Everton he is making a big mistake. Just look at Shaun Wright-Phillips now at Chelsea.”