David Moyes is scouring the market in January in an attempt to boost his frontline and the search has become more urgent because of the raft of injuries Everton have suffered
David Moyes must wrestle with the financial straitjacket of PSR as he tries to boost Everton’s firepower.
Moyes does have some money to spend, but stretching that to cover the quality of forward Everton want is extremely difficult. Moyes is not interested in bringing in more bodies just to boost the size of his squad while Everton grapple with an injury crisis.
He only wants players who he feels will make a difference to his team. Trying to sign that quality with relatively little money in this window is virtually impossible.
Everton’s medical team have been over-worked this week as they assess the raft of new injuries from the weekend and Moyes is conscious of this. Perhaps the most worrying is Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s thigh problem, picked up at Brighton on Saturday, and Moyes hopes the former England striker will not be out for long after his return to form against Tottenham.
Orel Mangala has a serious knee injury, which could rule the on-loan Lyon midfielder out for the rest of the season. Moyes is waiting to hear if Dwight McNeil, who was Everton’s most-creative player with four goals and three assists before he was crocked on December 4, needs surgery on his knee.
Youssef Chermiti, who has made no appearances, is not fit yet, while Armando Broja is out with a second ankle injury. Everton have investigated ending the Albania striker’s loan from Chelsea and sending him back to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea do not want that and have suggested Everton take either Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall or Carney Chukwuemeka on loan instead to help them trim their bloated squad. Everton have not made a decision yet and it remains to be seen what they do.
It had been suggested they might terminate Jack Harrison’s loan from Leeds to free up a domestic loan space. Harrison has struggled badly in his second loan with Everton and has not managed a goal or an assist in his 21 appearances this season.
But it is understood he will not be heading back to Leeds and that he will be staying at Goodison Park until the end of the season as agreed. Everton continue to be linked with Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who has scored just once from his 14 appearances, and virtually everyone is interested in the Republic of Ireland hitman.
But Everton do not have a berth to take him on loan and a permanent deal is out of the question in January. The one solace for Everton if they cannot find who they want is that they have put space between themselves and the chasing pack in the relegation fight.
They are seven points above the drop zone, thanks to those massive back-to-back wins over Tottenham and Brighton, eight once their vastly superior goal difference is taken into account.
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