Everton are about to exploit weapon in transfer market they couldn't use in January

Everton are about to exploit weapon in transfer market they couldn't use in January

The Hill Dickinson Stadium and the chance to be part of the first season in Everton's new home will be front and centre of the club's pitch to targets this summer

Fans watch the first ever game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new home of Everton Football Club, as the Under-18s play Wigan Athletic Under-18s in the first test event at the ground (Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images )

Everton hope to finally exploit the club’s stunning new home ahead of an historic summer. The Blues received the keys to the state-of-the-art complex six months today - the handover an early Christmas present that came just days after the takeover by The Friedkin Group (TFG) was officially signed off.

But despite December holding those two landmark developments in the club’s future, Everton struggled to convince players to buy into the regeneration project at that early stage.

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The Blues entered January in dire straits after back-back defeats to Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. The chastening results undid the momentum of weeks of positivity as the ownership saga came to a close and the stadium was formally handed over amid a flurry of resilient displays as Sean Dyche's side drew with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

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That ended with the losses either side of the new year, the results precipitating the departure of and manager Dyche and leaving his replacement, David Moyes, to inherit a side just two points above the bottom three.

The prospect of a fourth relegation battle in a row cast a shadow over the following weeks as Moyes explored a number of different avenues in a desperate attempt to strengthen a squad that started January with injuries to Seamus Coleman, Tim Iroegbunam, Dwight McNeil and James Garner and ended it with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Orel Mangala having been dealt significant setbacks.

Upon his arrival, Moyes led a desperate search for a forward and also looked at central midfielders, wingers and full-backs as he tried to give his squad a boost.

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In the end, only Carlos Alcaraz was signed - though his arrival from Flamengo proved so positive Everton have already exploited their opportunity to make it permanent.

One significant factor in that recruitment struggle was the plight of the club. At that point, the promise offered by the new stadium and everything that came with it was not enough to cancel out the misgivings expressed by several targets and their camps over the prospect of moving to Merseyside.

Six months later, the outlook could not be more different. Moyes quickly led his team to safety, finished the season with a surge of form and the resources and stability of TFG should leave the club poised to act on the excitement surrounding the Blues.

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In that period, two test events have offered the world a glimpse of what is awaiting Everton next season, while work in and around the complex has continued.

The naming rights deal with Hill Dickinson has provided another boost to the club’s fortunes while the release of the fixtures for the new season has ended the conspiracy rumours that claimed it had asked to play the opening games of the season elsewhere.

The prospect of being a key figure in the bright future that feels tantalisingly close for the Blues was not quite enough to lure Liam Delap to Everton over Chelsea.

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But the Blues should now be able to take advantage of the new weapon in its locker as it tries to sell the club to targets.

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