Everton target late deal for sought-after striker as Moyes makes key changes

The Friedkin Group have made funds available to the club in January with the intention of making two additions to the squad before the transfer window closes

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Everton are weighing up whether to invest in a permanent deal for a striker in the final days of the transfer window – with pressures around Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) a major consideration in moves over the next few days.

The Toffees ideally want two additions before next month’s transfer deadline and with first choice Dominic Calvert-Lewin set for an extended spell on the sidelines, a forward now appears a priority as well as adding pace in attacking areas.

A source close to the Friedkin Group has stressed to The i Paper that there are funds available to the club in January and the intention is to back David Moyes, whose appointment stalled moves as he reviewed existing targets.

The new boss is understood to want additions ready to “plug in and play” rather than project players, which is where Everton have had to shop in recent transfer windows.

But there is an understanding at the club that any money invested now will impact Everton’s plans moving forward.

The club had to sell players to ensure there was no PSR breach last summer and there would be a wariness about leaving themselves vulnerable to buying clubs before the end of the accounting year on 30 June, which is viewed as a “soft” transfer deadline day for clubs attempting to balance their books.

There are options out there, with Everton one of a number of clubs with an interest in Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.

The appeal is obvious – he has Premier League experience and is a good age – but there is intense competition for the Republic of Ireland forward, with West Ham thought to be leading the way and a hefty transfer fee sought.

Leicester City, who have ongoing PSR issues of their own, would also listen to offers for forward Patson Daka but Everton want to make sure any investment in this transfer window is with an eye on the long-term. Overseas options – and director of football Kevin Thelwell is well-connected in France – are also being considered.

Any loans would have to be overseas, with no resolution found with Chelsea yet over striker Armando Broja. He is facing around three months out with a knee injury and is utilising one of the club’s domestic loan spots.

David Moyes’s fresh voice has gone down well in the dressing room (Photo: Getty)

Sources have told The i Paper that signings in the £40m bracket remain highly unlikely with PSR pressures, although beyond 30 June the situation could change significantly.

Which is why the club are left effectively seeing what shakes out in the final few days of the transfer window.

It is a tightrope they must walk sensibly given Moyes’s intention – in the long-term – to change Everton’s style and utilise the huge turnover of first-team players in the summer to build a new squad to do it.

Thirteen players are either out of contract or returning to parent clubs in the close season, a situation that the Friedkin Group see as a “huge opportunity” as Everton move to Bramley-Moore Docks.

But there is also an acknowledgement that the short-term priority has to be staying in the Premier League, which is why reinforcements are actively being sought.

Moyes has certainly impressed in his first few weeks at Everton, his tactical tweaks making the team less of a safety-first proposition and resulting in back-to-back wins ahead of this weekend’s critical visit of Leicester.

In addition to utilising Jake O’Brien’s pace at right-back – something predecessor Sean Dyche was reticent to do – he has encouraged Jesper Lindstrom to concentrate more on attacking contributions and the result has been more chances and more attacking pressure from the Toffees.

The i Paper has been told the changes in approach and personnel have gone down well in the dressing room too, where Moyes’s fresh voice has given the players a lift. His knowledge of the club has enabled him to make an immediate impact and, so far, appears to have vindicated the Friedkins’ decision to bring him back to Everton.

Long-term the intention is for Moyes to be an “anchor” at the club in a time of change, with new owners with limited experience of the Premier League looking to him for a lead on footballing matters. It’s a role he’s only too happy to take but those long-term plans have to take a back seat to the short-term goal of survival and strengthening a squad that has been hit by injuries. A vital few days lies ahead on Merseyside.

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