Everton are once again eager participants in the transfer market with an aim of bolstering their squad prior to the new season which begins at the weekend when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur. Club owner Farhad Moshiri is yet again digging deep in an attempt to make Everton more competitive in the Premier League.
The latest raft of high-profile signings does not signal a shift in Everton’s transfer policy. Spending since the British-Iranian businessman first bought shares in the club in February 2016 is already at £470 million and could go above £500 million by the time the window shuts in a months time.
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Allan has arrived from Napoli
Everton have already brought in Allan from Napoli for £21 million on a three-year deal last week and potential deals for Abdoulaye Doucoure and Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez highlight the length - and depths of Moshiri’s wallet - that the club are willing to go to ensure that European football returns to the blue half of Merseyside before too long.
Moshiri has always supported his managers generously with funds but whether he got value for money in the transfer market is highly questionable. He, and director of football Marcel Brands, are due signings that make an impact and manager Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping to get more bang from his buck than his predecessors managed.
Rodriguez and Allan have both worked with Ancelotti previously which shows that the Italian manager is having his say in the transfer dealings and opting for players who he trusts. Ancelotti has also described the “beautiful relationship” that exists between him and Brands, who arrived at the club in May 2018 from PSV Eindhoven, and suggests that the pair are on the same wavelength.
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Recent signings haven't all worked out
Crucially all three of Everton’s recruits, sealed and prospective, appear upgrades on the club’s other midfielders. Ancelotti clearly feels that is is in the middle of the field that the team must improve in the upcoming campaign, especially in the deep lying role which requires grit and finesse.
That said, Jordan Pickford hardly convinced in goal during last season and there are also questions whether the back four is consistent enough for the duration of the campaign - especially this one which with the tight schedule offers little time for extensive practice on the training ground.
Also, that Allan and Rodriguez are both aged 29, and Dourcoure 27, should not be a surprise to those analysing Everton’s prospective recruits. Ancelotti has never hidden the fact that he wants to try and oversee an instant improvement rather than a slower approach to the upper reaches of the Premier League. His ambition, and that of the board, is for Everton to be in an elevated position when they move into their new stadium in a few season’s time.
Given the economic situation affecting football, and the subsequently flat market, Everton have had to become more pragmatic in their dealings. Players must be sold in order to bring in fresh blood. Most players now have a price tag against their names and clearing out the deadwood has become less achievable.
Still Moshiri will continue to back his manager, as he has done across numerous transfer windows now, but whether this summer sees their business reap greater rewards on the pitch than during previous attempts is still a question very much up in the air.