A Struggling Squad
As of the day this article is being written, the January transfer window has been open for nine whole days. As it stands, Everton are not even close to signing any players.
The club are in a dog fight for the second campaign in a row, again at the wrong half of the table.
The issues Frank Lampard faces with his squad seem to be racking up as each day goes by. Following an injury to Alex Iwobi, the engine room will be without a creative outlet for at least three weeks.
James Garner is also still out-of-action as a result of a back injury, the only depth in the Toffees’ thin midfield is Isaac Price, Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The first listed is vastly inexperienced, and the latter two are set to leave this window, to Rangers and Fulham respectively.
As well as midfield depth, Everton are most lacking in the forward department. Only Demarai Gray has looked a real threat for the Blues this season and it seems as if Anthony Gordon might be heading to Tottenham Hotspur before the window shuts.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also far too injury-prone to be deemed a reliable starter for the rest of the season. Neal Maupay also hasn't set the world alight since he joined from Brighton.
Injury to Nathan Patterson means Seamus Coleman will likely be Everton’s only right-back until his return in six weeks, unless Ben Godfrey is utilised there.
Depth and goals are a real worry. So far, they have reportedly seen both a loan bid for Danny Ings rejected and a supposed £20m bid made for 20-year-old Lorient winger Dango Ouattara.
Danny Ings
First looking at Ings, he is the sort of player where you know what you will be getting before he plays a game for you.
He has scored a decent number of goals for almost every club he has played for, bar a short disappointing spell at Liverpool, where his time was hampered with injuries.
In the two seasons between 2013-2015, he netted double figures in both, including a 21-goal return.
His goals earned him said move to the Reds, where he made just 14 Premier League appearances across his four seasons in Merseyside.
In the 2018/19 season he joined Southampton and enjoyed arguably his most fruitful spell as a goal scorer.
In three seasons he scored 39 goals including a huge 22 goal return in 2019/20, which saw him receive his second England call-up, playing twice and scoring once against Wales.
He signed for Aston Villa in 2021 and has scored six goals in seventeen games this season. It seems as if new Villa boss Unai Emery seems to favour Ollie Watkins, so it is likely the forward may be available if a fee is paid.
Ings has suffered with various injuries throughout his career and is also 30-years-old. These are major concerns for signing him especially should a fee be involved.
He would be a good signing at the right price and would likely score enough goals to help keep the club up if he remains injury-free.
Dango Ouattara
Secondly, a look at Dango Ouattara. The winger is a full international for Burkina Faso and currently plays his football for Lorient in France.
His breakthrough season came in the 2021/22 season, when he netted just one goal and recorded two assists in 25 games.
This season, he has scored five and assisted four in just sixteen Ligue 1 games. A much better return as he seems to be coming into his own this season.
His play-style is similar to that of Gordon, an explosive winger who plays on the left side so he can cut in dangerously on his right. He is not afraid to take a player on whether it be through his speed or skill.
Another appealing aspect to Ouattara’s game is his willingness to defend and his work ethic.
According to Fbref - compared to other wingers he is in the 96th percentile for tackles made, the 99th percentile for interceptions, 90th for blocks, 96th for clearences and 97th for aerial duels won.
Everton fans require effort from every player as a minimum, and the manager requires his wingers to get back and put a shift in when under the cosh, so he feels like a good potential acquisition in that regard.
£20m is a steep fee to ask for a player only just in his second season of professional football and with the first bid being rejected, it’ll likely be more than that. Though, given he’s only 20 he can only get better.
If Lampard and Kevin Thelwell can keep the fee around £25m and pay in instalments, Ouattara would be a brilliant addition to the Blues’ forward department.
Now, looking at some more names the Toffees could and should be chasing this transfer window.
Terem Moffi
Terem Moffi is a Nigerian striker who also plies his trade for Lorient, alongside Ouattara. He has scored 10 goals in 16 games this season and scored 22 in the previous two campaigns.
He is hot property in a scarce market for strikers this window, receiving interest from both Leeds and Southampton, with the latter reportedly submitting a bid of just £10m. He’d be a no brainer at that price.
However, according to some reports West Ham have submitted a bid of £25m for him.
It was also reported in August by reliable Everton transfer source @ElBobble on Twitter (via patreon) that the club had looked at the forward.
If Everton managed to pick up both Moffi and Ouattara it would be some coup. The two complement each other’s game and would slot into Lampard’s team perfectly.
Viktor Gyokeres
Another name strongly linked with Everton both in the summer and in this window is Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede currently plays for Coventry and has scored 12 in 25 this season, after bagging double figures last season as well.
Gyokeres is a progressive striker with an eye for goal. According to Fbref, he is in the 99th percentile for progressive passes, the 95th percentile for touches, the 95th percentile for dribbles completed and is in the 97th percentile for shot-creating actions.
He is eager to get on the ball and bring his team-mates into play. Still residing in the Championship, he is likely to warrant a lesser fee than talent in Europe should anyone take the gamble on him.
Ben Brereton Diaz
Ben Brereton Diaz also plays in the second tier of English football, for Blackburn and was very heavily linked in the summer. He is a versatile winger and is in the final six months of his contract.
The Chilean is 23-years-old and has scored nine in 26 this season. Last campaign, he returned 22 goals in 27 appearances.
Given his contract situation he would likely be available at cut-price, instantly adding depth at both left wing and striker. He is a threat physically and can score a range of goals.
However, it is yet to be seen whether he could take the step up into Premier League football. He’d certainly be a gamble, one which Everton at current should not be taking if the price isn't £10m or below.
Iliman Ndiaye
Next, a look at a midfielder. Everton need a creative midfielder with Alex Iwobi’s absence but also for squad depth and competition.
There are few more exciting Championship footballers this season than Iliman Ndiaye. The Senegalese attacking midfielder plays his football for Sheffield United after playing Sunday league football as recently as 2019 for YouTube team Rising Ballers.
Ndiaye is a fantastic footballer and is due a big move. He has scored nine and assisted 7 from midfield in just 26 games this season.
He also received a call up to Senegal’s World Cup team last year, featuring in three of their four games.
He is a very progressive midfielder and is eager to get on the ball and beat a man. He is also brilliant defensively and works extremely hard for the team – qualities required of any player who pulls on a blue shirt.
At just 22-years-old, someone will take a gamble on him and reap the rewards. He has an extremely high ceiling and can only get better. He is a player that the Blues should be looking at.
Djed Spence
Djed Spence has found himself in an interesting position this season. He signed for Spurs in the summer after a brilliant season on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough but has featured just six times for them in all competitions this season.
Rumours say that Spence has a problem with his attitude and is slightly disruptive to the dressing room. It seems Antonio Conte has no plans to play the wing-back, opting for long-time poor performer Emerson Royal.
If the former Forest full-back is wanting regular football, a loan move to Goodison Park for six months may be the perfect solution for both clubs involved.
The wing-back is perfect for a formation using five at the back – the formation which has seen the Blues receive the most joy in the last few weeks.
He would be brilliant cover for the injured Patterson and provide great competition when he returns from the side line.
He gets forward with pace, willing to take a man on and put the ball in the box for waiting attackers.
Everton could do without players with poor attitudes given the scenario they have found themselves in, but for six months this could be a smart move should his wages not be too high.