Everton Transfers: Landon Donovan and 10 January Targets For David Moyes

Just as the ridicules accompanying the summer transfer window are hushed, it is time to ignite some January gossip.

Transfer windows at Everton are rarely populated affairs.

However, with Mikel Arteta’s departure coming so late and the Toffees raising just under £20 million this summer, it is possible there could be new faces come January.

Money will certainly not be extravagantly bandied around.

Everton may spend a small portion of what they received, but with Bill Kenwright recently admitting the club loses £5 million per year, the Toffees will not be forcing many clubs to sell them their best assets.

It is likely any potential deals will be on loan with a view to buy, in much the same way David Moyes has brought in several players during his tenure at the club. 

With all this considered, here is a list of potential targets for Everton.

Adem Ljajic: Fiorentina

Serbian international Ljajic is a player of high calibre who would certainly be welcomed at Goodison Park.

Recently, there have been mutterings in the media about Everton perhaps being interested in Fiorentina's winger.

But if this was true, it would most likely be for a wad of cash that the Toffees may be reluctant and unable to part with.

Ljajic was once destined for Manchester United, although he never actually played in red after a lengthy and curious transfer saga. However, he is currently impressing in Serie A and undoubtedly possesses the credentials to succeed in the Premier League. 

A few inquests into Ljajic's availability in January may well occur, although if Everton's interest is concrete, he may be pursued more vigorously in the summer.

If Diniyar Bilyaletdinov remains on the periphery at Goodison Park, eventually moving on, Ljajic would be an ideal replacement for the Russian. 

Nedum Onuoha: Manchester City

Nedum Onuoha has been linked with Everton for many years. As the summer window shut, rumours were rife that he was about to join the Toffees on loan.

Negotiations allegedly stalled when Manchester City refused to pay a certain percentage of his wage.

A versatile defender, Onuoha is a player Moyes would enjoy having, and he would provide competition along the back four. He has been very much cast adrift from action at Manchester City, even stripped of his previous squad number.

Loaned out to Sunderland last season, if the right package can be agreed upon, Onuoha should be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium soon.

Should someone like Johnny Heitinga get frustrated with his exclusion from Everton's starting lineup and press for a move in January, Onuoha would be a likely replacement for the Dutchman.

Yroundu Musavu-King: Caen

A rumour has recently surfaced about Everton scouts being taken by Caen's young defender, Yroundu Musavu-King.

Not yet established in France, he would be another player Moyes would have to nurture and shape, just as he has done with so much of Everton's current roster.

The Toffees may also soon be a bit depleted of young prospects in defence.

Shane Duffy has not progressed as much as the Everton hierarchy would like and is currently out on loan. Shkodran Mustafi's contract is up at the end of the year.

Bringing in Musavu-King would bolster the ranks.

With finances so insecure at Goodison Park, moves for more obscure, unheralded talent will become more common at Everton. Were Musavu-King to join, he would follow the recent signings of previous unknowns Seamus Coleman and Apostolos Vellios.

Brek Shea: FC Dallas

Brek Shea is a player currently attracting interest from many locations in Europe.

FC Schalke are rumoured to have recently had a small bid rejected, while Liverpool and Manchester City are also credited with an interest.

A tall, powerful, attacking player with a vastly improving scoring ratio, Shea seems crafted for the Premier League.

He has already been capped at the international level and seems destined to have an exciting future in the game.

The 21-year-old would not command as much of an inflated price as so many European based players. Were he to join Everton, he would follow a successful conveyor belt of Americans signed by David Moyes.

Competition for the young American may well heat up, and his future is definitely one to monitor.

Salomon Kalou: Chelsea

With the high profile arrival of Romelu Lukaku, the form of Daniel Sturridge, the constant debate over Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba, plus the presence of Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou has plummeted down the depth chart at Chelsea.

Come January, Andre Villas-Boas may consider moving him on.

Whilst Kalou would most likely accompany a fee Everton could not afford, were he available for a short term loan, David Moyes should be interested.

The Toffees' feeble offerings up front are well documented and the presence of the Ivorian international would be hugely beneficial at Goodison Park.

In turn, Kalou could use a spell at the Toffees to invigorate his career and remind potential summer suitors of his capabilities.

With so much of his career spent on the bench, Kalou must feel it is time he was given a starting berth somewhere. Everton would be able to provide him with that platform.

Federico Macheda: Manchester United

Potentially a far more realistic target than some on this list.

Moyes was caught observing the Manchester United reserves towards the end of the summer transfer window, and many presumed the Scot was mulling over a loan move for either Macheda or his teammate, Mame Biram Diouf.

A deal never transpired for either player.

Macheda is still on the outskirts of the Manchester United squad and would surely welcome a loan move in January. After such an impressive start to his career, the Italian has since experienced a lull in his progression due to the competition for places at Old Trafford.

Again, with Everton's lack of strikers, he would gain valuable Premier League experience at Goodison Park and provide David Moyes with a poacher, which the Toffees are desperately short of since Jermaine Beckford's departure.

Vagner Love: CSKA Moscow

Vagner Love is a striker many thought was on the brink of joining Everton three years ago. However, a move never quite transpired.

A CSKA Moscow player since 2004, it is widely rumoured that Love will be departing Russia soon, with even the club president admitting this likelihood.

Were they to reignite their interest, Everton would face strong competition for his signature.

Love is a player with a wealth of European experience, who has averaged a goal every other game in Russia.

With Everton in this current era, wages and a possible fee would be large potential stumbling blocks, but if money is raised by another player leaving the Toffees in January, Love is a player Moyes may well target.

Steven Pienaar: Tottenham

Perhaps the longest shot of them all, Pienaar has not exactly set the world alight after joining Tottenham in January.

Currently injured, with Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar all blocking his path to a first team that is performing so well, the South African may find his journey back to the pitch an arduous task.

Having already spent large portions of his time in London on the sidelines, Pienaar does not seem to be content with this scenario.

He was adored by Evertonians, and his partnership with Leighton Baines was one of the most potent and creative combinations in the league.

If, by January, Pienaar appears no closer to first team contention at Spurs, would a short term loan back to the club who initially revitalised his career be so out of the question?

He is certainly a player most Evertonians would be keen on.

Royston Drenthe: Everton

Yes, he does already play for Everton, but Royston Drenthe is currently only on loan and is out of contract at Real Madrid come season's end.

His sporadic substitute appearances have already aroused interest from Evertonians eager to see him play a more prominent role. 

With such pace, speed and trickery, he is likely to experience far more success on the pitch in England as opposed to Spain.

During his fleeting cameos, his knack of running at defenders has already given Everton an extra dimension not seen at Goodison Park for a while.

The Dutchman may attract all kinds of interest by the summer, especially if no contract from Everton is in motion.

If David Moyes continues to like what he sees, why not unofficially set the ball rolling in January?

Landon Donovan: LA Galaxy

Is it not time for Everton to make this call? They have just sold their most influential playmaker, Mikel Arteta, and there is certainly a void to be filled in the creativity and goal categories.

Why not explore the possibilities of re-signing Landon Donovan in January, a player who impressed so many during his first brief stint with the club.

Few players have made such a smooth transition to the Premier League as Donovan, and he was also instantly welcomed and accepted in the dressing room. He bought into the ethos David Moyes was pitching.

Since his loan spell 18 months ago, Donovan has remained an Everton supporter on Twitter to the delight of many fans. 

He even still exchanges pleasantries with the likes of Tim Cahill and Phil Neville. Surely, this is one Everton must seek to secure.

If the Toffees could somehow plot his return, it would offset many lingering frustrations fans still harbour over the departure of Mikel Arteta.

Which of these players, if any, would you like Everton to target in January?

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