Everton Transfer Rumours: One Ideal Target for Each Position

It’s now just under a fortnight until the January transfer window begins. Managers will aim to use the mid-season market to acquire additional talent and gain fresh impetus for the second half of the season.

Everton have already begun their quest to strengthen, bringing in Landon Donovan on loan for a couple of months, a player charged with helping resolve the Toffee’s attacking frailties. Having secured Donovan, David Moyes has also stated he hopes to add a couple more faces by the end of the window.

Sadly, unlike the majority of Premier League clubs, Everton do not have the luxury or freedom to be able to throw money around at football’s premium products. The Toffees have barely spent money on a new player for several seasons and, despite offloading almost £18 million worth of players in the summer, the club’s recent financial figures still revealed a debt approaching £45 million.

Without investment and with a business model that is simply overrun in the Premier League's current money-oriented terrain, the Toffees face a daunting battle to maintain their image as a top eight Premier League club. The players they do bring in during the January window are likely to be loan additions or players available for severely reduced fees.

Should inflated offers come in for existing squad members in January, it is possible Everton may consider offloading again, particularly if a proportion can be used to bolster David Moyes' options. Examining the current squad, here is a look at some ideal targets—within the Toffees’ measly budget—that could help galvanise Everton’s season. 

Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson

Goalkeeper is not a position Everton will prioritise in January, although they could certainly do with greater consistency behind Tim Howard. Jan Mucha currently deputises for the American, but on the rare occasions he has experienced game time, he has hardly filled the Goodison Park stands with confidence.

Veteran Marcus Hahnemann was even drafted in this season to bolster the ranks. Playing understudy to Howard is a role several men have filled over the past few years and the job has almost become a revolving door now.

It would not be surprising were both Hahnemann and Mucha to seek pastures new in January. Were that to happen, David Moyes would be wise to seek a goalkeeper in his early twenties. The Toffees have invested in Mason Springthorpe, a young goalkeeper from Shrewsbury, so finding another custodian somewhere around 22 and 23 bridges the gap between Howard and youth team prospects, bringing perfect symmetry to the procession line.

Being a club with limited resources, instead of using veterans to back up Howard, the Toffees should look to acquire a younger model. Over December, with the MLS season finished, Chicago Fire’s Sean Johnson spent a period of time training at Everton's Finch Farm with his compatriot and new national team goalkeeping coach.

Johnson is a young stopper already impressing in the States and with Everton’s goalkeeping coach, Chris Woods, now officially in charge of coaching the American national side, it would hardly be surprising were the Toffees’ next goalkeeping target to originate from the other side of the Atlantic. Hardly a concrete link to kick us off, but in goal, Sean Johnson would be an ideal understudy for Tim Howard and any potential deal would not require Everton to break the bank. 

Right-Back: Nathaniel Clyne

Everton’s right-back situation has been transitional for much of David Moyes’ tenure at Goodison Park. With Phil Neville originally preferred as a midfielder, the Scot has continually sought a right-back to compete with the ever-durable Tony Hibbert. Unable to fully achieve this, Neville and Hibbert have generally occupied the role.

Finally, Seamus Coleman emerged as a genuine attacking contender for the position. However, despite many fans eager to have him start there, David Moyes has been keen to see Coleman emulate Gareth Bales’ feats, and has been involving him as a winger for the past 18 months.

Hopefully this transformation is a temporary measure. The wide areas have been a problem for Everton in recent times and Coleman is still young enough for this move to not permanently shape him. If Moyes does envisage it being permanent, Everton will soon need to inject youth into their right sided full-back ranks.

Were this to be the case, they could do a lot worse that looking at Nathaniel Clyne, currently getting rave reviews at Crystal Palace. The similarly cash-strapped London outfit would not be able to demand lucrative sums for his service and he would immediately compete with Hibbert and Neville for a starting role.

Left-Back: Danijel Pranjic

It is no secret that Everton’s deficiencies lie at the higher end of the pitch, but there are certainly cavities at the back as well. Certain injuries in defence could really expose the threadbare nature of David Moyes’ squad.

Leighton Baines is by far Everton’s most valuable commodity on the pitch. Last week against Norwich he created eight chances out of the 22 the Toffees made and actually made more than the entire Norwich team could muster together. With Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar out of the picture, Everton are heavily reliant on his production

Were he to pick up an injury, or worse, become the centre or a January transfer saga between some footballing heavyweights, Everton would struggle to even fill the role, let alone find someone to match his contribution. Thankfully, apart from a trip to Bolton, he has barely missed any action over the past two-and-a-half seasons.

If elements of that scenario ever occurred, presumably Phil Neville or Sylvain Distin would temporarily play in an emergency. Seamus Coleman could too, although the Irishman will probably be keen to forget his Everton debut, which saw him as a makeshift left-back away in Benfica. The Toffees lost 5-0, with Coleman given a tough baptism in Everton colours.

In short, David Moyes would be hamstrung. Therefore, again looking at prospects potentially available on the cheap, Danijel Pranjic is a player capable of filling in far better at left-back. Of course, his best position is in midfield, but he has the versatility that would make him instantly appreciated at a club like Everton.

He has already been linked with a switch to Merseyside and, with his contract set to expire in June, he may well be one on Moyes’ radar. A cut price January deal or a loan move would all be feasible.

Centre-Back: Sebastien Bassong

With Phil Jagielka and Johnny Heitinga arguably in the prime years of their career as centre-backs, and with Sylvain Distin still performing at 34, Everton have a trio of players jostling each other to start in defence. However, most teams have four distinguished candidates to play at the back and there is undoubtedly room for a younger prospect on Everton’s roster. 

In recent times, Shane Duffy and Shkodran Mustafi have been on the fringes of selection. However, when injuries have occurred, Moyes has preferred to shove Tony Hibbert or Phil Neville in as an emergency pick instead of relying on a youngster. Regarded as a manager renowned for blooding and nurturing youth, this notion suggests Moyes may not have total faith in that particular duo.

Were Everton to look into the loan market, a player such as Sebastien Bassong, who Moyes has been linked with before, may well become available in January. Bassong has only made four Premier League appearances so far this season and has found himself behind the likes of Ledley King, Michael Dawson, William Gallas and Younis Kaboul at Tottenham.

True, it is similarly blockaded at Everton, but were he to spend a few months away from Spurs and, potentially get a bit of first team action, it could rejuvenate his career. With uncertainty over Sylvain Distin’s expiring contract and with Johnny Heitinga continuously linked away (most recently to Roma), Moyes may well be looking more closely at centre backs this winter.

At 25, Bassong meets the criteria Everton would search for. He is also left sided, complimenting Heitinga and Jagielka, and so submerged by talent at Tottenham, Harry Redknapp may well be open to loaning him out.

Right Midfield: Royston Drenthe

Despite murmurs about his off-field antics and concerns over the rocky relationships he has forged with his superiors throughout his career, on the field Royston Drenthe has been a success for Everton this season. At the weekend, his cameo appearance sparked David Moyes' side into life against Norwich and, with the Dutchman on the pitch, the Toffees have scored every 40 minutes. Without him, it is every 156 minutes.

As with all of these targets, Everton are looking for players they can obtain for next to nothing, who can be used instantly and cause their value to quickly soar. Drenthe's contract situation is too good an opportunity to miss out on and any lingering invites other parties to have a look.

Constructing sellable assets from the youth team, the free agent market, or just with under the radar moves is the only thing that prevents the Toffees' dated business model from combusting altogether.

From the start of January, Everton can officially talk to Drenthe. He has attributes in his game that nobody else in the Goodison Park dressing room can parallel. Electric pace, skill, imagination, trickery, not to mention a blistering shot. His presence on the pitch has lifted the Toffees many times already this season and they must act now in order to obtain him for so little.

Central Midfield: Daniel Parejo

With Jack Rodwell, Marouane Fellaini, Phil Neville and Johnny Heitinga all playing in central midfield this season, Everton have all the robust, gritty, tough tackling ball winners a team could want. But where is the flair, guile and attacking craft?

What has so often hampered the Toffees this year has been their inability to pick the decisive pass in the final third. Leon Osman and Ross Barkley have occasionally been played in the central positions and have both augmented the creative stakes, but saying they have replaced Mikel Arteta’s influence on the central areas of midfield would be going too far.

Everton need a central playmaker, a player comfortable in possession, capable of orchestrating attacks and dictating the Toffees’ match tempo. As we move up the field, the cheaper options become harder and harder to find. However, in Spain, Valencia’s Daniel Parejo has recently been linked with the Toffees. He has quickly become out of favour and may possibly be available for loan or for a small amount.

Parejo has had a brief taste of English domestic football, after a loan stint at QPR and certainly has the pedigree to offer Everton something different in the middle. Were David Moyes suddenly afforded funds, players such as Ever Banega or Borja Valero would be two perfect targets, both of whom were recently linked with the Premier League and have had previous connections to Goodison Park. Without selling, sadly players of that and similar ilk will presently remain out of reach.  

Left Midfield: Steven Pienaar

After lining Landon Donovan up for a second spell with the Toffees, there have been several rumours emerging this week that Everton are about to do the same with Steven Pienaar.

Were this to come into fruition it would be seen as a coup for David Moyes, such is the admiration Evertonians have for the South African. Pienaar was Player of the Year when he left and was always a player fans were excited to see grace the Goodison Park turf.

He shared obvious chemistry with Leighton Baines and their partnership down the left was one of the most productive tandems in the Premier League for several seasons. Having rarely got a look in at Spurs since his move away, this link may well have some legs in it as January approaches. 

Striker: Hugo Rodallega

Finally, to the business end of the field, and the area where anyone associated with Everton knows is where the real digging will be going on right now. The Toffees' major issue is goals. With just 16 so far in the Premier League, alarmingly only Wigan have found the back of the net less.

To resolve this will be the most challenging ordeal for David Moyes. Whilst you can reinforce several other areas of a team without shelling bundles of cash, a striker is rarely obtained without parting with significant resources. David Moyes will no doubt have his scouts meticulously scouring leagues to find the most compatible options, wherever they will be. 

Prime targets will be players out of contract in the summer. With six months remaining on contracts Everton can privately negotiate potential terms, as they did with Jermaine Beckford two years ago. Hugo Rodallega and Nicky Maynard are two names already linked with Toffees who are in this situation.

Were David Moyes to fancy pursuing them now, they would be available for a cut price, as their own club would risk losing them for nothing in the summer. In the loan market, there are perhaps chances Everton could pry away a bigger name stuck on the periphery of a top club, such as Dimitar Berbatov, Marouane Chamakh or Saloman Kalou.

Other cut price targets can be found if Everton look at clubs suffering similar financial perils. Rangers are certainly one and Nikica Jelavic is a player rumoured to be interesting some at Goodison Park. There are also a few free agents. Yannick Djalo and Kris Boyd are also names Moyes may consider.

Out of these options, Hugo Rodallega seems a natural fit for Everton. Approaching the peak of his career, he has experienced the rigours of the Premier League for a number of years now and has just about outgrown his surroundings at the DW Stadium.

Admittedly, his strike rate is hardly inspiring, one goal in every five games in the Premier League, but he is so often shunted out wide. Playing at Wigan (as mentioned, the only team to have scored less than Everton) he is hardly going to be overwhelmed with chances playing wide for a team that generally struggle.

Everton have certainly been creating chances lately, racking up 22 against Norwich, they have just been abysmal at converting them. Were Rodallega to move to Everton and be given the platform to perform centrally, he would bolster the feeble options currently at David Moyes' disposal and, with a bit of luck, may well excel.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading!

Who do you think Everton will be targeting in January?

Will the Toffees be forced to offload a Jack Rodwell or a Ross Barkley to be able to spend what they need, whilst appeasing their antsy bank managers?

How many of the targets in this piece would you be pleased if David Moyes pursued in January?

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