Abdulhafiz TeslimDavid Moyes has admitted Everton F.C. still have major work to do in the transfer market this summer while revealing just how much the team missed influential defender Jarrad Branthwaite during the closing stages of the season.
Speaking after Everton’s final Premier League clash of the campaign, Moyes opened up on the club’s plans for the summer transfer window and hinted that reinforcements are urgently needed if the Toffees want to compete at a higher level next season.
The Everton boss acknowledged that injuries and a lack of squad depth hurt his side badly throughout the campaign, particularly during key moments where important points slipped away.
Moyes singled out Branthwaite as one of the biggest absentees in recent weeks, describing the young centre-back as a “huge miss” after the defender only recently returned from injury.
Speaking about Everton’s struggles late in the season, Moyes said:
> “We need to go again. We’ve made some small steps in good directions for long parts of the season. We’ve done pretty well, but you can see we’ve been squeezed a little bit.
> “Jarrad Branthwaite obviously was a huge miss when we’d just got him back.”
The Scot stressed that the summer transfer window will be extremely important as Everton prepare for a new era ahead of their move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Moyes revealed the club are already working behind the scenes on possible signings but admitted Everton will need to improve smartly rather than spending huge amounts of money.
> “I don’t think we’re ever going to be able to go and spend £200m and do that, but if we can make some extra steps and move on…”
Everton entered the March international break in touching distance of the European places after impressive results against clubs such as Manchester United F.C. and Aston Villa F.C. raised hopes of a strong finish to the season.
However, a disappointing run of seven games without a win saw the Blues fall away and eventually finish 13th in the Premier League table — the same position they ended in last season.
Despite the frustrating end to the campaign, Moyes insisted there were still positives to take from the season and praised his players for their effort and commitment throughout a difficult year.
The Everton manager also pointed out how competitive the Premier League has become, admitting he never believed clubs like Tottenham Hotspur F.C., West Ham United F.C. or Nottingham Forest F.C. would become involved in the relegation battle because of the quality within their squads.
With several players facing uncertain futures and potential departures expected this summer, Everton could now become one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer window.
Moyes knows expectations will rise significantly once the club moves into its new stadium, and his latest comments suggest he is fully aware that strong recruitment will be needed if Everton are to push further up the table next season.
admin
Abdulhafiz Teslim
