Looking Ahead: Who Should Everton Sign in the January Transfer Window?

It’s funny how quickly things can change. At the start of the season, Evertonians may even have been feeling optimistic enough to believe that the Toffees would not need to be conducting any business during the January transfer window. However, the past few weeks have given us all pause to reconsider. There was that bruising 0-2 first loss against Aston Villa back in August, followed not long after by an even more concerning 1-3 loss against Bournemouth a couple of weeks later. It’s clear that the current squad is not cutting it.

Why Buy?

The more recent losses against Brighton and Man City, have solidified the need for Everton to consider shipping in some new talent.

Although the transfer window is only mere weeks away from opening, we know precious little about what Marco Silva plans to do. Historically, Silva has been vocally opposed to bringing players in during the winter, which is why all purchases tend to be made in the summer transfer window.

This past summer was certainly an expensive one for Silva, so a reluctance to ship in some talent in January seems understandable. There was the £22 million paid for the Portuguese central midfielder Andre Gomes, the estimated £10 million for former Man City midfielder Fabian Delph, and the eye-watering £25 million paid for former Mainz 05 player Jean-Philippe Gbamin, to name a few.

However, this shopping spree clearly wasn’t enough to turn the Blues around. A quick glance at the latest Premier League odds for Everton on Betway reveals that the pundits do not have high hopes this season, with it looking likely that they will just squeeze into the top 10. Therefore, the decisions that are made (or not made) during the January window could be Silva’s last chance to turn it around and inject some much-needed fight into the club. Let’s take a look at some possible options that have the potential to make a big difference.

Potential Transfers

There is a strong consensus that Everton are in dire need of a striker, at least according to repeated articles in the Liverpool Echo. The actual goals scored so far this season in comparison to the huge level of possession has been notably abysmal, a sign which clearly indicates where the talent gaps are.

One of the top contenders is the Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, with reports indicating that Silva is poised to make a move for him as soon as the window opens. It would certainly be a sensible move, given that Dembele is in the top of the runnings for the Golden Boot award, having scored in almost every single Ligue game so far this season. However, Dembele is white-hot right now, with the value of the 23-year-old now at £30 million.

Another top contender is Israeli ‘goal machine’ Moanes Dabour currently signed with Sevilla, who has currently got a value of around £15 million, which would make him an excellent value purchase for the Toffees. He’s a star striker who is arguably at the peak of his career, and it is known that Liverpool already made a swoop for him last January, albeit with no success. If Everton can bag Dabour this time around, the results could be game-changing.

A more controversial option would be bagging Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata, who has repeatedly been linked to Everton in the past. Morata is currently unpopular among Chelsea supporters for past performances, which helps explain why he is currently on loan to Atletico Madrid. What would make this move even more controversial is the exorbitant cost of procuring him. Given his career at Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Juventus, Morata is valued at £50 million. A purchase of this size in January might be enough to propel Everton forward, but it would certainly take a lot for Silva and Marcel Brands to convince supporters that he would be worthwhile, given how much money was blown in the summer.

Whatever your thoughts on Everton spending even more money, it’s hard to deny that new strikers are needed. Who they decide to sign in January, if anyone, remains a mystery. However, these are the guys with the strongest chances right now.