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Transfer Window Thread

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Hong Kong Phooey said:
Royal Blue: Everton need a marquee signing ... to hold off Palace, Newcastle, Stoke and co.
Premier League challengers are closing on the Blues

  • Premier League challengers are closing on the Blues



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Roberto Martinez

ARGUABLY no side has a tougher start to the new season than Everton.

In their first 10 games, the Blues face last term’s top eight sides, while the visit of newly promoted Watford and a trip to West Brom are also in that run.

Roberto Martinez has described the first two months as “very challenging” and has stressed the importance of a flawless summer schedule to ensure they hit the ground running in August.

But the first 10 games, taking Everton into late October, is only the start.

Many bemoaned the quality of the Premier League last season.

It was boring, dull and there was too little competition for the title as Chelsea wrapped up the championship with nearly three weeks to spare.

Critics of the top flight also point to English side’s failures in European competition as further proof that the Premier League is nowhere near being the greatest league in the world.

But the most lucrative?

You bet.

And with the flow of cash from record-breaking television deals set to make the Premier League even richer, mid-ranking clubs are using the cash to make some noise.

Sides that Everton would usually feel confident of being able to keep at arms length, are now a serious threat.

The warning signs were there last season when Everton’s poor campaign saw Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Swansea City all finish above them.

Now those three sides, together with a host of others including West Ham - are seizing their moment.

Palace, yesterday, signed Yohan Cabaye, Stoke are trying to lure Champions League winner Xherdan Shaqiri to the Britannia while Swansea have made Andre Ayew their highest paid player.

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Yohan Cabaye joined PSG in January 2014


West Ham’s spending has already passed the £20m mark and looks set to continue while Newcastle are said to be ready to give Steve McLaren £60m to invest.

They mean business. And, make no mistake, they believe they can leave Everton behind.

The Blues’ transfer activity, so far, has been swift and shrewd.

The free transfer capture of Tom Cleverley looks like a really smart capture while the signing of Gerard Deulofeu on a permanent deal worth just over £4m, and so early in the summer, has the potential to prove an absolute steal.

But now feels like the time for Everton to loosen the purse strings and make a statement of their own.

They made a pretty big one last season when smashing their transfer record to sign Romelu Lukaku and a season older, wiser and better, the towering Belgian should prove further why he was worth the splurge.

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Everton's Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game during the Europa League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool.


But do Everton need to offer another show of intent? Do Stoke, Swansea, Palace and the others need reminding that the Blues also mean business?

Martinez will always try and squeeze every last ounce out of the transfer market and will explore loan deals again this summer but what about being allowed to pay the going rate for players of genuine quality?

Martinez wants an experienced defender and has prioritised a playmaker so while Palace bring in Cabaye, Swansea sign Ayew and Stoke pursue Shaqiri, Everton must make marquee additions of their own.
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That from the echo?
 
steele said:
If Martinez could only get one additional player, should it be a centerback, midfielder (playmaker) or a striker? What is most crucial?
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Playmaker for me. Its the most important position to get right, we can always get some 3rd choice centre back on loan from somewere if we have to put all our eggs in one basket
 

All the top teams bar the rs and their anual 22 player recruitment drive have made few if any signings.
Spurs got alderweirald, trippier n some german dude.
Arsenal got czech
Chelsea got begovic
City no one i dont think
While utd wrapped up depay n that italian fella early.
We have signed 3 players ourselves but if we want the right players they can sometimes take time. Martinez said in that podcast that we should be able to get a couple in early were as we kay have to be patiant with other signings so im prepared to wait and see what happens while the likes of west ham etc just go for any player that flutters there eyes at them.
Goodison was not a nice place to be last season, the team needs us to be on there side.
 
ijjysmith said:
With the centre back thing. It's going to be pretty tough getting one that knows they're not going to actually play isn't it?
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Thats why i think a loan stylee centre back could do us well. Although it would have to be one with abit of experience.
Wonder if bournemouth have any experienced centre backs to loan us
 

ijjysmith said:
With the centre back thing. It's going to be pretty tough getting one that knows they're not going to actually play isn't it?
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Possibly.
But id like a player to come here and relish the challenge of trying to get into the starting eleven. Getting a CB whos happy to sit on the bench wont push Stones & Jagielka.
 
We would be better off splashing out on a young cb if we can't get Dann, someone who will come in and learn and also good enough to cover if jags or stones get injured. Experience players like dann might worry about coming to us and sitting on the bench as jags is solid and stones is a class act.
 

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