With Carlo Ancelotti confirmed as the new man in charge, the January transfer window just became a lot more important for Everton.
Most had predicted they would be busy during the month anyway, with a mounting injury list and gaps in the squad meaning reinforcements are desperately needed.
Ancelotti’s arrival ramps that up once again though. The Italian manager would not have agreed to move to Merseyside if he were not promised funds to improve Everton’s squad.
Indeed, reports have suggested that one of the fundamental principles in his negotiations with Farhad Moshiri (and Alisher Usmanov, apparently) was that he would be allowed to make additions to Everton’s squad and that investment would not be hard to come by.
They are assurances he has been given, and as such, the transfer window looks like being a busy one for Director of Football Marcel Brands.
A glance at the current crop of players shows that there are three areas in desperate need of improvement; central defence, central midfield, and centre forward.
The central defender issue has haunted Everton this season, with the failure to get Kurt Zouma on a permanent deal or find an alternative to the Frenchman, having left the Blues desperately short in that area.
While Yerry Mina has been impressive and Mason Holgate has taken huge steps forward in recent weeks, there is a distinct lack of depth and solidity about the position, especially as Michael Keane continues to regress badly after last season’s strong showings.
Three senior central defenders is not enough for a Premier League team, and it is evident that while Mina is a shoo-in, who plays alongside him is not. An addition needs to be made, but he must be a long-term solution as well.
In that case, Benfica centre-back Ferro (full name Francisco Reis Ferreira) could be an ideal option. Everton have been scouting Benfica games extensively in recent months, and back in November, we revealed he’s a player they will have seen a lot of the 22-year-old in that time.
While Ruben Días is the main draw, Ferro is another impressive defender who has attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool for his performances.
At 22-years-old, he fits perfectly into the type of player Brands likes to sign, and his ability to play in either centre back spot would suit Everton perfectly.
After finding a defender, Ancelotti will also be keen to find himself a new midfielder, with that also a problem area for Everton this year.
Losing Idrissa Gana Gueye to Paris Saint Germain in the summer was a huge blow, made even worse by his replacement, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, missing the first half of the season through injury.
A long-term injury to André Gomes and Fabian Delph’s inability to stay fit have also caused significant shortages in the position and additions are needed moving forward.
Gbamin’s return in January is likely to stave off the need for a defensive midfielder so an all-rounder, someone who can help Everton move the ball better in possession and contribute going forward should be what they’re looking at.
If that is the case, Piotr Zielinski is the obvious answer. The Poland midfielder joined Napoli before Ancelotti’s arrival but was a regular under his leadership and would be a marked improvement in the Blues midfield.
Rumours in Italy have already stated that Ancelotti is looking at bringing him to England with him, although it will take some work to convince the player and Napoli to sanction the move.
Last but not least, there’s no denying that improvement will be needed upfront as well. Everton lack a real goalscorer, with neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Moise Kean filling the void so far.
However, Ancelotti is a big admirer of Kean, and it seems likely the young Italian will find himself the focal point of his team moving forward.
If that’s the case, an expensive addition upfront would be unnecessary, and the Blues would be better served finding a reliable backup option instead.
That could inevitably lead them back to Napoli and Fernando Llorente. The Spaniard joined the club under Ancelotti last summer and would be an ideal alternative to both Calvert-Lewin and Kean.
Not only does he offer something different to both players, but he’s also got vast experience and has played in England before.
Like Zielinski, convincing him to swap Naples for Liverpool wouldn’t be easy, mainly as there’s Champions League football on offer in Italy, but perhaps the Ancelotti effect can help them overcome that barrier.
That’s a problem Everton will have to overcome regardless, especially given their current situation, but with these three signings, things would look much better come the end of the winter window.
