Rafa Benitez comments on Everton transfer outlay under Farhad Moshiri
Rafa Benitez has suggested that he wants to improve every department at Everton so that the club can see a return on its massive investment.
The Toffees have spent around £460million in transfer fees under Farhad Moshiri but the results have not been up to the mark.
Benitez has suggested that while his primary focus will be to improve the squad and compete for major trophies, he wants improvement in other areas too.
The Toffees appointed Cristian Fernandez, who previously worked with Benitez at Newcastle United, to help improve the club’s poor injury record.
Everton have suffered a massive blow this week with Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be out of action for another five weeks after the latest injury setback.
Abdoulaye Doucoure is also injured, while Yerry Mina has picked up a hamstring injury and won’t feature against Watford.
“The main thing will be the players. I am not stupid. It depends on the players what we do on the pitch,” said Benitez, as quoted the Liverpool Echo.
“Then the rest of the people around will follow us. I want to be sure every player understands what it means to play for this club and go on the pitch in front of the fans and give everything. They are doing that. I am happy with that and I think the fans also appreciate the effort of the players.
“But it has to be the same in each department. When you see the money spent the club has to be in a much better position.”
Transfer approach
Benitez is absolutely spot on here. Everton have made some big money signings in recent windows, but the results have not been satisfactory.
This summer, we saw there’s a shift in approach, although it can be argued that Benitez was hand-tied as the club operated on a tight budget.
And yet the arrivals of Andre Gray and Andros Townsend have proved to be one of the bargain signings of the summer.
If Benitez is given proper backing, he can bring in the right profile of players at the club who can form the spine of the team for years to come. He has a proven track record, especially at clubs, where he was given the freedom to build a team to his own taste.
Everton’s transfer approach in January depends on a lot of factors, including injuries to key players, but signing a right-back and a striker is a top priority.
For now, the focus shifts back on matters on the pitch. Everton face Watford today in the Premier League clash at Goodison Park, where the Toffees should be aiming to pick up all three points.
In other Everton news, the club has been handed an injury boost with a ‘Fantastic’ player returning to training along with Richarlison