Rafa Benitez: Everton will make January transfer signings very early
Rafa Benitez has revealed to Liverpool Echo that Everton plan to go about their transfer business very early when the winter window opens next month.
The Toffees have seen injuries decimate their squad so far this season, and they will need to make necessary additions in January in order to get their Premier League campaign back on track during the second half of 2021-22.
The Spaniard was only able to spend £1.7million in the summer as Financial Fair Play rules prevented the Goodison Park outfit from splashing the cash, but he is confident that will not hinder them from getting players in when the market reopens in the coming weeks.
Benitez said: “I am 200% convinced that we will do it early. Yes, 200.”
“It is not a question of ideally what you want, you have to be realistic.
“When I came here and when we were talking about the idea of signings, in a few weeks we realised that we couldn’t sign these players and then we had to manage with the Premier League rules, the financial rules and then we did it and we did it well.
“Now it is exactly the same. I’m quite optimistic that the club will try their best to improve the squad and to be sure that we are going in the right direction. In terms of the kind of players we want to bring, the main thing is that we need to bring players that want to be here.
“I think it is something for me that is obvious, that when you have some difficulties, some issues, some problems and you lose some games, you have to be sure you can count on your players.
“That is something that is very clear for the transfer window, we have to look for these kind of players.”
Good news?
Everton have been without both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina for the large chunk of the 2021-22 campaign, and it is important for them to strengthen the striking and centre-back departments.
A win and seven defeats in their last 10 games have seen them move closer to the drop zone, but a top-seven finish is still very much possible if they can manage to turn their fortunes around going forward.
There are only seven points between them and seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 18th-placed Burnley, and they can decide which half of the table they want to finish in with the types of signings they make.
Everton fans are not keen on Benitez, but the inability to spend in the summer and frequent injuries have not helped him in any way.
It remains to be seen whether they will be allowed to spend much, but the manager will be looking to make most of his first transfer window in charge of the club without a director of football.
He will largely be making all the decisions in the market, and the quality of players he brings in would either make or mar his Goodison Park future.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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