Everton transfer news as January sales needed for new Frank Lampard signings
Everton could part way with four first-team players in January to help fund new signings for Frank Lampard, according to the Daily Mail.
The Toffees signed eight first-team players during the summer transfer window but Lampard wants to continue strengthening the side, although financial restrictions mean he may need to sell in order to be able to buy.
That has led to speculation that some players could leave, with the Mail reporting (26 December) that Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Abdoulaye Doucoure could all follow Salomon Rondon out of the door.
“Salomon Rondon has left and Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Abdoulaye Doucoure could be sold,” they wrote.
“Frank Lampard wants a striker like Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, but Everton’s financial constraints mean loan deals are the order of the window unless they manage to make a big sale.”
Necessary
Everton’s squad is rather bloated right now after the summer business that happened, but a lot of the players aren’t considered to be good enough just yet.
Connor Coady and James Tarkowski are considered as the first-choice centre-back pairing and Lampard also has Ben Godfrey available to him for the position as well as the three mentioned that could be sold.
It seems unlikely that Lampard would be able to or even willing to sell all three of Keane, Mina and Holgate, but Keane has barely featured and Mina is out of contract in the summer so an offer could prove tempting.
As for Doucoure, he seems to be behind all of Idrissa Gueye, Alex Iwobi, Amadou Onana and James Garner in the midfield pecking order and with his contract status also up in the air it’s a similar situation.
Those exits would allow for more freedom in the market to be able to strengthen in key areas, namely in attack, and help Everton try to move away from a relegation battle this season.