Kevin Thelwell told where Everton must strengthen in transfer window after Sheffield United win
Everton chief Kevin Thelwell has been told by Michael Ball that the Toffees have to sign more “dynamic” attacking midfield players in the transfer window.
Sean Dyche’s side have confirmed their place in next season’s Premier League, but the Toffees’ financial issues mean that they will almost certainly need to sell some star players this summer to comply with profit and sustainability rules.
While it remains to be seen how much money the Blues will have to spend, especially as 777 Partners takeover continues to falter, Liverpool Echo pundit Ball has urged Thelwell and Dyche to find an upgrade on Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo on Monday (13 May) he said: “I hope that Thelwell and company can see what the fans see. We don’t have players who are dynamic enough, who are strong and physical but can run with the ball, take opponents on and play those forward passes.
“At one stage in the not-too-distant past, Everton had three number 10s in their squad but now we don’t have any.
“Abdoulaye Doucoure is not a number 10, he’s energetic, he gets about and causes a lot of mayhem but the quality and composure in certain moments is what lets him down and that’s what we need more of going forward.”
Will Everton and Sean Dyche have money to spend in the summer transfer window?
The amount of uncertainty off of the field at Goodison Park means that the Toffees won’t just be able to throw money around in the summer transfer window, as has been the case for a couple of years now.
But that doesn’t mean that transfers are entirely off of the table. Last summer, the Blues managed to bring both Youseff Chermiti and Beto to Merseyside and they’ll be looking to do similar again this term.
Doucoure doesn’t appear to be going anywhere yet which will be a boost to supporters, but as Ball suggests, he isn’t a natural number 10.
If Everton want to take that next step, they need a more natural player to slot into that role.
Those sorts of players like James Rodriguez or Gylfi Sigurdsson don’t tend to come cheap, but if there is a deal to be struck when the summer window opens, Dyche and Thelwell will do all they can to get it over the line.
Hopefully, some clarity will also emerge over the ownership situation sooner rather than later as well so plans can be put in place ahead of the start of the window.
In other Everton news, Andy Burnham has sent Dyche a new message amid a “most challenging” Goodison Park verdict
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