David Moyes to be forced into immediate transfer action after concerning Everton U21 scenes
David Moyes looks set to be forced into drastic action in the January transfer window following Everton U21s’ latest Vertu Trophy game.
The Toffees were hammered 5-1 away at Bradford City on Tuesday night, and found themselves 4-0 down at the half-time interval following a shocking display in the opening period.
Adam Aznou made his second appearance in Everton colours, but it was a difficult night for the youngster, and the result has left the Merseysiders sitting at rock bottom of their group with just one game to play.
The Moroccan struggled badly in the clash at Valley Parade, but it was another senior star who will have deeply concerned Moyes with his display.
Everton have to sign a right-back after Nathan Patterson scenes
Nathan Patterson has been out in the cold at Everton so far this season, having failed to make an appearance for the first team in the opening stages of the campaign.
The 23-year-old arrived from Rangers as an extremely highly-rated talent when he first joined back in 2022, but he has failed to live up to his potential so far on Merseyside. one
The right-back was one of three senior players who were part of the group that lined up against their League One opponents on Tuesday, but he endured a hugely difficult night.
| Stats | Patterson Total | Game Rank |
| Defensive Actions | 8 | =5th |
| Tackles Won | 1 | =13th |
| Accurate Passes | 49/60 (82%) | 2nd |
| Duels Won | 7/9 (77%) | =6th |
| Possession Lost | 18 | 3rd |
Patterson delivered an error-strewn performance, which included him helping a Stephen Humphrys effort into his own net, and was handed a 3/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, the lowest of any Everton player who featured.
The recent injury to Michael Keane has left the Toffees short of options at the back, with the likely solution seemingly to push Jake O’Brien into the centre of defence and bring Patterson in on the right.
However, Moyes will surely have been seriously put off from that idea by the youngster’s concerning showing with the youth team, and it’s now hard to see a future for him in the first-team squad.
With that in mind, and given the lack of depth in the backline at the moment, Everton simply have to get a new right-back through the door as quickly as possible once the January window opens.
Juanlu Sanchez would be a good option for the Toffees
Everton still have their eye on Juanlu Sanchez, having previously tried to sign the Sevilla right-back during the summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old has bags of experience in both La Liga and the Champions League, and would surely be the ideal candidate to step into the starting XI on the right of the backline.
Sanchez has a big future ahead of him and would crucially provide Everton with the depth that is so desperately needed at the moment.
With Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite both suffering from injury issues, Moyes effectively has just three viable defenders at his disposal for this weekend, with Patterson, Aznou and Seamus Coleman all last resorts in reality.
That simply isn’t sustainable if you want to compete in the Premier League, and with that in mind, it is not an option for them to neglect that need in January.
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