Everton Summer Transfer Window Primer
While the transfer window has been open in England for more than a month, July 1st marks the real start of the next football season — that’s when player contracts turn over, at least. For a club like Everton that must insist upon fiscal, the beginning of July is also when new signings could reasonably be expected to begin.
As such, we bring you the Summer Transfer Window Primer. True, it’s impossible to be sure about these things, but we’ll try to crystalize expectations as best we can using whatever snippets Roberto Martinez and Bill Kenwright have given us since January.
How much money do we have to spend?
Given the club’s frugal past, this tends to be the most pressing question. The prevailing thought is that Martinez’s transfer kitty will be in the range of £25-30 million, or roughly the fee received for Marouane Fellaini.
Last summer, Kenwright said Martinez would have “a little bit of money” to spend, funds that presumably were used to bring in Arouna Kone, Joel Robles, Antolin Alcaraz (free) and Gerard Deulofeu (loan).
On deadline day, Manchester United paid £27.5 million for Fellaini, while Everton turned around and brought in James McCarthy for £12.5 million. That total was matched — or near enough to it — by the sales of Victor Anichebe to West Brom and Nikica Jelavic to Hull.
The loan fees of Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Barry are likely negated by any additional or unexpected revenue brought in by the club.
It should be noted, and noted wisely, that just because the money is there to be spent does not mean Martinez will spend it. He proved in January that he will not bring in players just for the sake of bringing in players. The fit and the price must be right.
What about the new TV money? I’ve heard such wonderful things about the new TV money.
The new TV contract does bring in some £20 million in extra revenue, but it’s unlikely that money will be put to use in the transfer market. Martinez has said he wants to use that money to upgrade Finch Farm, mostly to build apartments and lodging.
Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if a portion of that revenue went to help fund a big signing like Lukaku.
Where does the squad stand today?
Keepers: Tim Howard, Joel
Others: Jindrich Stanek (U21)
Right Back: Seamus Coleman, Tony Hibbert
Others: Bryan Oviedo, John Stones, Tyias Browning
Center Back: Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, John Stones, Antolin Alcarez, Shane Duffy, Tyias Browning
Others: Tony Hibbert
Left Back: Leighton Baines, Bryan Oviedo, Luke Garbutt
Others: Sylvain Distin
Center Mid: James McCarthy, Darron Gibson, Ryan Ledson
Others: Leon Osman, Ross Barkley
Wingers: Kevin Mirallas, Aiden McGeady, Steven Pienaar
Others: Bryan Oviedo, Steven Naismith, Leon Osman
Attacking Mid: Ross Barkley, Leon Osman
Others: Steven Naismith, Steven Pienaar, Darron Gibson
Striker: Arouna Kone, Steven Naismith (secondary striker), Conor McAleny
Others: Kevin Mirallas
Who are the notable departures from last year?
Thus far, only loanees Romelu Lukaku (striker), Gerard Deulofeu (winger), Gareth Barry (center mid) and Lacina Traore (striker) have left. Striker Nikica Jelavic and center back John Heitinga departed in January.
What are the club’s biggest needs?
Striker and Center Mid:
Lukaku and Barry were both an integral part of last year’s first eleven, and neither had a suitable backup. The return of Kone and Gibson from injury will help alleviate depth issues, but striker and center mid are the two positions most in need of attention. In a perfect window, Martinez would find a primary striker and a midfielder to at least split time with Gibson (and McCarthy). Bringing in another center mid to give the 16-year old Ledson more time to grow wouldn’t hurt.
Right Back:
Seamus Coleman was voted Everton’s Player of the Year last term, but there’s not much behind him in the squad. Tony Hibbert has been a faithful servant to the club, but age has caught up to him. A viable backup would help, particularly with the extra games brought on by the Europa League.
Winger:
Kevin Mirallas is firmly entrenched in the starting eleven, but question marks surround both McGeady (can he rebound from a dismal stint in Russia?) and Pienaar (how much does he have left in the tank?). A direct replacement for Deulofeu is welcome, and an additional body probably wouldn’t hurt, either.
How many signings will there be?
Martinez indicated the club would need somewhere around seven new bodies to cope with the demands of European football. Where those players come from is another matter – academy graduates could take up one or more of those positions.
Initially, Martinez said the club would focus on quality over quantity if they made the Champions League, and the reverse if they were headed for the Europa League. Since then, however, his stance seems to have changed, with quality again being emphasized.
Who are the rumored targets?
Plenty of names have been mentioned, but the only two we know the club are chasing for sure are Lukaku and Barry. Reliable reporters also agree Martinez would like to bring Traore back, too.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Will anyone be leaving the club?
This is a significant moment in Everton’s history, and both Martinez and Kenwright seem to know it. The club’s debt has stabilized to the point where we don’t have to sell off assets anymore. That being the case, and despite the papers’ best efforts, it’s unlikely any key piece will be leaving this summer.
If anyone is to leave, it will be because they are not part of the club’s future. Shane Duffy is the leading candidate, and Steven Pineaar’s future has been subject to speculation, although he did move to squash those rumors.
We’re signing Messi, right?
No.
Will we be seeing the next Ross Barkley this season?
Martinez has shown a greater commitment to the academy than Moyes, and had a brilliant impact on Barkley and John Stones last season. Given this season’s expanded schedule, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a number of players introduced to the senior squad.
Ryan Ledson, 16, CM – Ledson is considered the best prospect in the academy right now. He made the bench a couple times towards the end of last season, and is likely to make his debut this season. Ledson turns 17 on August 16th.
Luke Garbutt, 21, LB – Garbutt at last made his Everton debut in a cameo against Southhampton in April. He should ease the burden at left back from Baines and Oviedo in Cup matches at a minimum.
Tyias Browning, 20, CB – Browning spent a month on loan at Wigan last January, and made the bench later in the year for Everton. Martinez tipped him as the next player to graduate from the youth ranks to the senior side.
Conor McAleny, 21, ST – No longer eligible for the academy, newly re-signed McAleny will be fighting for time in the senior side. Injuries have robbed him of most of the last two years, so this could be a crucial season for his development. A loan can’t be considered entirely out of the question.
Chris Long, 19, ST – Long is probably the most highly touted striker in the Everton youth ranks, at least among players over the age of 16. Still, he’s no lock to make it all the way through. Long spent time on loan at League One Milton Keynes last year, netting once in four appearances.
Hallam Hope, 20, ST – If Long isn’t the most promising striker in the U21 side, Hope surely is. Hope and Barkley once dominated matches together, but the former has since seen his development stall a bit. He did manage to score six times in 10 League Two appearances between Northampton and Bury last year.
Matthew Kennedy, 19, W – Kennedy might not be the most talented member of the U21 team, but his name always pops up in a positive light in match recaps. He made 15 appearances in League Two last year, scoring once.
George Green, 18, ?? – Green is the wildcard of the bunch. Along with Ledson, he’s one of the true star talents Everton are developing. Capable of playing any of the attacking positions, Green was described by Martinez as being good enough to win any match at the U18 level. The problem? Injuries have been the norm, and as Martinez also said, finding the right position. If Green stays healthy, it would not be a surprise to see him make his Everton debut late in the season.
Go on, give us your best guess at what happens:
As much as I’d like to wish otherwise, my belief is that Romelu Lukaku played himself out of our price range with his performance against the United States. So…
- Gareth Barry on a permanent deal
- Lacina Traore full season loan
- Oviedo-esque signing at right back / utility player (~£2 million)
- A surprise big money (in the £10 million range) signing at winger. It won’t be Cristian Tello, but someone of similar stature.
- Two or three youngsters who have made senior appearances in the lower leagues and abroad. Initial combined cost in the vicinity of £5 million.
The rest will be saved for January.
If you’re a gambler, bet the exact opposite.