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Players Everton should look at this January

By Matt Townsend

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Matty James of Leicester is challenged by Thorgan Hazard of Borussia Moenchengladbach during the preseason friendly match between Leicester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach at The King Power Stadium on August 4, 2017 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Matty James of Leicester is challenged by Thorgan Hazard of Borussia Moenchengladbach during the preseason friendly match between Leicester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach at The King Power Stadium on August 4, 2017 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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The January transfer window is now open in England. So are there any players that it might be worth Everton looking at?

I’ve previously said that I think Everton should prioritise right back and their attack for any possible signings in this window, although the team needs more options and creativity in midfield too.

But given the lamentable results over the past few weeks and the lack of goals, every effort in this transfer window should be focussed on improving the side’s strikeforce.

So who could Everton sign in January?

It’s become an axiom that signing players in January is particularly difficult, however there have been successful deals done in this new year window.

Just last January Arsenal secured the signature of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on deadline day and he’s turned out to be a great buy for the North London club.

Everton too had added Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun earlier that month. And although neither has since lived up to expectations, at the time there hopes they would be decent signings, especially Walcott.

I feel the Blues will need to look at forwards who are perhaps not on the radar of every club. In truth the Toffees are not going to be able to compete with one of the top six Premier League clubs for a proven world-class forward.

Like any transfer window additions there is always an element of risk, especially with strikers bought from abroad. Of course Tosun was exactly that sort of buy, a player from Turkey who was an established international but hadn’t played in one of Europe’s top leagues.

That move hasn’t worked out and I feel that it would be best for him and Everton for the player to move on if possible this January. Joining him out of the door should be Oumar Niasse and if he’s not getting first-team football Ademola Lookman too.

In Lookman’s case it only seems fair to the youngster if he’s not going to get a chance to play regularly for the Blues.

As for additions, there aren’t too many forwards who have experience of performing in a major European league, who could be affordable and who wouldn’t necessarily be a target for a top continental club.

But there are a few players in Europe who might just fit the bill.

One of those is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Thorgen Hazard. Everton have been linked with him recently and he certainly has plenty of ability.

Hazard is a very versatile player who can play anywhere across the attack or in a deeper role too. He has scored 14 goals so far this season, nine in the Bundesliga and assisted a further 6 more.

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These are impressive stats for a player who doesn’t play as an out-and-out striker. And there’s the rub, he’s not a centre-forward. But he could play as part of a more fluid, interchangeable attack, something I’ve said Everton should perhaps consider as the way to go up front.

If the Toffees hierarchy is convinced they need a true centre-forward, another player plying his trade in Germany is the French striker Sebastien Haller. The Eintracht Frankfurt forward has had a stellar season so far, netting nine times in the league and also adding 8 assists.

In addition, although he’s not a target-man, Haller is very strong in the air something that will prove a real asset in the Premier League.

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