With continuing uncertainty about the long-term financial impact of the pandemic, it seems highly likely that Everton will be mainly looking for loan deals in the summer transfer window.
As the fall out from the pandemic continues to be felt, Everton, like all major European clubs, are now revising their summer transfer plans as finances tighten.
This pandemic has created a really fluid and fast-changing environment for football. As yet, we still don’t know when the transfer window will open, while everyone continues to wait for the current season to conclude.
While the German Bundesliga has returned to action, there is no guarantee about the start date for the Spanish, Italian and French leagues as well as the Premier League. Although most European governments are indicating that early June re-starts are now on the cards.
Also given that the UK has one of the highest death rates in the world from coronavirus, then the Premier League is probably going to be one of the last leagues to get going again and finish.
With the number of matches still to play and the FA Cup also yet to be completed, it seems highly likely that the domestic season in England won’t be done until at least late August.
So with all that going on, it’s going to be a very different and probably much constricted transfer window this summer. As the Liverpool Echo article outlines, the Blues hierarchy is taking stock and adjusting their transfer plans to better reflect the new reality.
The Toffees have a number of players who they are desperate to get off the books this summer to reduce the wage bill and facilitate additional further spending. That will be even more difficult now after this crisis.
Everton have players like Sandro, Cenk Tosun, Morgan Schniederlin and possibly also Gylfi Sigurdsson, all of whom manager Carlo Ancelotti will likely want to move out this summer.
Then there are players such as Omaar Niasse whose contract is up in June. There’s still uncertainty about how these contracts will be sorted out given the current suspension.
Getting rid of these players seems an increasingly tall order, or at least that permanent deals for them are very unlikely.
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So it’s probable that if any of these players do leave it will be for much reduced fees or on loan meaning they would return to Goodison Park next year, meaning the whole process begins again.
Turning to who Everton could bring in, the Blues have good links with a number of major European clubs, like Barcelona, so it’s possible they can secure several top quality signings in this way.
Interestingly, Barcelona are quoted as being willing to sell or loan a large number of players to help them balance the books as they deal with the economic impact of the virus.
This could well open the door for further loan deals of the type we’ve seen, such as last summer’s deal for Andre Gomes.