Next transfer window priorities emerge for Everton

We’ve seen a number of rumours about new players potentially joining Everton in the upcoming January transfer window. Now the Echo are outlining manager Rafa Benitez’s priorities.

Ask any Everton supporter and he or she would probably have a long list of areas of the current team that need major surgery.

For me those would be a new right-back, maybe a left-back too now, further reinforcement in midfield, another wide attacking player and possibly also a reserve centre-forward given how awful Salomon Rondon has been.

Now obviously Benitez isn’t going to be able to solve all these problems in one month-long window so he’s going to have to identify the most important.

According to the Echo Benitez and presumably too Marcel Brands, have been focusing on where they want to spend their limited resources in the new year.

The two positions identified are another powerful and dynamic central midfielder and that additional wide attacking player.

I don’t think many Toffees’ fans would generally disagree with these and given how little money the club will likely have to spend, Benitez needs to add players who can make the maximum impact in the second half of the campaign.

So who might the manager and others be looking at?

We’ve covered a number of possible options who have been flagged by the media as the rumour mill keeps churning out stories centering on new players.

It’s obvious that this Everton team needs a replacement for the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure who’s qualities have been missed more even than the striking contributions of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

So, finding another midfielder who can provide the box-to-box qualities that Doucoure provides would seem a very important move, especially because it’s doubtful any of the other candidates in the current squad like Tom Davies and Jean-Philippe Gbamin can replace Doucoure.

There are a multiple number of potential candidates and Everton could go back to a player like Ainsley Maitland-Niles who the club tried to sign on deadline day. He can also play right or left-back so might make a good option.

As for a wide attacking talent, the Blues’ may try and get another player they were stongly linked with in the last window; Luis Diaz. But, he will probably cost far too much for the Toffees’.

I would think it’s likely that both these additions were loan signings with the option to buy as the only way for the club to finance such deals.