Everton DOF confirms uncertain picture as pivitol transfer window looms

No one will be surprised to hear Thelwell express his uncertainty around what sort of business the Blues might be able to undertake in the January window.

Given the state of almost permanent crisis which afflicts Everton football club, in one sense this situation is not really new is it?

However, even by the Toffees standards the last few months and weeks have been exceptionally chaotic and challenging.

After another relegation near-miss was only averted on the final day of last season, came the sudden and unexpected announcement that US investment group 777 Partners had agreed to buy the Blues outright from Farhad Moshiri.

Straight away there were stories in the media about the pasts of the individuals involved casting a shadow over their suitability and whether the group also lacked the finance to complete the deal.

Then just a few weeks ago of course came the long-awaited decision of the Premier League's commission looking into Everton's finances and whether they were in breach of Profit and Sustainability rules.

That unprecedented ten point deduction immediately undermined all the progress that had painstakingly been achieved by Sean Dyche's side since the start of the current campaign.

All of this chaos has cast a huge shadow over the club's long-term future with all bets now off as to whether the Toffees will be in the Championship and under new owners or not by the end of the season.

In terms of the immediate future though the impact of all these adverse circumstances will potentially be most keenly felt when the New Year transfer window opens in less than four weeks time.

While overall Everton certainly have a better squad of players than they did twelve months ago after new signings like Beto and the emergence of youngsters Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner, there are obviously still weaknesses and areas that need improving.

For me the squad is short of numbers and strength in depth, particularly at centre-back and in wide attacking areas and there is still a need for more pace overall.

In addition, although Beto has proved a decent replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in terms of leading the line, he hasn't scored in the Premier League, and there is no one after him who could come into the team and replace either man.

So ideally the Blues will be active in the January window, especially given how difficult and demanding the remainder of the campaign will certainly be.

Current conditions though make it hard to see how Everton can make any plans for the transfer window and certainly spending any money looks unlikely if not impossible.

This could prove telling come the end of the season. We have to hope that if the club are unable to add any more players it won't prove critical to the campaigns' outcome.