Everton endured a dreadful end to the transfer window with numerous attempts to strengthen Sean Dyche’s relegation-threatened squad resulting in failure and angry fans gathering outside the club’s training ground in protest at the board’s ongoing mismanagement.
The new manager wanted two attacking additions to help in the fight for Premier League survival but none were forthcoming as Everton ended the window as the only top-flight club not to make a signing in January. Everton are in talks with the former Swansea and West Ham forward Andre Ayew. The 33-year-old Ghana international is a free agent after his contract with the Qatar club Al Sadd was recently terminated by mutual consent and can therefore sign after Tuesday’s deadline.
Despite promises from the owner, Farhad Moshiri, that Everton would secure a much-needed striker in January, the club ended the window with a weaker squad than when it opened. Anthony Gordon was sold to Newcastle for an initial upfront payment of £40m but the money was not reinvested in a team that have struggled for goals all season and are immersed in another relegation battle.
Everton had a bid worth £20m plus add-ons rejected for the Udinese striker Beto Betuncal. The 25-year-old’s release clause is in excess of £30m but Everton refused to increase their offer and, with no time to find a replacement, the Italian club refused to lower their valuation.
A loan move for Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr was rejected, despite Everton proposing an obligation to buy the Senegal international in the event of staying up, while the Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, a longtime target of director of football Kevin Thelwell, chose to join Southampton for a club record fee rather than move to Goodison Park.
Nathan Jones’s side also completed an £18m deal for the Genk forward Paul Onuachu, who had been offered to Everton. Michy Batshuayi rejected the turmoil at Goodison to stay with Fenerbahce while Thorgan Hazard preferred a loan move to PSV Eindhoven. Conor Gallagher did not want to leave Chelsea for a relegation struggle while a late move for the Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta also failed.
Everton had accepted their striking options needed to improve before Frank Lampard was sacked and missed out on several targets before deadline day. Kevin Schade, Georginio Rutter and Danny Ings joined Brentford, Leeds and West Ham respectively while Arnaut Danjuma, having agreed a loan move from Villarreal, refused to submit his registration form to the Football Association when Lampard was dismissed and joined Tottenham 24 hours later.
The shambolic end to a fruitless transfer window prompted some fans to visit the club’s Finch Farm training complex late on Tuesday to express their anger at the board.
