Our Everton writers have their say on what they think should be the club's transfer priority after deals for Hayden Hackney and Tyrique George are confirmed
It's going to be a busy summer for Everton manager David Moyes and CEO Angus Kinnear
It's going to be a busy summer for Everton manager David Moyes and CEO Angus Kinnear
View Image
Everton's summer transfer window has truly kicked into life this week.
At the time of writing, the Blues are close to signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney and are also in talks with Chelsea to bring back on-loan winger Tyrique George on a permanent deal.
But Everton's business will not and cannot end there. So with that in mind, we asked Joe Thomas and Paul Wheelock what they think should be the club's next transfer priority. And here's what they have had to say...
Joe Thomas
For all the progress Everton are close to making, the priority for the summer remains the same as when it started.
Right back. Right back. Right back.
Don’t get me wrong - should Hayden Hackney and Tyrique George get over the line, and Hackney certainly looks likely - that would be a positive opening foray into the market. And there are other areas the squad needs work in too. The club has a lot of talent in the middle but needs a powerhouse to provide cover for the talented collection of number eights in the squad. A defensive midfielder would be a really good addition to David Moyes’ options.
But this club cannot go into another transfer window without signing a right-back. It is the biggest area in need of improvement and probably the easiest way to genuinely improve the team - going forward and at the back.
I genuinely think there will be progress on this front this summer, I don’t think anyone at Finch Farm is unaware of the need to address this issue. But until it is, there will be a nagging fear that Everton will line up with Jake O’Brien on the right against Crystal Palace.
I like O’Brien a lot and think he has the potential to be an outstanding centre back - we have already seen glimpses of that. Everton needs a specialist right back to ensure he - and the likes of James Garner - can focus solely on their best spots.
Paul Wheelock
If you look at the business done so far in the Premier League, outside of a very busy Tottenham Hotspur, it doesn’t amount to much. That’s not particularly surprising given we’re slap bang in the middle of a World Cup.
And given we have nearly eight weeks until the new season kicks off, there’s plenty of time to get deals done.
But after the way last season ended, Everton had to get busy and get busy early to lift the mood of the fanbase. And they look set to do just that with the arrival of Hayden Hackney and potentially Tyrique George, too.
As it stands, the Blues will be heading to Dundee for their first pre-season friendly on July 18 with just Dwight McNeil and Tyler Dibling as their wide options after George's and Jack Grealish’s return to Chelsea and Manchester City, respectively, and given Iliman Ndiaye will be having time off after the World Cup.
If Everton can do a new deal with City for Grealish, and if he can prove his fitness after a season-ending injury, it is one they should do. But getting George back permanently is smart, too.
All the reports about Hackney are very positive, but it will be interesting to see what David Moyes’ midfield make-up will look like. There are some supporters who believe the Blues boss still needs a No.6, and perhaps the links to Pape Gueye and Mandela Keita suggest he does too.
But whether a six comes or not, it would appear likely that some of the midfielders already at Moyes' disposal will need to be moved on.
And there are probably more supporters who insist a centre-forward should be at the top of the manager's transfer shopping list. But it feels like one of Beto or Thierno Barry will have to leave for that to happen.
Instead, the next priority has to be a new right-back. We’ve all seen the names by now: Guela Doue, Djed Spence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raoul Bellanova, Ben White, Brooke Norton-Cuffy. There’ll have been others, too.
And while I’m not attempting to be flippant when I write 'any right-back will do', recruiting a specialist in that position would go a long way to easing fan concerns, especially if one can be brought in before the start of pre-season.