The free agent market doesn't make for pretty viewing, especially for a club like Everton who are so desperate for reinforcements.
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Everton manager David Moyes admitted during his press conference ahead of the game against Manchester United that the Toffees are exploring the free agent market.
Everton go into the first half of the season with just one striker, one right-back, and one left-back remaining at the club. Allowing Adam Aznou, Nathan Patterson, and Beto to depart has left them short, and the only way of improving the squad now is through free agents.
Whether the Toffees make a move remains to be seen, but Moyes has admitted that although Everton have taken a look at potential free agents, they would have to be players capable of taking the club forwards.
Moyes admits Everton assessing free agents
Speaking to the media ahead of Everton’s game against United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Moyes has admitted that they are looking at the free agents market.
Despite that, Moyes says that the players would have to help take Everton to the next level, hinting that some of those on the free agent list wouldn’t be able to do that.
“We’re looking at the free agents’ market but I want a team that can be at the top end and can challenge. The disappointment would be that I want to keep pushing on and for the players to believe we’re going in the right direction.”
Everton currently have just 18 senior outfield players, so it’s no surprise that they are taking a look to see what is out there.
Who could Everton look to target?
As Moyes has hinted, there are a number of free agents who are currently without a club for a reason. The Everton boss doesn’t want to bring in players for the sake of it, and only if they can help improve us.
So are there any players out there who could actually be beneficial to Everton, in positions we need? If we’re honest, it’s just the full-back positions and up front that desperately need extra bodies.
There are perhaps a few unrealistic options which could help us. Dani Carvajal would certainly still do a job in the Premier League at right-back, while David Alaba, who can play left-back or centre-back is also available. With both players having last played for Real Madrid, a move to Everton does feel unlikely.
Karim Benzema is similar. There could be complications surrounding his next move due to recently playing in Saudi Arabia, and at the age of 38, he could be considering retirement rather than looking to find another club.
Perhaps more realistically, Oleksandr Zinchenko is available. He last played for Ajax, but suffered a bad knee injury earlier this year. There would be obvious concerns over his fitness, but as a player who could play in midfield and at left-back, is it worth the ask if he’s closing in on a return?
Another realistic option is Krepin Diatta. The Senegalese international is only 27 and has played 65 times for his country, while he played 18 Ligue 1 games last season. Diatta is incredibly versatile, capable of playing on the right-hand side of midfield, a bit further forward as a winger, and has even played centre-forward too.
The 27-year-old can also play in all positions on the left and at right-back, so his versatility could make him a useful squad option.
You then have multiple striker options such as Anthony Martial, Jamie Vardy, and Mauro Icardi, but are any of them at the level anymore? That’s the obvious concern.
One player I think would instantly improve us is Raphael Guerreiro. He played 18 times for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, producing eight goals and assists during that time. Maybe he’s a little out of reach, but again, ask the question?
Why might Everton prefer not to take the risk?
Many people might be thinking that there is little risk in these deals, so Everton should just pull the trigger on multiple options. Is Vardy a better backup option than, well, nobody? Probably, but there’s more to it than that.
The same with Zinchenko. On his day, he’s better than Vitalii Mykolenko, but again, there’s more to it.
Some of these players will be looking for their final payday. They have agents to sort out, and themselves to look after. The likelihood of players of this calibre taking a one-year contract is slim, and that’s all Everton should be looking to offer.
Players and their agents will likely be demanding two or three year deals and a healthy salary, so although free transfers, it’s still going to cost a lot in the long run. If Everton sign a Martial, for example, on a three-year contract on over £100,000-a-week, that’s still costing you a lot of money.
There’s also a strong chance he fails, and when we sign (hopefully) a striker in January, he’s down to third-choice on first-choice wages.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Everton stuck with what they’ve got.