Moyes to wheel and deal as Everton bid for Champions League spot
Published:Everton’s early-season form has caught many by surprise this season, with the fourth-placed Toffees currently 5/1 to achieve Champions League qualification.
And David Moyes is desperate to achieve that ambition, after making his best start to a league campaign in five years.
As such, the long-standing Goodison Park chief is keen to freshen up his squad in January, and add depth to what remains one of the Premier League’s thinnest squads.
Moyes is hopeful of reuniting with Joleon Lescott, who left Merseyside in controversial circumstances back in 2009, for an astonishing £24 million fee.
That move was sanctioned by then-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, and whilst Lescott was utilised readily by Roberto Mancini last term, the England centre-half has fallen down the Eastlands pecking order since.
This has alerted Moyes, who knows that the loan capture of Lescott would allow him to oversee the departure of John Heitinga, thus giving the Scot room to manoeuvre in the transfer market.
Though heavily touted, the future of Marouane Fellaini lies, insists Moyes, with Everton for the time being, and thus he would prefer to see squad man Heitinga go for £7 million.
Galatasaray are ready to meet the Toffees’ asking price for the Dutch utility defender, and in addition to Lescott, Moyes has identified other targets to spend the generated cash on.
His attentions have been caught by talents across the border, with mega-rich PSG housing one of the subjects of Moyes’ affections, in French international striker Kevin Gameiro.
The forward only arrived at the club 18 months ago, but has fallen out of favour with Carlo Ancelotti following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s summer arrival in Paris, and can leave for £7 million.
He is one of two French attackers on Everton’s radar meanwhile, as Blues scouts have also displayed a keen interest in Toulouse hitman Wissam Ben Yedder.
A former France under-21 international, Ben Yedder is Toulouse’s top scorer this season, with nine goals in 16 games for the campaign thus far.
And Moyes is ready to test the Ligue 1 outfit’s resolve, believing he can complete a £6 million deal and significantly expand his French contingent early next year.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
