Frank Lampard
Everton’s priority in the January transfer window will be players who can immediately improve the first team. Frank Lampard is hopeful of signing two attackers as part of efforts to address his team’s struggle to score goals in the first part of the season. In doing so, he is confident Everton will not be limited to the loan market and will be in a position to discuss permanent deals for the right players. January is a notoriously difficult time to do business and the market is expected to be complicated further by the World Cup. But while Everton will need to be savvy in their operations, Lampard believes they will not be restricted to loan deals.
Frank Lampard explained: “I think we can do loans and buys – we will look at both. But I want players to help improve us now, not just to come in and be squad players. They have to come and help us.”
Cunha was one such player that attracted interest from Everton. Yet the club is trying to move away from the style of spending that characterised the early years of majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s investment and focus on sustainable and calculated recruitment. While clearly a talent, Cunha’s price and his tally of six goals in 40 games in Madrid represented too great a risk for Everton.
Frank Lampard said: “It is a very interesting market now. We were very aware of the player [Cunha], he’s a really interesting player, but the number is big and Wolves to be fair have made the decision to go for him and everyone has to work in different parameters and it wasn’t a parameter for us to work in. As a club – even though now league position and results are always the most important thing – we also have to make sure that what we are trying to do keeps working in the right direction and with the right type of players and these things.”
One issue for Everton to navigate will be how easy it is to be “smart” during a transfer window in which prices will be inflated and several clubs are looking to add enough firepower to help them pull clear of a relegation fight. Assessing the month ahead, Lampard said he and director of football Kevin Thelwell would look to work through the transfer market while also controlling what they have the power to control.
Frank Lampard said: “It is not easy but it is our job and it is recruitment’s job, Kevin’s job, my job, to find the right players to help us now. I think if you look at the history of the league, teams that spend a lot of money tend to do really well and you know the budgets are different, so what can I and what can we control first and foremost? It is the spirit of our group and the fighting and the working and the improving because I have a lot of belief in the group. But do we need help at the top end of the pitch? Yes, and we are fully aware of that. But it is not easy to do because it is a hard market in January.”
