Everton will hold talks with veteran free agent forward Andre Ayew in the coming days as dark clouds gather over a mutinous Goodison Park.
It’s understood that Ayew, most recently of Al Sadd in the Qatari Stars League before negotiating his release, is in England with his agent to speak to clubs and a meeting with Everton is in the diary. But beyond initial exploratory talks, it is far from certain a deal will be agreed for the 33 year-old. Such a low key and low cost move feels a fitting epitaph for Everton’s jaw-dropping dry January.
So how did it come to this?
For most of the month the club was working within the strict financial parameters set by their brush with financial fair play regulations. Only loans and loans with an obligation to buy were being considered and budgetary constraints were part of the reason they missed out on Arnaut Danjuma, who – no doubt spooked by Frank Lampard’s sacking – landed a better pay day at Tottenham to scupper what should have been Everton’s signature deal of the month.
By the time Dyche had been confirmed, the financial situation had shifted. After a bitter divorce became inevitable, Everton negotiated a deal which would see Newcastle pay £40m up front for Anthony Gordon, opening up the possibility of permanent deals and theoretically giving the club instant financial muscle to rival relegation rivals like Southampton and Leeds who were spending freely.
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Inside Gerard Pique's Kings League, with 40-minute games, gold cards and Aguero in a clown mask01 February, 2023Dyche was quickly brought up to speed on recruitment. Understandably he was only interested in players who would challenge immediately to get into his starting XI, which is where Everton’s transfer window ultimately floundered. Even with a chunk of the Gordon cash they were not able to get a single player through the door who would tick that box – a damning indictment of director of football Kevin Thelwell and the decision makers above him.
It was not for want of trying. The club made a hopeful enquiry for long-term target Connor Gallagher before quickly realising there was not a realistic chance of the Chelsea midfielder joining. They also spoke to Milan about Olivier Giroud and returned to the Blues to enquire about Hakim Ziyech.
All three would tick the boxes of immediately upgrading the squad but also felt like desperate “Hail Marys” from a transfer committee that should have had plans in place long before the final couple of days of the window. Would any of those three want to join a club in Everton’s predicament?
Even if they had been able to persuade players to sign, the club were faced with paying a deadline day premium that was difficult to stomach. The fees being demanded for loans were sky high – understandably at such a late juncture – and Everton stepped back from a few potential deals that would have represented gambles. The £100,000-a-week four year contract paid to Cenk Tosun is still fresh in the mind of many decision makers. There is some sense to that approach.
i understands the club were working into the final hours of the window trying to broker a deal with Manchester United to sign Anthony Elanga and had cause for optimism – only for it to fall through late in the day. The club conceded they had run out of time and Dyche departed Finch Farm, past banners protesting Bill Kenwright, CEO Denise Baxendale-Barrett and owner Moshiri.
Having believed they could bring in a minimum of two but likely more players on Friday, they somehow conspired to leave the squad weakened over the month. It felt like a dereliction of duty from the decision makers given the club’s Premier League predicament.
It is a huge risk that surely increases the chance of a ruinous relegation to the Championship. Who, now, will add to the club’s tally of 15 goals this season? Unless Dominic Calvert-Lewin retains his fitness and rediscovers his form, there’s not an obvious answer in the existing squad.
Dyche is apparently undeterred. He has told friends that he has kept “much worse squads” than the one he has inherited at Everton in the Premier League before and fancies his chances. The league remains concertinaed and he sees enough to convince him that he can stiffen the team’s resolve and plot a path to safety. His press conference on Thursday will sound an upbeat note.
He is assured the support of the fans but protests are almost certain to continue. The board were not present the last time Everton played at home and will surely not be present on Saturday for the visit of Arsenal either, such is the toxic mood. For many fans Kenwright and company are now past the point of no return.
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