New manager Sean Dyche insists all he has seen “is hard work” when trying to explain Everton’s absence of signings during the January transfer window.
All of the Blues’ relegation rivals strengthened their squad last month but despite an understanding that Everton wanted to bring in two additional attacking options last month – before the £45million sale of Anthony Gordon – but director of football Kevin Thelwell was unable to get any incoming deals over the line.
Dyche, speaking in his first press conference as Everton manager ahead of Saturday’s home game against Premier League leaders Arsenal, said: “Firstly, one thing I can assure you, I managed to get in here Saturday so I can only tell you what I know from being here, all I’ve seen is hard work.
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“That’s all I’ve seen so far. Particularly in the recruitment area because we know the window was what it was.
“The owner, the chairman, Kev, myself. I’ve been leaving here late at night, Kev on the phone constantly, the owner, the chairman on the phone constantly.
“I can assure you, I was there, I physically saw it all, so there’s absolutely been hard work. A couple of things about the playing options is first of all you’ve got to align them.
“I’ve said for many, many years with my Premier League experience, all parties have to say yes, we all know that. You’ve got to get to that situation, you need the finance in place to make those situations happen, we all know that.
“Likewise, the thing I think often gets overlooked is they’ve got to be better than what we’ve got here and I think we’ve got some very, very good players here. Some very talented players.
“They may have lost their way, we can all have debates on why things are not where they should be or whatever but there are some very talented players here. I’m not one for signing players for the sake of signing them.”
Everton can still sign free agents such as Isco, who has been linked with a potential move to Goodison Park but when asked about the Spanish international midfielder, Dyche said: “There’s a list of players we’re looking through, do they fit what we need, do they fit what we can do, do they fit what we need to achieve going forward and can they do it pretty quickly.
“You sign players for the future, that’s different, but let’s face it, we need things that are going to activate now.”
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