Everton have been linked with both Marcus Edwards of Sporting CP and Breel Embolo of Monaco
Everton are actively pursuing potential new signings before the January transfer window closes with the club outlining their stance on Marcus Edwards and Breel Embolo. With the club’s takeover by The Friedkin Group having been completed on December 19 and the announcement on January 14 that following a brace of separate points deductions last season, Everton, along with the rest of their Premier League rivals, have avoided further punishment for 2023/24, funds are available for first team additions.
After his first game back as manager, a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on January 15, David Moyes stated that Everton “definitely” needed to strengthen their squad before the winter window closes on February 3, although he stressed that any incomings would have to improve the quality that already exists, adding: “If it’s not going to be someone which makes the team better then there’s no point in wasting our money. So we have to get that option of somebody we think could do better than what we’ve got.”
The 61-year-old has also stressed that new signings did not need to necessarily have prior experience in the Premier League. Moyes said: “It would always be good to get some Premier League experience because they know what they’re coming into and really I think at this stage, where we are, I think it probably would be the right choice if we could.
READ MORE: Tommy Fleetwood reveals new Everton hope after ‘ridiculous’ scenes on his birthdayREAD MORE: Everton youngsters make case before historic new stadium game with ‘first class’ display
“But again, it’s not that easy, and because our loans are tied up a little bit as well, that doesn’t make it easy. Players from overseas quite often can come and hit the ground running and there’s no reason to say they wouldn’t, or that they wouldn’t give the team something else. So, we are not going to be put off by that. But I think we will look very carefully in the market for value, certainly at least in this transfer window.”
A couple of overseas-based stars linked to Everton include Marcus Edwards of Sporting CP and Monaco’s Switzerland international Breel Embolo. Enfield-born Edwards, started his career at Tottenham Hotspur but after loan spells at Norwich City and Dutch side Excelsior, his senior career took off in Portugal, initially with Vitoria Guimaraes before he moved to Lisbon in 2022.
The 26-year-old winger won the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Sporting under current Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim last season but despite having made 120 appearances for the club in total and scoring 24 goals, he has only made half a dozen top flight outings this term, with reports claiming the club are open to selling him for €12million with 35% of the value going to Spurs. Cameroon-born Embolo moved to Basel, where he started his career, as a child and has been capped 73 times for Switzerland, scoring 15 international goals.
After spells in Germany with Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, the powerful forward, 27, has netted 20 times in 73 matches for current club Monaco where he has been since 2022, including five in 26 outings this term. However, Moyes and director of football Kevin Thelwell are looking elsewhere as the ECHO understands that Everton have no interest in either Edwards or Embolo.
