Silva: No comment on Kean, wants more signings

Everton and Werder Bremen played a back-and-forth but ultimately fruitless 0-0 game to end the preseason friendly schedules for both sides.

Speaking after the game, manager Marco Silva reiterated that he needed more players to fill out his thin squad going into the Premier League season with just days now left in the summer transfer window that closes on Thursday evening.

“We have to [be busy]. We have to. In this moment, as you know, our number is not really big. We need some more players.

“We lost one central defender. He was not our player but we lost him. We lost Gana, Lookman also.

“So we have to look for one winger. We have to look for one central defender. Let’s see in the middle zone if we do something more or not. Then a possible striker and right back.

“It has to be a really busy week. Of course, it is not the best things but our board and our football structure, they are trying to do their best to give us the conditions to be more competitive and be a better team.”

It’s been widely reported at this point that Moise Kean is about to be announced as an Everton player, but Silva refused to divulge anything concrete on the Italian striker.

“I can’t talk about him now as there is nothing official. Let us see what we can do. I hope we can finalise it.

“In this moment, we have Cenk, Dominic - a young striker - and we are looking for a striker to improve our squad.

“Once we have signed him, then I can tell you about the feedback and what is my feelings about him.”

Fabian Delph had to leave the game early on with what looked like a muscle issue, and Silva called for patience before panic.

“We haven’t had all the feedback from the medical staff yet, but we have to wait now. Let’s see over the next few days. I think on Sunday or Monday we will find out more about what it is.

”It looks nothing really serious, but it’s in the groin. It’s [a scan] possible, I’m not sure yet, I haven’t spoke to the doctor yet. I spoke to him [Delph] and he’s not in full pain but he feels something there.

”It’s not a good thing when something like that happens. We are preparing for one game, and as you know our squad is not really big.

”Our bench this afternoon is not what I want, but it’s what we have in this moment. At this moment our number is not really big to have these type of problems.”

The bench was filled out today with Under-23s and veterans like Kevin Mirallas, highlighting the issues he faces with squad selection, especially if Delph is not ready to go next weekend and Jean-Philippe Gbamin yet to start preseason training.

“The problem is when the players arrive in the last few days before the Premier League is starting.

“In this moment, if you ask me now it looks impossible that he can start. But in football, nothing is impossible so let’s see how he starts.

“He started training this morning but he hasn’t done anything for the last three or four weeks. Will he be ready in three or four days? Of course not. But we have problems in that position.

“Let’s see how he works this week and adapts to the different methodologies.”

[Comments courtesy of Liverpool Echo]