Everton’s January Transfer Deadline Day Recap

Everton were not expected to splash much cash over the January transfer window, and did not do their finances much harm either by spending cash they don’t have.

Still, with the number of players leaving the club over the month, it was starting to get to the point where fans were wondering who would fill out the bench for upcoming games - reminder, Carlo Ancelotti had two goalkeepers among his eight substitutes for the loss against Newcastle, not even using the full complement of nine players allowed to him.

Murmurs of interest in AFC Bournemouth’s wantaway forward Joshua King have been doing the rounds, but that interest became solidified late on deadline day yesterday and the Toffees beat off Fulham making a full-blooded charge at the player, with the Cottagers offering him a three-and-half year permanent deal plus a relegation release clause.

But as reported by media sources, Ancelotti got involved in the transfer and called the 29-year-old to convince him that he would be part of his plans at Goodison Park. King’s current deal expires at the end of the season, but the club has put in a clause for a possible extension to that contract or the option for the player to walk away a free agent. Sounds like a win-win for both parties, especially when you consider that he is on very reasonable £45,000 per week wages. If he can spell Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison and chip in with some goals, this could pay off handsomely for the Blues if it results in European qualification.

The day started off bright and early with the news that Jonas Lossl had been sold to FC Midtjylland in his homeland Denmark. Cenk Tosun’s return to Besiktas on loan was all but confirmed a couple of days ago but the club finally announced it today, with another year still left on the player’s contract with the Blues.

It was looking like Bernard’s proposed move to Al Nasr in the UAE was on track, and then fell through without much explanation. That left Anthony Gordon free to leave on loan with Preston North End capitalizing.

Jonjoe Kenny went on loan to Celtic with another opportunity to prove himself while Beni Baningime’s latest loan sees him joining Wayne Rooney at Derby County where the former Blue is now manager.

While the cynical and more pragmatic members of the fanbase would have preferred to have more outright sales of players during this January window, overall Marcel Brands appears go have accomplished a pretty impressive body of work over the month.

• Yannick Bolasie loan to Middlesbrough
• Ellis Simms loan to Blackpool
• Jarrad Branthwaite loan to Blackburn Rovers
• Jonas Lossl sold to FC Midtjylland
• Cenk Tosun loan to Besiktas
• Jonjoe Kenny loan to Celtic
• Beni Baningime loan to Derby County
• Anthony Gordon loan to Preston North End

The squad is currently down to a much more manageable 23 players now, which is just about where Brands has always indicated he wants it to be. Clearly the quality in depth doesn’t exist yet, and some positions are not adequately covered, but this appears to be a conscious decision made by the powers that be with European qualification within the club’s reach.