David Moyes On The Transfer Market

Last Minute Shopping

It looks like another busy day trying to get a few more heads in on the last day of the transfer window tomorrow.

Moyesy says: "I am going to try and see if there are still people out there to bring in. I think we have been lacking some quality in the first three games." (31/08/08)

Moyes Not Happy Everton Haven't Paid A Penny Out On Players

With 3 new players in and Obi on his way, you would have thought Moyesy would be happy, but that's certainly not the case. Some would say that this is an attack on the board. To make in roads on the top 4, Moyesy knows we have to spend big to improve the squad.

Moyesy says: "We have brought in four players but not spent any money - let's put that in perspective. Some people pay £20million for one player, we have not paid that for four or for any. I don't think that's good - I don't think it's good planning when you get it right at the end. I think it's better to have your business done early and have a pre season etc." (29/08/08)

I Still Want Top Players

With just a week to go before the transfer window closes, Moyesy still wants 6 or 7 players.

Moyesy says: “I need to buy top players to challenge the top teams – and that costs big money. I’m going to try to do something but I can’t say for sure it is going to happen. This is the first summer where I feel I have not made any progression. I don’t need to buy mid-Premier League players – I need top players. We've got these injuries and I want to sign six or seven players before next week.

We're trying all routes. There might be some buys and there might be some loans but I said that six weeks ago and nothing has so far happened. I hope to try and get maybe a couple of players in but, for the quality I need us to get to continue forward, I don't know if you can get someone with a few days to go.

I feel as if I've let the players down. I've got a real good relationship with the players and they know how I work. I got people like Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert, Phil Neville all to build and have a group together on the understanding I'm going to progress Everton and make them better.

At the moment, this summer I'm not progressing Everton so I feel as if I'm letting them down. My ambition is to develop Everton. Every year I've been here I feel I developed. This is the first summer where I don't feel I've made any progress.

"We've not had massive amounts of money but we've got to the stage now where we require a greater deal if we are going to challenge the Liverpool's, Chelsea's, Arsenals, Manchester United's.That is not withstanding the fact of trying to stay ahead of the Aston Villas and the Tottenham's who are flushed with it." (24/08/08)

It's my Fault

Moyesy has come out and exonerated Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright for being the only Premiership side not to buy a player this close season. In an extraordinary interview he has carried the can himself for not buying anyone.

Moyesy says: I am loyal to our supporters and people at the club but more than anything I am loyal to the players. We have built up a really happy relationship and strong spirit and I desperately want them to succeed.

‘If they are going to do that I have to help them by bringing in new players who will strengthen the side and give us a better chance of closing the gap on those above us and being in Europe every season. That hasn’t happened this summer and I feel I have let them down.

‘At the end of last season I wouldn’t have thought it possible we would be sitting here in August without a single new face. It hasn’t been for the want of trying and I have to say the chairman, Bill Kenwright, has been fantastic. No-one has worked harder to get players in but it just hasn’t happened yet.

There are all sorts of reasons for it and some must remain private. But there aren’t many clubs looking to sell players at the moment, and certainly some people who have been brokering deals for us have let us down quite badly.’ (16/08/08)

Kenwright Positive On Transfer Targets

Despite loosing Carsley, Fernandes, Gravesen and Wessels from the 1st team squad at the end of last season and being the only Premiership club not to sign anyone despite, the manager, the players and the fans being concerned big time, under pressure Chairman, Bill Kenwright is still hopeful that he can sign players to add to Moyesy's first team squad.

Bill Kenwright says: “The real problem this close season is that apart from Steven Pienaar we actually have not signed any new players. I just want to pull off one deal, just one of the transfers we have been chasing for the last six weeks. That would be a start, and then the next one, and next one. But there are four, five or even six deals out there at the moment that we are hourly trying to catch.” (07/08/08)

Big Concern

With less that 2 weeks to the start of the season, Moyesy is concerned that even if Everton buy a few players, they won't be ready for the kick-off against Blackburn.

Moyesy says: "It’s been a good tour but the one disappointment is that I don’t have some more people here with me. I was hoping to have added to the squad by now to give the players a lift. It’s not just a new face we need - it’s new faces. My big concern is that anybody we bring in now probably won’t be ready to start the Premier League season. I’m not going to say I am totally confident because you never know what happens. But I am hoping we will get a few in." (04/08/08)

Back Moyes

In the wake of the CEO's resignation, Everton will have to quickly sort themselves out to press on with Moyesy's transfer targets. Wyness said he was on the phone everyday, although some may say that looking at the results - the only Premiership team with no transfers in - he wasn't doing very well. The club needs someone to pick the phone up. Whether it's deputy CEO, Robert Elstone in the interim or Sexy Secretary Dave Harrison takes a bigger roll or even Bill Kenwright, the Chairman himself. The point is Moyesy needs to be given the backing sooner rather than later.

Moyesy says: “There is money to spend. I’m not going to accept second best and I want to get the best players in. I’m expecting to play over 60 games next year. I’m expecting to get to Cup finals, I’m expecting to have a long run in the UEFA Cup and I’m expecting to do well in the League. So, I’m going to need lots of cover and lots of players.” (30/07/08)

Six Players Needed

The Everton manager is aware that there is a big gap in his squad and that he wants 5 or 6 players added before the transfer window closes at midnight on 31st August 2008.

Moyesy says: "I think we'll be working right up until the window closes like everyone else. We need to bring in probably five or six players and we haven't brought in any yet. We need to be quite busy in the coming weeks. We're missing bodies and we've got injured players not available. Our numbers are so short and we've got injuries, too." (21/07/08)

Moyesy's transfer budget, whatever it is, will not be affected by the fate of the proposednew stadium in Kirkby. It had been reported that if the Kirkby project was 'called in' then this would have an influence on the manager's transfer chest.

Ian Ross, Everton’s Head of Public Relations & External Affairs, says: “This is completely untrue. These are absolutely separate issues. They always have been and they always will be. The Government’s decision (on the Kirkby project) won’t have any impact on the manager’s transfer budget.” (01/07/08)

On The Phone Every Day

Everton CEO, Keith Wyness is on the phone every day trying to buy Moyesy's targets. It is a slow transfer window so far, but with Everton in Europe again will have a big baring on which players join Everton.

Bully says: "The whole transfer market, each one is different in terms of the mood and tempo. Hardly anything has happened. There’s not much activity – there’s more managers moving than there are players right now. It’s a slow market. We know the manager and his targets but a lot of things have to happen to get deals for the types of players we are looking for. Every day we are on the phone.

The fans have seen over the last four years that we have delivered and there is an acceptance that we understand what we’ve got – but we have to improve on it and keep on going. But it is too early for getting anxious. It’s huge to be in Europe – we’ve been there three years out of four that I’ve been here which is isn’t bad. It’s important to be in that draw and get more mentions all round the world.

You have to be a winning team and we have been to a degree and that is very important. A football club has to win on the pitch and it all comes together. I’ve never seen a business that has an accelerator that goes up and down so quickly. The Premier League gets harder every year. If you look at all the stats, we average ninth or 10th things like revenues and attendances yet here we are finishing fifth and punching above our weight in a lot of areas. It isn’t easy and handling those expectations is certainly very difficult.” (04/06/08)

Euro Status Vital In Attracting New Signings

We Will Back The Manager

Keith Wyness On The Transfer Budget says: "We are keeping it close to our chest at the moment. Bill Kenwright is chatting with David every day and we are well aware that we have got to build on the success we have had. As we have done in the last few years, we will support David to make the squad the best it can be. In the transfer window I am speaking to agents all the time. Nine out of ten don't come to anything, but you have to be speaking and know what is in the market place." (16/05/08)

Transfer Budget Unknown

With the transfer window due to open for Summer in a matter of days, Moyesy still doesn't know what transfer budget he has. By now plenty of players are talking to other clubs and some big deals have already been struck.

Moyesy says: “I have not been given any word on the transfer budget. The sooner I have an idea what I have to spend, the better. I don’t know what plans I am making at the minute. I don’t know whether I am planning to sign players of a lower value or what. We have got an idea what we want to do. I’m just waiting to be given what the figure is. They have been told a couple of months ago what it will take. I think it is important that you do get your players in as early as you can.

I’m hoping to get a few faces in and keep trying to move the club forward. We know we are going to finish fifth or sixth, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to calculate the budget. I could just do with knowing whether I am shopping in Harrods or elsewhere.” (10/05/08)

Quality In Numbers

Injuries to key players such as Cahill, Arteta and Osman has effected Everton's form, as the players brought in to replace them have not been of the same quality. Moyesy wants the board to back him with cash so he can get in more players, but quality players.

Moyesy says: “We do need to increase in numbers. Quality will always be first priority, but quantity is also required. I want us to be strong and I want us to progress and I think that we would need to have an even stronger squad from the start of this season. I think when you lose players over a lengthy period then it affects your form. When you lose your better players it impacts.

There is no doubt that we strengthened the squad and that has shown from the performances that we have put in this season. But since January onwards there has been a little bit of a drain on us and you learn from it and hopefully we’ll do better next season.” (03/05/08)

Buy Quality

Moyesy says: "I would say that maybe we don’t need more players, just more players with quality. But I am happy with the numbers here, just that one or two have not worked or offered enough to the squad, that has effected things. We have always been looking to add to the numbers, but mainly to the quality." (06/04/07)

Young & British

Moyesy says: "When we took over at Everton it was to avoid being in the bottom six; now our buying is to be in the top six so our buying had changed a little bit. The players that we brought in to keep us out of the bottom six have gone on to prove that they can all be part of the top six. So we mustn’t look at that market and I am very keen to keep bringing in British boys. That’s why we put a lot of effort into scouting in the UK to see if we can find the right players.

I am very keen to have young players consistently come through and as we well know the Manchester United group that came through 10 years ago were well known and that helped their football club. I keep saying that if you want a game of football in the first team and you are good, we are liable to put you in the team young and early and try and get you through and we have done that.”

For many years Everton haven’t really been able to compete as closely as we’d like but we are now on the shoulders of Liverpool and a couple of other teams and we have got to try and stay there.” (27/04/08)