Everton manager David Moyes may have gotten off to the worst possible start by losing the first match of his second spell in charge, but it looks like he means business in the transfer market.
The loss to Aston Villa perhaps wasn’t too much of a surprise, yet it was another game in which the Goodison Park side didn’t find the back of the net.
The Toffees are the worst team in the Premier League in terms of goals scored, netting just 15 in 20 matches this term.
Moyes is working hard to address this issue. His first signing looks increasingly likely to be Lyon youngster Ernest Nuamah, who is set to join the club for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m).
At the age of 21, he is due to arrive as a young prospect with time to develop under the Scottish boss. The question is, however, will there be more signings over the next couple of weeks?
It appears as though the 61-year-old is targeting a Chelsea outcast…
Everton eye move for Chelsea midfielder
It is no secret that Moyes is looking to raid Chelsea for his next signing, with interest being shown in both Ben Chilwell and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in recent weeks.
The manager is looking at bringing the pair to Merseyside on loan deals, giving them a lifeline ahead of the second half of the season.
A third Chelsea player, Carney Chukwuemeka, is now also being eyed up by Moyes, who wishes to bolster his midfield options significantly before the window closes, according to The Boot Room.
According to the report, the youngster is high on the list of targets, with any fee involved in his move likely going to balance what Chelsea will want to take Armando Broja back, who looks set to miss the rest of the season due to injury.
Everton could face competition for Chukwuemeka’s signature, however, as Borussia Dortmund were keen on making a move for the youngster last week.
Player
Club signed from
Year
Nathan Patterson
Rangers
2022
Vitaliy Mykolenko
Dynamo Kyiv
2022
Dele Alli
Tottenham Hotspur
2022
Anwar El Ghazi
Aston Villa (loan)
2022
Donny van de Beek
Manchester United (loan)
2022
Via Transfermarkt
If Moyes can convince him that Everton is the best place for him at this stage of his career, it might just be one of the best moves he makes in the transfer market, that’s for sure.
Carney Chukwuemeka has struggled at Chelsea
The Englishman burst onto the scene with Aston Villa, making his debut during the 2020/21 campaign. It was under Steven Gerrard the following season in which the midfielder began to secure more first-team opportunities.
Indeed, he made a total of 14 senior appearances for the club, and he looked like he could emerge as the next big thing out of the Villa academy.
Against Brentford at the start of that campaign, the midfielder was heavily praised by Paul Merson, who said: “He has got a bright future. First-half, he was outstanding. He was gliding across the pitch.
“He will be an absolute star. He glides across the pitch. He is a nice size. He gets on the ball. He looks for it and makes runs without the ball.”
With hopes high ahead of 2022/23, Gerrard accepted a bid of £20m for Chukwuemeka from Chelsea after he was left out of Villa’s pre-season squad for a trip to Austria due to not signing a new contract.
On the surface, it looked like a wise move, especially considering his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, meaning Villa may have lost him for nothing.
Despite his extraordinary talent, it’s fair to say that his spell at Stamford Bridge hasn’t quite worked out as anticipated.
Since joining in 2022, the 21-year-old has made only 32 appearances for the Blues, scoring once and grabbing an assist, failing to gain a consistent run in the starting XI.
Enzo Maresca has a plethora of options to choose from, especially in midfield, meaning the former Villa starlet has made just five appearances all season, four coming in the Europa Conference League.
Although Moyes is eyeing up a temporary swoop for Dewsbury-Hall this month, a deal to sign Chukwuemeka surely must be the priority.
He might not have had as much game time in recent seasons, but given his age and vast potential, there is no doubt he could be better than the former Leicester City star.
Carney Chukwuemeka could be better than Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Considering the pair have barely featured this season while spending the 2023/24 campaign in different divisions, it is fair to look back at the 2022/23 season and compare their respective performances.
In the Premier League that term, Chukwuemeka averaged a higher pass success rate (89% vs 79%) than Dewsbury-Hall, while also being dribbled past fewer times per game (0.1 vs 0.9), winning a higher percentage of total duels per game (58% vs 52%) and losing possession fewer times per game (3.1 vs 13.5).
While looking at data from a couple of years ago might not be ideal, it proves that Chukwuemeka could certainly be a wonderful signing, especially from a defensive point of view when compared to Dewsbury-Hall, by being stronger out of possession and not being as easy to dribble past – making him ideal for a relegation scrap.
The £100k-per-week starlet could use Everton as a stepping stone to revive his career after two and a half years of failing to secure regular first-team football.
If Moyes can get the youngster back to his best and exude confidence, then there is no reason why he cannot become a key member of the Toffees in their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
This transfer window might just be the most important in the club’s recent history. Around £800m has been spent on their new stadium located at Bramley-Moore Docks, where they move into next season after spending 133 years at Goodison Park.
Therefore, retaining their place in the top flight is imperative for Everton. Making the right moves this month will allow Moyes to build a squad capable of avoiding relegation and reaching the top half of the table next season.
Signing Chukwuemeka and giving him the chance to shine could be the first step in this process.
Everton preparing talks in cheap move for creative £80k-a-week "revelation"
Talks are being planned regarding a potential move.
ByHenry JacksonJan 18, 2025
