David Moyes reveals what Everton tried on deadline day along with Merlin Rohl signing
However, there were some supporters who would have liked Everton to have brought in a new right-back. Jake O’Brien, who is first choice in the position, is a natural centre-half.
Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman has had injury problems in recent seasons and is aged 36 while Nathan Patterson has struggled with fitness issues. There was also talk of Patterson departing on loan had Everton managed to sign a right-sided full-back.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa, Moyes revealed that the Blues were keen to sign a right-back. But they were unable to get one over the line, although the priority in the window had been strengthening the attacking options.
Moyes told LiverpoolWorld: “There were a few players we didn’t get in that we wanted. We’d have liked to have strengthened defensively if we could have. That’s what we were looking at but for reasons, we didn’t get one over the line in the end. That’s why I said it was always going to be difficult to get it done in one window and we couldn’t
“Our main focus was always to try to get new attacking players to give us something different but we didn’t quite get a right-back or another centre-back who could play right-back as well and that would have given us at least an extra player.”
Rohl is expected to be in the squad for Everton’s encounter against Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium. He has been training with his new team-mates at Finch Farm this week – and has caught the eye.
“I have been pleased with what I have seen, I have to say,” Moyes said on Rohl. “He is a young boy coming into a different league but he should able to handle it, there is no doubt about that.
I hought we were a little bit short in midfield and it gives us another player. AFCON comes around and we have got to make sure we are ready as we’ll lose two players.
He is a tall boy who has got lots of really good attributes.
A German under-21 international and hopes to be a full international.”
