Monthly Archives: June 2014

  • Martinez Set On Players To Sign

    Everton manager Roberto Martinez has stated that the some of the process of the upcoming summer transfer recruiting is almost over. He says that the club have finally agreed on the players that they would be looking to sign in the transfer window, which opens on July 1. Everton are likely to be spending around £ 20 million in the summer, which is peanuts compared to the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool have already spent. Martinez will be aware that the club has limited budget, but he is looking at various alternatives in order to strengthen the squad.

    One of the ways includes getting place on loan deals just like they did last summer. This was highly beneficial for all parties involved as the likes of Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku not only got arrival of first-team action, but they also proved crucial in Everton finishing fifth in the table. Despite getting a record 72 points, they could only manage a fifth-place finish. Just when it seems that Martinez could not improve this even further, the Spaniard is looking to sign a couple of players in almost every area of the pitch to strengthen the team.

    It is expected that Everton will open negotiations with the targets after the World Cup 2014.

    “Recruitment is vital. It’s one of those moments of the season where you recollect the good work you’ve done over the last two windows. The recruitment department have been working tirelessly to get the reports and highlight the targets and players that are going to fit in our football club. You can imagine it’s a long process. We’ve identified the players and now it’s about making sure we can get them to join,” said the Everton manager.

    It is believed that Everton are in discussions with Chelsea for a permanent transfer of Lukaku.

  • Lukaka Pivotal For Everton Success

    Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has been a major reason behind Everton qualifying for the Champions League. The striker has been on loan at Everton from the start of the season. As he has done with West Brom last campaign, Lukaku has scored a number of goals in the league. His strikes against the likes of Manchester city and Arsenal have proven to be very important indeed. Manager Roberto Martinez has expressed on several occasions that he would like to keep the Belgian striker on a permanent basis.

    Initially, it was thought that Chelsea would be reluctant to part company with the 20-year-old, who has been likened as the next Didier Drogba. However, there seems to have been a major shift within the transfer policy of Jose Mourinho. Lukaku has been linked with moves to Everton and Tottenham in the last few months. A pricetag of around £ 20 million has been placed on his head, which would make him as one of the priciest youngsters in the world. Martinez accepts that this price may increase if the 20-year-old has a good World Cup.

    Lukaku will be the first choice for the Belgian national team to the injury for Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke. Despite the misfiring strikers at Chelsea, the club looks set to sell the Belgian International in the summer.
    “I don’t think that’s my worry. The worry would be that if the deal was a cheap one, it would be because he has had a torrid time and hasn’t fulfilled his potential. We are too close to Romelu to hope he has a poor tournament. We hope he has a really good World Cup – and then decides to come to us. We’ll see what’s the best thing for everyone but everything will be in stages: how Chelsea are doing in their own squad and how that frees some players,” said Martinez.