Everton have been one of the most active Premier League teams in the transfer market during a busy summer window.
The Toffees have brought seven senior players into the squad – Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Michael Keane, Sandro Ramirez, Henry Onyekuru, Wayne Rooney and Cuco Martina – as Ronald Koeman looks for his side to improve on their seventh-place finish last season, as well as progressing to and then competing in the group stages of the Europa League.
The Merseyside outfit are certainly looking strong as things stand now, but their Dutch boss is unlikely to be completely satisfied with the business he has done so far, and there are still areas he needs strengthen before the window slams shut at the end of this month as circumstances continue to change on a daily basis.
While players could still go, Koeman may feel that there are positions that he still needs to add to.
Here are three things Everton still need to sort before the transfer window closes…
Romelu Lukaku replacement
While they may have brought Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez to the club this summer, Koeman may still be tempted to sign another striker as a direct replacement for Lukaku before the transfer window closes.
The Belgian netted 25 Premier League goals last season and having been so prolific for the club over the course of the last four campaigns, Koeman will be nervous about his team replacing those goals.
Having lost Arouna Kone and with Oumar Niasse likely to go to, the Dutchman doesn’t exactly have a plethora of centre-forward options and with Rooney often playing a deeper role in recent seasons and with Ramirez not proven in the English top flight, Everton could yet move for another striker.
Ross Barkley replacement
Everton are expecting Barkley to leave before the window slams shut at the end of the month after the 23-year-old turn down an offer to stay at the club.
With just a year remaining on his contract they would rather cash in on him now rather than potentially losing him for nothing in 2018, and Ronald Koeman is actively looking for a replacement for the England international.
While he has brought the impressive Davy Klaassen to the club – who scored 20 goals and provided a further 12 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions for Ajax last season – the Dutchman has never played in the Premier League and Koeman still seems to be determined to get a deal for Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson over the line, despite finding it difficult to come to an agreement with the Welsh side.
Centre-half cover
Having signed Michael Keane from Burnley and with the likes of Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori to choose from at centre-back, Koeman may have felt that he had enough cover to get him through the season.
However, the latter suffered a serious knee injury while on international duty with Argentina in March and the club confirmed on their official website last month that he could miss a further six to nine months after undergoing surgery.
Koeman may be forced into the transfer market to bring in a new centre-back now to ensure that he has enough options to cope with competing in both the Premier League and Europa League.
Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.