Ready For Tough Test Ahead

Ronald Koeman reflects on Everton’s business during the summer transfer window, his side’s start to the season, and how the talented squad he has put together will be needed during a demanding next few weeks

Coach, let’s start off with the closing of the transfer window and the business done by the Club which saw nine new players arriving at Goodison, including Nikola Vlasic on deadline day.

Overall, we have done some really good business. We’ve spoken in previous editions of the magazine, of course, about Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Wayne Rooney, Sandro Ramirez, Davy Klaassen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cuco Martina and Henry Onyekuru, who will spend the season on loan at Anderlecht. Nikola Vlasic, who as you say came to us on deadline day, is one of the big young talents in Europe and we were very happy to bring him to Everton. He will continue to develop as he is only 19 years old but the quality he showed when we played for Hajduk against us in the Europa League persuaded me that he was a player we should target. He is one of those players who can play a big part in Everton’s future and in what we want to achieve as a club.

We were unable to do all of the business we would like to have done. We wanted to bring in a striker, for example, as everybody knows. But sometimes you will be frustrated in certain aspects and, of course, it is not easy to bring in a striker of the calibre we would want. We did not want to bring in anybody who would merely be making up the numbers. I would prefer to give young players a chance. But, as I say, overall we are pleased with the business we have done. We have brought some good players here to the Club.