Carlo Ancelotti has been assured Everton will spend this summer but the manager says the “character and personality” of his squad must also change to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
Ancelotti, his backroom team, players and senior staff have agreed wage deferrals as the club deals with the financial impact of Covid-19. Everton also posted a record loss of £111.9m in their accounts for 2018-19 and would risk breaching financial fair play (FFP) rules with another year of substantial losses.
The team’s need for improvement was again laid bare in defeat at Tottenham on Monday – they have also lost at Liverpool, twice, Manchester City, Leicester, Chelsea and Arsenal this season – and, despite the financial uncertainty throughout football, Ancelotti insisted he can strengthen.
“I have assurances from the board that we are going to improve the squad,” he said. Asked whether he must sell to buy, he replied: “No.”
Ancelotti has been linked with a host of his former players, including James Rodríguez, Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani and Adrien Rabiot. The club have made progress in the pursuit of the Lille defender Gabriel Magalhães.
“We need good players and the players that we are going to sign will be good players,” Ancelotti said. “It doesn’t matter whether they are young or old; with experience or without experience. It is important to have good players. Continue reading