David Moyes confirms Everton transfer interest in winger and gives Armando Broja update
David Moyes has confirmed that Everton are looking at Lyon and Ghana winger Ernest Nuamah but has denied that a deal has been done. The returning Blues boss also offered an update on the situation surrounding Armando Broja and the injury latest at his press conference.
Reports from France have suggested that Everton have reached an agreement with the Ligue 1 outfit to sign the 21-year-old Nuamah for a €20m fee.
But while Moyes is determined to bolster his squad during the January transfer window, he said: "He's a player who I know we've been looking at, but I couldn't say to you it's done or it's under way.
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"At the moment we're looking at some players, and he's one of them, and hopefully we can get somebody before the end of the transfer window."
Moyes' appointment was only confirmed six days ago, and with Sunday's visit of Tottenham Hotspur to Goodison Park (2pm kick-off) coming hot on the heels of Wednesday's 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa, the 61-year-old is having to juggle limited time on the training field with "hours" spent with the club's recruitment department.
Moyes said: "We're looking really closely, like everybody else, but I think the hardest thing when you drop into a club a week-and-a-half into the transfer window is you're trying to catch up with what the club can do, what we need, and trying to work out yourself a little bit as well. But we're getting there and trying to get things in place that if we can do some business we will if possible."
Moyes continued: "We need players who we think can help us in the Premier League and the position we're in but we're also hoping to buy players for the future as well, so if we can get someone in who can be here for four, five years or longer, and can do well for the team (we will), but trying to do that in January can be difficult. I think coming in very quickly makes it very difficult to get on top of all the players getting put to you."
The Blues have the maximum of two domestic loans in their squad in Jack Harrison and Broja. But the latter could be out for up to three months after sustaining ankle ligament damage in the FA Cup win over Peterborough United.
Moyes suggested after the Villa defeat that Broja could be sent back to parent club Chelsea, which would free up Everton to make another loan signing from a fellow English club.
But there have been reports that Chelsea will not allow that to happen and when asked if it's a definite that the forward will head back to Stamford Bridge, Moyes said: "I don't think it's absolutely (he'll go back). I said in the press conference after the game when I was asked the question that his injury is going to take a lot longer than what we hoped, but it's one of the options that might be available and there are people at the club talking to Chelsea just now."
Broja, club captain Seamus Coleman, Tim Iroegbunam, Youssef Chermiti and Dwight McNeil will all be sidelined for the visit of Tottenham but James Garner has returned to training.
Moyes said: "Jimmy (Garner) is back on the pitch training but the others at the moment aren't. With Dwight, we're hoping he's not too far away, but we're waiting for some information. Tim is about to get back training as well now. Seamus just had slight injury in training."