So another January transfer window passes. For Everton, it was one of relative quiet.

In recent years relegation predicaments and points deductions have created a sense of desperation around the mid-season market. In 2025, three wins in succession under new manager David Moyes have given the Blues some crucial breathing room.

Still, it wouldn't be Everton if they didn't make their supporters sweat a little. Carlos Alcaraz eventually came in on a loan with a view to a permanent move, with a deal sheet submitted to allow the club to complete the transfer after the 11pm. deadline.

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But for a squad besieged by injuries, is it enough? Our writers give their verdict on the business done by the Blues...

Joe Thomas

I think the win over Leicester City was a defining moment of the transfer window. Until then, and even with the surge in confidence fuelled by the return of David Moyes, this felt like a season ridden with jeopardy.

For all the joy the wins over Tottenham and Brighton had brought, those injuries suffered at the Amex were brutal and with Dwight McNeil having undergone surgery and Armando Broja being stretchered off weeks earlier, the fragility of the squad was all too clear.

But that 90 minutes on Saturday provided a lot of reassurance. It was not just a win that moved Everton nine points clear of trouble, it was evidence of a gulf in class and momentum between the Blues and the best-placed challenger from the bottom three.

It showed the previous wins were more than the result of a new manager bounce and offered hope that Beto could step up amid the injury crisis to the frontline. It was also a game in which James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam took another step toward full fitness after long absences. All of a sudden Everton’s squad looks a bit stronger and, whether it be through Beto’s finishing or Garner’s glorious assist, a bit more capable than it did just a few weeks earlier.

None of that means there can be room for complacency and I don’t think there was any at Finch Farm. I have spoken to Moyes a fair bit since his appointment and it was clear he believed the squad was in need of reinforcements.

It would not take many more knocks to really hurt this injury-hit squad and, even when players return, we have to remember neither Youssef Chermiti nor Broja have scored a competitive goal for the Blues.

In a tough market and following the PSR progress the club has made since its deductions, I can see why those in charge believe Everton should now be able to get over the line this season though.

Not falling into the trap of making signings at any cost was important, and the win over Leicester reduced the pressure for a last-gasp splurge.

And I like the addition of Carlos Alcaraz. He has struggled to settle at a club since he first left South America but there is a lot to look forward to in a player who could prove to be a really clever acquisition should Merseyside prove to be the place where he can settle.

Matt Jones

The temptation would've been there for the Blues to throw money at a last-gasp deal in the final throes of the window on Monday night. But I'm glad they opted against it.

Not signing anyone other than Alcaraz does come with a small degree of risk. Everton are nine points clear of the relegation zone, although numerous key attackers are out with significant injuries, leaving Moyes with a dearth of options in the final third. More fitness issues could lead to some desperate measure.

Nevertheless, the Blues should be safe from peril now and with that in mind, thoughts need to turn towards the summer. Getting the squad in shape for a new season at a new home is going to take a substantial amount of work.

Everton need to be in the best position possible with PSR to complete that rebuild effectively. As things stand, they are not yet out of the woods in that department, something which Moyes himself has alluded to.

It means we might see creative solutions and at times there will be frustration as Everton look for answers up top. Moyes will not have many game-changers on the bench if he does feel like he has to change the game.

But the cautious tactic now means that if Everton can start next season in the top flight then they are in a much better position to give the new manager the tools he needs to kickstart a new era.

Paul Wheelock

What a difference three wins make. If you would have asked Evertonians after the 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa how many signings needed to be made before the end of the transfer window, then few if any would have said one.

Equally, after Dominic Calvert-Lewin joined Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti on the sidelines after the 1-0 triumph at Brighton & Hove Albion, not many fans would have said David Moyes didn't need another centre-forward.

But then two goals from Beto in the 4-0 home victory at Leicester City, which made it nine points from nine, has given hope that the Blues can get by.

But it's still a gamble. There's a lot of football still to be played before Chermiti, Broja and eventually Calvert-Lewin return and, while the bottom of the table looks a whole lot better, it needs only a run similar to the one Everton are currently one from Leicester or Ipswich Town to get the nerves jangling.

However, the lack of further business won't have been for the lack of trying from Moyes and Kevin Thelwell. Strikers are a prized commodity at the best of times and even more so in a transfer window like the one just gone given the amount of Premier League clubs who needed a new No.9.

And it cannot be forgotten that the Blues are still playing by different financial rules to some of their top-flight rivals. That should change in the summer when, with PSR restrictions finally lifted, the funds will be in place for what will be a major squad rebuild. Until then we've just got to hope Beto steers clear of injury.

And while the absences of Dwight McNeil and Oriel Mangala are still going to be keenly felt, Everton should have enough in the midfield area thanks to the return to fitness James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam and the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz.