DAVID MOYES remains confident he can land one new arrival before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday evening – as he prepares to celebrate another landmark day as Everton FC manager.
Moyes will take charge of his 500th game in the Goodison hotseat when his team face Championship side Bolton Wanderers in their FA Cup fourth round tie this afternoon.
Only Harry Catterick, with 592 games, has enjoyed longer in a single spell as manager, with Howard Kendall spending 542 games in charge over three separate spells.
Despite the expected financial restraints and lack of availability in the January market, Moyes is still determined to bolster his squad’s challenge for Champions League qualification with at least one new face.
And the Everton manager said: “We knew this month wouldn’t be full of signings. But you never know, we might make one. We’ve tended to be Christmas Eve shoppers in the past so hold on to your hat.
“I said at the start, and the chairman has said, there was a little bit of money that we could do some business with and that hasn’t really changed. But it makes it harder to get the level of player you might be looking for.
“If you have a couple of injuries you might need something in to give you a backup to get you through but really I’d be hoping that we’d only be bringing someone in who could play at the top end of the Premier League, and that comes down to availability or costing that makes it difficult.”
Moyes has gained a reputation for deadline-day business, but he added: “There’s no science at all, no! Far from it. It’s a bit of luck or just the way things work.”
He continued: “I don’t think there has been a big market at the moment. There have been a certain few clubs and there’s been the odd buy, Liverpool buying Sturridge, but not many clubs have done an awful lot.
