“There are some players we would be keen on if it was possible but most clubs don’t want to be doing an awful lot. Maybe some clubs need the money and might sell a player and that’s something we have to look at.

“QPR and Newcastle, Reading have tried to bring in players to help them but there isn’t a lot around the mid-group. I don’t think January’s a good market really.

“If you realistically look around you would look at 20 and say ‘I don’t want him, I don’t want him, I don’t need that position, I don’t want him, he’s too old, he’s not ready’ so you might come down to one or two.

“By the time you’d done all that you might find there aren’t that many but I’ve got a wry smile. Why? You can wait and find out!”

Moyes was interested in French midfielder Yann M’Vila until Russian side Rubin Kazin agreed a £10million deal with Rennes for the 22-year-old.

The Goodison manager, though, has dismissed rumours he was in Seville on a scouting mission this week and said: “Someone texted me to say there was a picture of me in Seville airport. No, I wasn’t in Seville.”

Moyes will be without Seamus Coleman this weekend with Everton still monitoring the Irishman’s fitness after he hobbled off with a thigh problem in the goalless draw at Southampton on Monday.

With Tony Hibbert (calf) still absent, Phil Neville is likely to move to right-back. Darron Gibson (thigh) remains sidelined but is edging nearer a first-team return.

Of reaching his 500th game as Everton manager, Moyes added: “It’s amazing that some people have got a thousand games at one club – that is some achievement.

“500 is not a bad number when you see how people get rid of their managers so quickly nowadays.

“Hopefully the real highlights are still to come – they are the ones I’m looking forward to.”