A busy few weeks are install for David Moyes and Bill Kenwright’s cheque book as Moyes has confirmed he will be looking to add five to six new faces to the squad. The Everton boss said in a recent interview: “We need to bring in five or six players and we haven’t brought in anybody yet. So we need to be quite busy and we can be in the coming weeks. But we will look to go right up to the end of the window like everyone else.”

Supposedly at the top of Moyes’s wish list is the Portuguese international Joao Moutinho. Keith Wyness has recently come out saying: “The arrival of Joao Moutinho is a big possibility for us.” However Sporting Lisbon’s president Soares Franco has contradicted Everton’s chief executive who saying he does not want to sell the 21 year old.

The Sporting president said “The squad is closed for this season and we have received no offers for Joao Moutinho. He is in our squad and we have no need to sell as we are financially secure.”

Manuel Fernandes has also come out this week saying that he would like to ‘make a career in England’, which could pave the way for Everton to bring the 22 year old to Merseyside. The Portuguese international has a ludicrous €60 million release clause in his contract but he remains confident that a move can be secured. He said “I am conscious of my value and believe that soon a good solution will be found.”

One player who will definitely not be joining the toffees is Sporting goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic. He was supposed to go on trail at Everton who were considering a one year loan deal for the Serbian international but only stayed for an hour before leaving. He must have realized how good Tim Howard was and gave up!

Everton’s Head of Public Relations, Ian Ross said: “He was at the club on Wednesday but left after only one hour. He did not justify anything to anybody and he is most probably not going to join us. We have been told that he is a complicated character but this surprised us.”

In the next few weeks Evertonians should start feeling less anxious if Moyes is true to his word and brings in much needed players. Not only do Everton need quantity to cover any injury problems they may have and the grueling season that lays ahead of them. They also need quality to bring them closer to the ‘top 4’ and challenge for a champions league spot so they can move on to the next level.