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Martinez plots January moves

Boss looking for cover for Gibson and Kone

Roberto Martinez has outlined his plans for when the transfer window opens in the New Year, suggesting that rather than spend significant funds on new players, he will be looking to bring in "like-for-like" loan players to replace long-term injury absentees, Darron Gibson and Arouna Kone.

The Irish midfielder and the Ivorian striker are long-term absentees after undergoing respective knee operations and may not figure again this season. Martinez is keen to strengthen his squad to cover their positions in the team but only on a short-term basis.

"What I would like to do in January is replace Darron Gibson and Arouna Koné," the Spaniard is quoted in The Guardian, "like-for-like in terms of positions and for the short term rather than long term because those players will be big players for us in the future.

"It's not about Gerard [Deulofeu]; I'm not concerned with his short-term injury. We have players in the squad ready to come in."

Deulofeu is projected to return around the end of January after his parent club, Barcelona, assessed his hamstring injury and put forward a slightly longer recovery time than Everton's medical team.

Meanwhile, Martinez admitted that, while he is not looking to sell any of his players mid-season, the club would consider approaches for John Heitinga and Nikica Jelavic should the club receive interest in the duo.

Both players have lost their starting places and are fighting to get back into the first XI but Martinez is mindful of their need for regular football in a World Cup year. He said that Everton have not yet received any concrete bids for either player but Heitinga is regularly linked with a move to Italy, while Jelavic is a reported target of relegation-threatened West Ham.

 

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