Among the relegation threatened team doing business in the winter transfer season, Sunderland boss David Moyes perhaps have the biggest challenge of all. Not only is it difficult to persuade players to join the side who are unsure of their future in the Premier League next season, but Sunderland are also amidst huge financial crisis.
The club has even found it difficult to buy new players and have bet mostly on free agents and targeting to get players on loan. Consequently, Moyes has been left with very few players on his shopping list and Norwich’s Robbie Brady and Everton’s old general Phil Jagielka tops the list.
However, the problem with both targets are that while cash-crunched Sunderland cannot afford the wages of the Norwich star, Jagielka wouldn’t want to move to a club who could see themselves in the Championship next season and that too when Everton are hot on Manchester United’s heels challenging for the fifth position.
However, Moyes doesn’t seem to give up his hopes on the Everton man and reportedly, he is now eyeing a double swoop for Jagielka and the Toffees left-back Bryan Oviedo. Missing out on Brady, Moyes now looks to get the next best option of a wing-back in Oviedo.
The 26-year-old Costa Rican has been impressive for Everton this season so far from the little chances he has got in the initial stages of the first half when Leighton Baines was out with an injury. Although Oviedo has only made 6 appearances for the Toffees, he has also won 14 tackles with a success rate of 61%. He has made six interceptions, 21 clearances and two blocks. With a passing accuracy of 77%, Oviedo is definitely a big asset for any team.
He has played 68 games for Everton now scoring twice and assisting nine. Sunderland also have an excellent side back in Patrick Van Aanholt and we expect Moyes to deploy Oviedo in an advanced position.
Persuading Jagielka will definitely be a problem but we can fully understand Moyes’ desperation to sign someone like him. The Everton skipper has played 583 matches in English football, scoring 34 goals in all his career.
The Sheffield United youth product joined Everton in 2007, where he was brought by David Moyes, which explains his understanding of his abilities. His recent falling down the pecking order to the younger Funes Mori and Holgate indicates his end at the club and Moyes feels he can still use him to his best of abilities.
