Everton CEO Angus Kinnear says he is “confident” the club will sign a new right-back in the summer transfer window, but admits it won’t happen before they face Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the Premier League.
The Toffees have been on the hunt for a new full-back for a while now. They almost acquired Kenny Tete on a free transfer last summer, but the Dutchman did a U-turn and signed a new deal with Fulham instead.
Centre-back Jake O’Brien performed admirably in the role last season, but the departure of Seamus Coleman and the fact that Nathan Patterson is surplus to requirements means they lack a natural right-back in the first-team squad.
Kinnear hoped to have filled the position already, but Everton manager David Moyes will have to start the new campaign on Saturday without one.
Everton address transfer concerns over right-back search
“I don’t think we are in a bad position on that,” Kinnear told BBC Radio Merseyside.
“The players we thought we had the option of are still available for us, I don’t think they will be there for Crystal Palace, which was the objective.
“I’m confident that we’ll bring a right back in. It’s a position we’ve needed. I think Jake (O’Brien) has done a sterling job for us in that position.
“It was something that we were trying to do last summer and didn’t feel that we could get the quality in.
“So a right-back was top priority in the window, we would have liked to have got it done earlier.
“I understand the fans’ frustrations; I understand how they see it as being critical.
“Even the Prime Minister chipped in to give us some helpful direction. So it’s reached a level of national importance.
“So we are working hard to bring one in and I’m sure we will. I’m sure it will be an improvement, and it will round off the squad nicely.”
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