Tyler Dibling: Moyes says Everton can lure summer signings

tyler dibling sits inside a bigger Everton shift: David Moyes says the club are now in a better position to attract summer signings. That view comes after he found last summer difficult in the market, when Everton were outside Europe and short on leverage.

Moyes and Everton's pitch

Moyes said players want to play in Europe and insisted Everton must keep that possibility alive. He tied the club’s pitch to the team’s progress this season, the new stadium and the full houses that have greeted games there.

“That’ll be the challenge for us. I found it difficult to attract players last summer because of that. The difference now is that Everton have been close this year. People have had the chance to see the new stadium and a full house at all the games, so there are a lot of things to be positive about.”

He added: “I’ve always said players want to play in Europe. We’ve got to make sure that is a possibility.” European qualification remains Everton’s ambition, but the club’s league position has slid to 11th after successive defeats to Liverpool and West Ham.

Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night

The next test comes Monday night, when Everton host Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Moyes called City “always a really good side, tough to play against,” and said: “In some ways, we’re looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

City arrive with their own run of form. They reached a fourth consecutive FA Cup final by beating Southampton last weekend and have won six straight games since elimination from Europe last month.

For Everton, the immediate task is to keep the European chase alive while making the club’s case to prospective signings. Moyes has already put the message on the record: the stadium, the crowds and the chance of European football are now part of the sales pitch.