Everton offloaded Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams & Matthew Pennington (loan) over the summer without locating a replacement, leaving Marco Silva with Michael Keane, Yerry Mina & Mason Holgate at centre-back.
The Toffees recently overcome an injury crisis in defence that left them without a natural replacement on the bench, so the January transfer window will be essential for Silva to add depth in a key area.
Jagielka re-joined Sheffield United over the summer and has gone on to make five appearances in all competitions this season. Williams joined Bristol City and has featured 10 times so far. He’s also extended his deal at Ashton Gate until next summer.
As for Pennington, the 25-year-old joined Hull City on loan and has made three appearances in 2019/20. Everton sit 15th in the Premier League, have the sixth-worst defensive record (18) and have just one clean sheet in the league since mid-August. Keeping Jagielka for another season was an option that they avoided and may now be regretting.
Where do we need to improve in January?
Goalkeeper
Defence
Midfield
Forwards
Everton will have a month to recruit a central defender, so they should fix their problem at the back to try and salvage their season.