REACH FOR THE STARS
He’s already spent £90m but Ron’s not done yet as he aims to take Toffees to the top
RONALD KOEMAN believes Everton are showing the ambition to take them to the very top.
The Blues boss thinks his emerging side are already a very different proposition from the team he inherited last season – and they will only get better.
And he revealed that his aim now is to find players with the right mentality, who can thrive on the pressure he will heap on them in the drive to join the football elite.
Koeman has signed 10 players already this summer, but he is hungry for more new faces as he looks to build a squad capable of challenging in both the Premier League and the Europa League.
He said: “In the first season, the aim was to try to play good football and get good results, but now we need to make the next step.
“We have to get the type of players who can deal with that pressure and have the qualities we need to improve.
“Everyone is trying to get the best players.
“The big six in the Premier League will spend money as well, but it is a good signal to everybody that we are on board and will try to give them the kind of competition that we didn’t last season.”
Koeman sent out his warning signal with the team he picked for the first leg of their Europa League qualifying-round tie against minnows Ruzomberok.
The Dutch boss didn’t have a SINGLE player in his side signed by his predecessor Roberto Martinez, which is evidence of the rebuilding job he has already completed.
But, even though the Blues have done remarkable transfer business this summer, Koeman is not finished yet.
Swansea playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud are still on his radar, while he is also after a left-sided defender.
And the Goodison boss knows there is still a lot of work to be done before he gets close to the sort of team he wants. “It is still too soon to talk about top four,” insisted Koeman.
“What we’d like to do is continue what we did last season.
“Everybody knows you cannot do that in one season. But they also know that there was one really big reason for me to sign one year ago for Everton.
“It was all about this project – and I think the club is truly showing the ambition that everybody likes to have.
“And they are really great, exciting times for Everton Football Club.”