Sam Allardyce set to concede defeat in search for new Everton left-back

Allardyce singled out the position out as one to strengthen when he arrived at Goodison Park in November but Everton have instead added reinforcements up front

Sam Allardyce said Everton were being priced out of the market (Getty)

Sam Allardyce said on Friday that Everton may be forced to admit defeat in their search for a left-back this month as their intended targets so far proved too expensive.

Cuco Martina, naturally a right-back, has deputised in the position under Allardyce with first-choice Leighton Baines gradually recovering from a calf problem.

Allardyce singled out the position out as one to strengthen when he arrived at Goodison Park in November but Everton have instead added reinforcements up front, signing Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott for a combined total of approximately £47m.

Those additions, on top of an already-bloated squad, have left little room for manoeuvre in the club’s wage budget and Allardyce now believes any defensive signings will be unlikely.

“We can’t find one,” Allardyce admitted when asked whether Everton supporters could expect a new left-back before 1 February. “What we could find has been massively expensive and that has been a real problem for us.

“Our efforts and ability to fill that position have been thwarted because most of the clubs don’t want to let their left-backs go. You would have to increase the price level way beyond what is the reality to push them into selling a player.”

Allardyce claimed that he could not see the situation changing in the current window and suggested that Everton’s focus for the remainder of the month will be on selling players rather than bringing new faces in.

Juan Bernat, the Bayern Munich full-back, became the latest player to be linked with Goodison Park earlier this week, but Allardyce is not optimistic about the chances of another new face arriving in the current window.

If anything, the Everton manager believes that he and Steve Walsh, the club’s director of football, will be focused on selling out-of-favour players rather making acquisitions.

Sam Allardyce has yet to bring in a new defensive signing (Getty)

Aaron Lennon completed a move to Burnley on Friday night while Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez, two summer signings, could also leave.

Allardyce said: “We have looked at an awful lot [of full-backs], but if I move players on and I move players out then our financial balances get better which is a great part of the job we are in at the moment.

“Balancing off wages is a critical factor at any club now and we have to balance off wages by moving some players on and in that period of time that gives more finance back and if we find a full back we can go farther.

“32 to 33 pros here and six or seven on loan is in my opinion too big and needs reducing.”

On whether Everton must sell before they can buy, Allardyce added: “Difficult to say where wage bill lies without speaking to finance director. We can’t go too high in ratio of wages to turnover because of the regulations.”