Are Everton targeting wrong player again in West Ham target Carvalho?

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Everton are competing with West Ham to sign Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho but are they once again targeting the wrong area?

Ronald Koeman, manager of Everton, makes a point during the Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Former Everton striker Tony Cottee has criticised the club’s transfer policy over the summer and thinks that is why they have struggled so far this season.

Cottee, who spent six years at Goodison Park between 1988 and 1994, believes that the Toffees have signed too many attacking midfielders to leave their team unbalanced and disjointed.

Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson (L) has an unsuccessful shot during the English Premier League football match against Burnley.

“I’m not surprised they are struggling to a degree if you look at their transfer policy,” the 52-year-old told talkSPORT.

“Gylfi Sigurdsson is a very good player but he wasn’t what they needed and £45million was a lot to pay for him.

“They have ended up with lots of number tens. They have got [Ross] Barkley to come back, they have got [Wayne] Rooney, they have got Sigurdsson, and they are not scoring goals.

“It is no surprise that they haven’t got a goalscorer that Everton are in trouble.”

William Carvalho of Sporting CP in action during the Primeira Liga match against Porto.

However, would the Merseysiders be making a similar mistake if, as reported by the Sun, they try and complete a deal to sign Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho?

Carvalho has been strongly linked with West Ham United and almost joined the East London club over the summer, before the move fell through leading to a fallout between the Hammers and Sporting’s hierarchies.

The Portugal international is a defensive midfielder, which arguably with Idrissa Gueye, Morgan Schneiderlin, Muhamed Besic and James McCarthy already in the squad, is one other area manager Ronald Koeman does not really need to strengthen.

Where the team is really lacking is upfront, out wide and, with Ashley Williams playing poorly and Ramiro Funes Mori out injured for the majority of the season, in central defence.

Having already been criticised for flooding the number ten role and having to fit too many similar players into the starting XI, would Everton have the same problem further back if they land Carvalho?