What David Moyes’ past winter transfers mean for Man Utd in January

David Moyes’ has been promised as much money as he needs to ensure Man Utd’s Champions League qualification in the January window, but reviewed on balance, his mid-season acquisitions at Everton are not cause for slavering anticipation.

The Red Devils are currently 6/4 fifth-favourites to secure top-table European football next term via the medium of a top-four Premier League finish.

Meanwhile Tottenham (3/1) and Everton (7/2) are three points and four points above them in the table respectively.

First and foremost it must be acknowledged that Everton were not operating in the same financial sphere as United during the period in question.

Nonetheless it remains the height of fair play to judge the effectiveness of a January acquisition by the impact they had on the side in the short, medium or long term.

The following are a list of permanent January signings made during that part of Moyes’ Goodison Park tenure governed by the transfer window system.

John Stones, Nikica Jelavic, Darron Gibson, Araz Abdullayev, Apostolos Vellios, Dan Gosling, James Beattie, Niclas Alexandersson, Iain Turner and Espen Baardsen.

A list that it’s hard for United fans and owners desperate for immediate improvement to draw too much solace from.

With the notable exception of Nikica Jelavic, who burst onto the scene with nine goals in 13 league games in 2011/12 few could be credited for rejuvenating a Toffees campaign.

James Beattie, signed for a princely £6m, can hardly claim a similar effect, with a single league goal in 11 league games following a midwinter switch from Southampton.

The Daily Express suggests that Moyes’ targets include Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus, Southampton’s Luke Shaw, Atletico Madrid’s Koke and Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala.

However it’s thought that the quintet’s current owners will be unwilling to consider cutting deals before the summer if at all.