Everton look to rekindle short-term Larsson deal
David Moyes, the Everton manager, will reconsider a move for the veteran Sweden captain Henrik Larsson in January as he searches the loan market for reinforcements for his stricken strike force.
Injuries have reduced Everton’s established four-man attack to one in the past week, the 20-year-old Victor Anichebe, and Moyes, with little money to spend, may have to revive his interest in the 37-year-old Larsson. The Everton manager resisted a chance to sign the former Celtic striker from Helsingborg at the end of last season, when he still had Andrew Johnson on the books, but warmed to the idea after Johnson was sold to Fulham and the August transfer deadline was approaching.
By that stage, however, Larsson was reluctant to quit Helsingborg midway through a Swedish league season in which he ultimately scored 14 goals in 27 games and Moyes turned his attentions to Louis Saha. Everton may offer Larsson a short-term deal similar to the one he accepted from Manchester United in 2007, when he played from January until March during Sweden’s close season, although whether the veteran remains receptive to the idea is uncertain.
Larsson will not be the only option considered as Moyes tries to ease an injury crisis that has claimed Yakubu Ayegbeni, James Vaughan and Saha inside the past week. The 11.25m Yakubu is out for the season having ruptured an achilles tendon during the win at Tottenham while Vaughan will undergo knee surgery this week at the Colorado clinic of Dr Richard Steadman and Saha suffered a muscle spasm in his hamstring at White Hart Lane. Vaughan will be sidelined for up to three months following surgery and Saha will be reassessed later in the week, though he is not as serious as was first anticipated. Yakubu will have an operation today.
“It is a huge blow to lose Yak and we are all so sorry for him,” said Steven Pienaar, Everton’s scorer at Spurs. “He was really down. His presence alone in the team gives the players a boost, so it is really unfortunate for him when we are not even halfway through the season.”
The CSKA Moscow forward Vagner Love would be Moyes’ ideal target. The manager watched the Brazilian score twice in a recent Uefa Cup tie at Feyenoord, although his 12m valuation is beyond the Scot and the injury to Yakubu removes any prospect of the Nigerian being sold to raise funds. The Everton manager had previously said Yakubu was not for sale. Alan Smith was another target in the summer, although the Newcastle forward has not played all season due to a stress fracture in his foot, while Kleber, a Brazilian currently on loan at Palmeiras from Dynamo Kiev, has also interested Premier League scouts.
