Everton manager David Moyes has dismissed reports suggesting Chelsea lodged a last-minute bid for midfielder James Garner on transfer deadline day, insisting there was no substance to the story whatsoever.
Speculation had circulated that the Premier League giants made a late approach to add the versatile Garner to their midfield ranks before the window slammed shut. But Moyes was quick to shut down the talk when questioned on the matter.
"What was said was completely untrue, so I don't know where that's come from," Moyes said. "There's no truth in that whatsoever."
Garner therefore remains part of a squad that Moyes now must navigate through the season with distinctly thin resources. The Everton boss confirmed his group stands at just 18 senior players following a chaotic close to the window, in which several deals fell through at the eleventh hour.
Monaco forward Folarin Balogun reportedly walked away from negotiations with Everton moments before the deadline passed, while a late loan proposal for Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee was turned down by the Old Trafford club. Everton have since been linked with West Ham striker Taty Castellanos as they continue searching for attacking reinforcements.
On the outgoing side, the Toffees saw Beto, Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson all depart the club during the window, with none of the trio replaced before deadline day concluded. The combination of failed incomings and unreplaced departures has left Moyes with a notably small squad heading into the Premier League campaign.
The veteran manager did not hide his frustration with how the transfer window unfolded for his club, pointing to a lack of alignment behind the scenes as a contributing factor.
"If you want success, then you all need to be aligned," Moyes explained. "I think we've got new owners in who are still finding their way at the club. I think as we get to know each other a bit more, it will be better."
Moyes stressed that his own experience in the game meant he understood exactly what was required to construct a squad capable of competing in the Premier League, even if things did not go entirely to plan this time around.
"I know what I needed and I know what it's like to build a squad for the Premier League. I know the numbers you need. I've been around long enough to know that, but some things went against us and some things could have gone better," he said.
He also acknowledged that losing key players was not necessarily the club's preferred outcome, but circumstances forced Everton's hand in several cases.
"Ultimately, we didn't want to lose a lot of the players, but for different reasons that had to happen. They're all going to have to be able to muck in as we've got a real small squad now," Moyes added.
Despite the challenges posed by a depleted first-team roster, Moyes struck a note of optimism regarding the club's academy prospects, suggesting the situation could open doors for younger talents to break into the senior setup.
"It gives opportunities to some people who have not had them and sometimes in football you need to be given that chance so that you can show what you can do," he said.
With the transfer window now closed and no further incomings possible until January, Moyes will have to rely on the players currently at his disposal, including a handful of academy graduates, as Everton look to navigate a demanding Premier League schedule with one of the smallest squads in the division.
Based on reporting from standard-football.