Carlo Ancelotti expects Everton board to support him in summer transfer market

Ancelotti: "I think that the board is going to support me and support the team. We have the same idea that the team has to improve"

Sunday 19 July 2020 07:37, UK

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident he will be backed by the club's board in the summer transfer window after admitting his squad needs improvement.

Everton are without a win in their last four matches and can no longer finish higher than 10th after being held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Thursday.

The Toffees have been linked with a number of transfer targets, including Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ancelotti is expecting financial support as he looks to build his own squad at Goodison Park.

"We are looking for players with quality, we need to improve the squad for next season," he said.

"When the season is finished I think that we are going to talk together to find the right solution for this.

"I think that the board is going to support me and support the team. We have the same idea that the team has to improve."

Everton travel to face Sheffield United on Monday in their final away game of the season, with Chris Wilder's side now eight points better off in the Premier League table.

Jarrad Branthwaite is expected to make only his second start for Everton at Bramall Lane after Ancelotti confirmed Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina will miss the rest of the season through injury.

Holgate was forced off against Aston Villa with a recurrence of a shin problem, while Mina injured his thigh in last weekend's defeat at Wolves.

Fabian Delph will also miss the two remaining games with a muscle strain which has ruled him out since February.

"All three are out for the rest of the season. There is only 10 days and they will not be able to recover before the end of this season," said Ancelotti.

Asked whether Delph's absence was particularly frustrating as he had expected to return this month, Ancelotti added: "I am disappointed. When a player has an injury we are always disappointed but unfortunately it can happen.

"In the last period we had a lot of games and, honestly, we were lucky we didn't have a lot of problems in this aspect."