Everton are already “clear” on their summer transfer targets and aim to tie up their business earlier than last year.
The Blues made six senior signings in July and August with three players arriving on deadline day and Kurt Zouma's loan being ratified the day after.
Marco Silva, understood to be targeting at least as many new recruits this summer, hopes to bring in new faces early in pre-season, with Everton set to return to Finch Farm at the beginning of July.
But the Blues boss concedes that even though they are entering a summer free of the World Cup or European Championships – tournaments which often delays deals being done – it is not always straightforward securing transfers early.
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But Silva says he and director of football Marcel Brands are certain of who they want to bring to Goodison.
“One hundred per cent, the most important things are the games that are coming – West Ham on Saturday – but I keep working with Marcel and with the club in all the things we have to do,” Silva told the ECHO.
“And for us the idea, and what we have in our mind, is very clear in this moment but the most thing at the moment, I have to repeat to you, is the West Ham match, West Ham match, West Ham match.
“After will be the Arsenal match but in the meantime we are doing our normal work: we are planning pre-season, we are planning next season but always with 100% focus on the next match.”
Richarlison was the first signing of last summer, with his £35m move from Watford confirmed on July 24 before Lucas Digne arrived in early August.
The signings of Bernard, Andre Gomes and Yerry Mina were all finalised on deadline day before Everton received confirmation that Zouma's loan switch from Chelsea had gone through the day after.
The final day of this summer's window has been set for Thursday, August 8, with a 5pm deadline, and though there will be the Copa America, Africa Cup and Nations and June's Nations League games in the international schedule, Silva is hoping Everton can tie up deals quicker than in his first pre-season in charge.
“It is always the idea, it is always what we try (to get deals done early),” he said.
“Everything we plan is to have all the players, or at least 95% of the players, in at the beginning of pre-season and for me it is the perfect scenario.
“But you know, last season was a World Cup season and after a World Cup season or European Championships, the market is always different.
“The players go to their national team, everybody is seeing what is up, taking some decisions and always the deals are coming a little bit later.
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“We have competitions this summer, but not the big competitions, so it could be different in the summer, it is always different to the World Cup or Euros summer.
“And the perfect scenario for us as a club is to have everything done for the start of pre-season but, I have to tell you, it will be really difficult.
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“Because it is a matter of business and we have to be patient sometimes but it is our goal, our aim.”
