Everton sources reveal what the Friedkin Group are now doing behind the scenes to improve recruitment

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Since the Friedkin Group’s arrival last December, Everton have seen their fortunes turn.

The sacking of Sean Dyche in January saw David Moyes return for a second spell at Goodison Park as he penned a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Moyes has won four of his first six Premier League games in charge, lifting the Toffees 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
9	Aston VillaAston Villa	25	10	8	7	35	38	-3	38
10	BrightonBrighton	25	9	10	6	38	38	0	37
11	BrentfordBrentford	25	10	4	11	43	42	1	34
12	TottenhamTottenham	25	9	3	13	49	37	12	30
13	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	25	7	9	9	29	32	-3	30
14	EvertonEverton	25	7	9	9	27	31	-4	30
15	Man UtdManchester United	25	8	5	12	28	35	-7	29
16	West HamWest Ham	25	7	6	12	29	47	-18	27
17	WolvesWolves	25	5	4	16	35	54	-19	19
18	IpswichIpswich	25	3	8	14	23	50	-27	17

So, ahead of the move to the new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock, there’s certainly a lot of positivity around the club at the moment.

And, the Friedkin’s are now implementing some improvements to the recruitment process at youth level – which has been below par for years.

• READ MORE: David Moyes is set to do Sean Dyche a favour five weeks after his Everton exit

Friedkin Group focusing on Everton’s academy recruitment

According to TEAMtalk, sources close to Everton have branded the recruitment at academy level as a ‘disgrace’.

Everton’s under-21s didn’t have a single Liverpool-born player in their starting line-up in their most recent fixture.

Over the last few years, the club’s best local talent has been snatched by others and there’s also been a lack of new additions through the door at Finch Farm.

When Moyes was last at the club, they employed 300 scouts at grassroots level, now that number has reduced to just 40.

So evidently, improvement is needed and that’s one of the Friedkin’s main priorities at this stage as they look to return the club to its past glories.

The new American owners are expected to pump significant investment into the academy infrastructure in the hope of making it one of the finest in the country again.

James Vaughan now overseeing academy recruitment

The report further adds that former Everton academy graduate James Vaughan is now overseeing recruitment at youth level.

It’s understood Vaughan has a significant amount of knowledge around the area, so the club are hopeful of recruiting the best young talent in Merseyside.

The Everton chief knows exactly what’s required to create a pathway to Moyes’ first-team for young players.

So, with the additional resources the Friedkin’s can now provide, Everton’s academy should significantly improve over the coming years.