There’s no doubting Everton are much stronger side under Marco Silva this season, but there are still a few issues that need ironing out at Goodison Park.
Arguably the biggest of those issues is the lack of a potent striker. Richarlison has been filling the role admirably this season and has eight goals to his name so far, but the Brazilian is at his best when playing on the left flank and cutting inside.
The moments in which Cenk Tosun shows his qualities are all too fleeting, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be far more effective from the bench and is struggling to really match up to the standards required of a Premier League striker.
And what about Oumar Niasse? Well, he is more of a meme lord than a centre-forward king and although his hustle and bustle can grab him a few goals, he isn’t the man to fire the Toffees into the upper echelons of the Premier League.
With that in mind, who could Everton be targetting to solve their striker shortage? Read on for some of the most likely contenders, as well as Squawka’s suggestion…
Dream: Callum Wilson
OK, I know what you’re all thinking: “Callum Wilson. Wow, Everton, way to show your ambition.”
Seriously, though, Callum Wilson is a fantastic striker. The Bournemouth marksman has struggled with injury throughout his Bournemouth career but has always been their main goal threat when fit.
This season, however, has been a totally different story for Wilson. His only real injury issue has been a slight hamstring tweak which kept him out of the Cherries’ 4-0 defeat against Liverpool recently while the 26-year-old has taken his goalscoring exploits to a whole new level, bagging nine goals in 17 appearances across all competitions so far this term.
Callum Wilson is the first-ever Bournemouth player to start for England.
Fully deserved. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/DrUGFZ8fVb
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 15, 2018
This form has seen Wilson earn a debut for the England senior team, in which he scored against the USA, and Eddie Howe will certainly be worrying about whether he can keep his star striker beyond this season.
Wilson has a great blend of qualities boasted by each of Everton’s current strikers. He’s got Tosun’s strength, Richarlison’s speed and ability, while he is certainly as capable in the air as Calvert-Lewin, making him an ideal target.
He falls into the ‘dream’ category as Bournemouth would be very reluctant to sell to a direct Premier League rival in January but, if Everton could capture his signature, Callum Wilson would certainly give them a much more ruthless edge up top.
Realistic: Jean-Kevin Augustin
If recent reports are to be believed, Everton are already lining up a €40m (£35.9m) bid for RB Leipzig’s Jean-Kevin Augustin.
The French U21 international moved to the German club at the start of last season and 11 goals in 37 games represented a promising start; much more promising than his two goals in 31 games for PSG.
This season has seen Augustin ramp it up another level, bagging six goals in 17 games across all competitions so far, despite only starting 10 of those games.
(Photo credit should read ROBERT MICHAEL/AFP/Getty Images)
Augustin isn’t the best in the air, but that won’t matter to Everton with Marco Silva very much playing a possession-based style of play that involves a striker dropping off to link play, rather than battling for long balls as seen under Sam Allardyce last season.
The 21-year-old, however, is a very capable ball carrier and his pace and trickery can make him a nightmare for defenders when he gets on the run. Augustin can score goals from range, as well as putting away one-on-one chances, meaning he can be deployed as a pacey centre-forward, or a false nine – a skillset that could define him as a ‘nine-and-a-half’.
Augustin isn’t the finished article but, then again, neither are Everton. With Timo Werner still the main man at RB Leipzig, there is every chance that Marco Silva could lure Augustin to Goodison Park, where playing alongside the likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson can only accelerate the Frenchman’s development.
Wildcard: Michy Batshuayi
Being out on loan from Chelsea at Valencia at the moment very much makes Michy Batshuayi a left-of-field striking target for Everton. There is a lot about Batshuayi and Everton that would make a good fit, though.
The 25-year-old hasn’t exactly hit the heights in Spain so far this season, scoring just three goals in 18 games, but his nine goals in 14 appearances for Borussia Dortmund at the end of last term certainly shows how lethal he can be.
Couple that with 12 goals in 22 caps for Belgium, despite playing second-fiddle to Romelu Lukaku, and 19 goals for Chelsea despite only starting a handful of games, and you have the make-up of a potent goalscorer.
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Maurizio Sarri is still searching for a centre-forward combination himself, and he recently turned to Eden Hazard as a false nine against Manchester City, a move suggesting he does not trust Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud. The fact that Batshuayi is still out on loan indicates he isn’t in the Italian’s plans and could be captured for a reasonable price.
Silva would have to work on Batshuayi’s contribution to a pressing team, which the Portuguese is slowly implement at Everton, but his clinical finishing, positioning and burst of pace mean the former Marseille man has all the raw materials to become a potent Premier League striker.
Squawka Suggests: Josef Martinez
Putting it bluntly, Josef Martinez has been in spectacular form this season. The Venezuelan fired an incredible 35 goals in 39 games for Atlanta United this term, taking his total tally there to 55 goals in just 61 games, and helped the Five Stripes go all the way to win MLS Cup.
I know, I know, ‘it’s only MLS’, but seriously, Martinez has been a force of nature. The 25-year-old has pretty much done whatever he’s put his mind to this term; want him to hold the ball up? Martinez will do it. Want him to run off the shoulder of the last defender? Martinez has it covered. Want him to run the channels and create space for midfielders? No problem for Martinez.
So, we’ve probably waxed lyrical enough about Martinez now, and the fact that his exploits have taken place in a slightly weaker league does have to be taken into consideration. However, with Miguel Almiron looking set to move to Newcastle United, Martinez will surely believe that his form will warrant a move to follow his teammate to the Premier League. Atlanta United will be powerless to stop Martinez moving, and 46-time Venezuelan international would jump at the chance to join a club of Everton’s stature.
READ MORE: Who is Newcastle target Miguel Almiron?
The post Which January signing would solve Everton’s striker problem? appeared first on Squawka News.
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