Everton have been on the hunt for a new striker this summer, with Marcel Brands & Marco Silva wanting a mobile target man to lead the line in 2019/20, but the Toffees haven’t made any progress strengthening their attack.
Trimming the deadwood has proven a difficult task too with Oumar Niasse and Cenk Tosun still struggling to find suitors, but can Silva fix Everton’s problem before the summer transfer window shuts in three weeks?
Sandro Ramirez, Niasse and Tosun were expected to be sold after falling down the pecking order at Goodison Park, but Everton only managed to loan out Sandro this summer. Silva risks being stuck with Niasse & Tosun in 2018/19 if he can’t find suitors which may stop him pursuing a new striker.
It wouldn’t be a wise move to rely on the pair as a last-resort in attack either. Niasse failed to score a goal in seven appearances at Everton and 13 at Cardiff City (loan) last season. Tosun netted only four goals in 29 games in 2018/19 and spent the final three months of the campaign on the periphery.
Everton were expected to bring in a new centre-forward if Niasse & Tosun were axed, but nothing has come from their attempts to sign Rafael Leao, Moise Kean, Mario Mandzukic, Diego Costa, Adolfo Gaich, Bertrand Traore, Danny Welbeck, Jean-Kevin Augustin, Patrick Schick or Che Adams.
Silva has 20 days to turn things around.