With Oumar Niasse and Cenk Tosun expected to leave Everton this summer, Marco Silva is on the hunt for a new centre-forward. According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton are showing interest in Andrej Kramaric. The £27.5k-per-week striker joined Hoffenheim on a permanent deal from Leicester City in 2016 and went on to score and create 45 goals in 98 Bundesliga appearances.
Kramaric flopped at Leicester but he’s had a new lease of life in Germany. He initially joined Hoffenheim on loan in 2015/16 and contributed nine goals in 15 league games which earned him the permanent deal. The 28-year-old scored 15 league goals in 2016/17, 13 league goals in 2017/18 and 17 league goals in 2018/19.
Everton could begin the 2019/20 season with only one natural striker in Dominic Calvert-Lewin unless they bring in a new face, so Silva is expected to make strengthening the attack a priority. Whether the Toffees can land Kramaric’s signature this summer remains to be seen, as the Croatian international is a key player at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
It’s hard to see Hoffenheim letting him go willingly after his fine form in Germany. Kramaric may not be open to returning to the Premier League either as he struggled in England (20 appearances, four goals). Time will tell.