Everton are in a dreadful state, as they were exactly twelve months ago. In an attempt to come out of this relegation mess, the Toffees are trying to sign a potent goalscorer and have set been linked to names like Michail Antonio and Duvan Zapata.
A year ago, the loyal fans of the club were screaming and shouting at the top of their voices, demanding an ouster of Rafa Benitez for the shambolic performances and untidy football being played under him. The Spaniard was sacked and in came Frank Lampard, who offered some breath of fresh air and renewed hope.
Fast forward 12 months, the vicious cycle repeats as Everton lie 19th in the Premier League table with just three wins on the board. Is Lampard the only culprit? Definitely Not, but he isn’t the solution either. As things stand, the board continues to back the English manager and for the time being, despite poor results, Lampard is still in charge. In order to engineer an operation to safety, Lampard will need reinforcements in the winter transfer window.
The attack is the chink in Everton’s armour. The underwhelming performance from the strikers and the wide men has put the Toffees in a compromising situation with big threats on their Premier League status. In order to avoid relegation, EFC need to sign strikers and have just 14 days to rectify some of its mess through new signings.
Everton have a questionable strategy as links to Michail Antonio emerge
Since Farhad Moshiri took over, the club has been blamed for not having a long term vision and just steamrolling ahead without a clear plan. Everton have gone from one manager to another and made a mish mash squad that isn’t capable enough of challenging for the top half of the Premier League.
Short sightedness has been a real issue as EFC are once again looking for short term solutions rather than investing in players who can be here for the long term. It is true that the Toffees are trying to sign a striker but the players that they are targeting points out at questionable EFC strategy.
A few days ago links to West Ham United striker Antonio emerged. The Hammers are ready to listen to offers for the 32 year old and the player is open to the idea of leaving West Ham should a suitor knock at the door. West Ham are trying to sign Terem Moffi from Lorient and his arrival could see Antonio leave the club.
Reports from Italy stated that EFC have proposed a loan deal with an option to buy for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata who had a tumultuous season with La Dea. The Colombian has played just 622 minutes of football and has netted just once in the process. The 31 year old has fallen down the pecking order as Giampaolo Gasperini prefers Rasmus Hojlund in the starting role.
Another forward from Serie A, Marko Arnautovic, is linked with a move to Goodison Park. The 33 year old is contracted with Bologna till 2025 but the Toffees still want to try their luck in signing the burly Austrian.
The common theme in all three targets is that they are above thirty and are somewhat on a decline. Antonio and Arnautovic surely bring Premier League experience but their recent numbers do not give confidence.
Everton are short sighted in a manner that they want to sign strikers who can help them secure Premier League football for next season. None of the three targets will get long term deals and will have negligible resale value unless a ridiculous offer arrives for them from the Middle East.
This short term planning might paper the cracks but a full scale surgery will be needed sooner rather than later. Instead, the Toffees can look for goalscorers who are younger and are available for a reasonable price, like Moussa Dembele of Lyon. The Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer and he could be available for a modest sum.
How much ever tempting these options look from a financial stand point, EFC should steer clear of Zapata, Arnautovic and Michail Antonio.
Should EFC sign someone like Michail Antonio to save their season?