With relegation from the Premier League often comes a need for clubs to get their wage bills down to a more manageable level.
Such is the situation with West Ham United, who reportedly need to raise £150 million in order to keep their books balanced, which likely means a big sell-off is coming for the Hammers.
This all comes via Mike McGrath from The Telegraph, who is also reporting that Everton are part of the mix for West Ham right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who McGrath says can be had for roughly
£10 million this summer.
Wan-Bissaka has been at West Ham for the last two seasons after three years with Crystal Palace, followed by half a decade with Manchester United. The right back will turn 29 in November.
The need is very clear from Everton's perspective, and has been for several years now, with the likes of Jake O'Brien, Nathan Patterson, Ashley Young, Ben Godfrey, and James Garner filling in that slot over the last few campaigns.
His age will prevent him from being a long-term option there, but Wan-Bissaka would be a reasonable addition to the squad, especially at that price point, and could be counted on as a regular starter.
That said, the Democratic Republic of Congo international, who'll join his country at the World Cup next month, can't be the only right back brought in this summer, as moves need to be made for a starter and depth from outside the current squad.
The concern is whether Wan-Bissaka is just a right back version of Vitalii Mykolenko, although the former is more athletic than the latter: a solid defender who doesn't offer as much going forward, especially at this stage of his career.
The inevitable Jarrod Bowen link
Another name being bandied about in the rumor mill regarding a move from West Ham to Everton is forward Jarrod Bowen. Christopher Beesley of The Liverpool Echo notes that Everton are in the "chasing pack" for the England international.
Bowen, who turned 29 in late December, is a prolific goal scorer in the Premier League, having notched 16, 13, and 9 over the last three seasons. He can play on the right wing or centrally, something that might fit Everton well.
The issue here is two-fold.
First, adding players who are pushing 30 to longer-term deals, which Bowen would certainly want if he joins, feels like a bad business model.
Second, the continued links to players David Moyes coached while at West Ham are problematic, and it stinks of a manager who has his guys he likes and leads to others being shut out of the mix.
Liverpool, who see Bowen as a Mo Salah replacement, and Newcastle, who might sell Anthony Gordon, ironically, to Liverpool, are also thought to be in the mix for Bowen.
Inevitably, the price tag may end up being a non-starter, even if Beesley notes that Bowen may be "prised away for less than £60 million." It would have to be considerably less for Everton to get involved or win the race against the other two clubs.
The larger takeaway is that while there are options at West Ham that Everton should pursue, outside of Wan-Bissaka at a bargain, these two names aren't the best fit.
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