Everton’s strikers’ future is unknown following a dismal return last season, and Sean Dyche’s options may still change before the season starts. Everton’s striker position is, to put it mildly, underwhelming – but this is nothing new. Despite Sean Dyche’s side finishing well clear of relegation last season, even after the eight-point deduction, only Sheffield United scored less goals than the Toffees. As we look ahead to the season, Evertonians have little cause to be optimistic that the Toffees’ front line will be prolific goal scorers. With some of their futures at the club in jeopardy, Everton’s strikers will have a lot to show in the coming season.
It remains to be seen whether Everton’s number nine will be available when the club meets Brighton on the first day of the new season. Dominic Calvert-Lewin appeared to be close to joining ex-blue Anthony Gordon at Newcastle when the deal fell through; but, the 27-year-old might still find himself leaving the club he’s been with for the past eight years. The striker has failed to agree on a new contract with the club, and with just 12 months remaining on his present deal, Everton may be obliged to transfer Calvert-Lewin this summer in order to avoid losing money.
The Englishman’s recent form is far from a compelling reason for the club to maintain him. Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems are well known, but when he has led the line, the Yorkshireman has only scored 14 goals in the last three seasons. That figure is two fewer than his most remarkable 21/22 total, when the striker scored 16 goals under Carlo Ancelotti.
To be fair to the club, reinforcements have been hired in recent years to help the team score goals when Calvert-Lewin is injured or out of form. Unfortunately, those reinforcements have consistently faltered in front of the goal. Beto, who arrived from Udinese last summer for almost £26 million, may already be leaving the club, according to rumors, after the Portuguese striker impressed on too few times in his debut season.
After scoring on his Carabao Cup debut against Doncaster, the 26-year-old has only scored three league goals, with his first coming as part of a great team effort in a 3-0 win over Newcastle. In spite of several claims, Beto recently expressed his tremendous desire to have a stronger second season than the first. The forward is eager to silence the ‘haters’, which Sean Dyche will undoubtedly appreciate if it means his squad can score more goals.
Neal Maupay’s future is also uncertain because of his poor record for Everton – do you see a pattern? Frank Lampard signed the Frenchman two summers ago, and he has only scored once since then. To be fair, he spent the majority of last season on loan at his former club, Brentford, where he scored six goals. The striker has stated a desire to leave Everton and join Brentford, but Thomas Frank is unwilling to sign the forward on a permanent basis.
Maupay is now with the Everton squad in pre-season, having played the first half of the draw with Sligo Rovers, but his transfer status appears to remain in limbo. Fortunately, not all hope is gone for Everton’s striker department, as there are reasons to be optimistic about Youssef Chermiti’s potential. Despite failing to score in his debut Premier League season, the 20-year-old has shown some potential in Blues substitute appearances. Everton’s 1-0 win over Brentford was the Portuguese striker’s sole league start last season, but he has shown some energy and flare that Evertonians may have missed from Calvert-Lewin and Beto.
Chermiti did, however, demonstrate his finishing skills by scoring twice against Sligo Rovers in Everton’s first pre-season encounter, which could be a sign of things to come for the young forward this season in what might be a breakout campaign. So, after looking at Everton’s striker possibilities, where do we go from here? Dyche clearly needs an improvement in form from all of his strikers, or he may face another feared survival battle.
New signing. Otherwise, Iliman Ndiaye, who is likely to play behind the striker in the same capacity as Abdoulaye Doucoure, may be relied on to score. If Everton’s number nine leaves, a new striker may be brought in, but until then, Everton fans are in the same situation they were in for much of last season: pleading for a striker to find their shooting boots. If all else fails, Michael Keane may lead the line for The Toffees.
