Adams and Dembele linked again

Both would be welcome but Adams probably a better fit and more attainable, Dembele would likely want a huge signing on fee and weekly wages so less likely an option

No thank you, only a slight improvement in Maupay.

Any idea how much Salernitana would want, to take Maupay?

Recon the links to Lassana Coulibaly could be a swap for Maupay maybe?

The interview with Maupay (see The Echo) is interesting. Sounds like he's half-retired mentally. Lots of “I made it in England” stuff, coupled with interesting comments about how he still lives in Nice of a weekend.

Perhaps commuting from Brighton and Brentford is a lot easier, particularly when still hungry enough to want more.

For me indicative of the signings we've made since Moyes……all thinking doing is a favour. We must get young and hungry players. Sadly that's both of them in this article too.

John Pickles - we’d have to pay them and persuade them Mrs Doyle style Go on go on go on go on etc 💙

I don't know why we don't just go for Gyökeres or Akpom both have a decent pedigree for scoring goals, albeit in the Championship, but surely that is a better indicator than some of the foreign leagues these players are in?

Adama is in my opinion a more robust Maupay and doesn't score enough to warrant a place in our "new" setup.

I don't think Dembele would adjust to the Premiership physicality, did look tidy at CeltiLinkc.

We'll be linked to every Tom, Dick and Harry over the coming months. Most is just lazy journalism, agents pushing their clients or Echo clickbait.

Should go for Jonathan David. Scored 24 in 37 for lile who finished 5th in ligue 1. Thats almost 1/2 his teams goals. Outscored messi. 37 games indicates he doesn't get injured. 23 years old. Had crap world cup so likely get him for £30-40

Definitely not Adams. He is not better than Maupay. Dembele looks for like a finisher. But what kind of wages is he asking?

I'd throw in another Adams, the Nigerian Akor Adams. Playing for LSK here in Norway now, scoring a lot, often late in games, he has a great workrate.

It's a big step up, I know, and he is raw, but a great prospect who I'd rather see us buy now and loan out à la Branthwaite instead of buying him expensive from a Dutch or Belgian club in a couple of years.

Why won't this Adams rubbish go away? It raises its head almost every transfer window.

His record shows he is not the goal scorer we need. Surely it would be much better to take a chance on a younger player, possibly from a lower or foreign league, who would probably cost less?

Isn't finding this talent what we employ a Director of Football for?

Not sure either of this is a marked improvement on Maupay. Perhaps if we were to sell Maupay for £8-10m and then get Dembele on a free it might be good business but his wage demands are likely to be high.

I'm not sure either of the 3 are good enough to be the first pick front line striker.

I expect we will spend the majority of our transfer pot on a first pick striker (Gyokeres, Toure, Moffi, Beto etc) and then have DCL (when fit) as back up or playing alongside with one lower quality option (Maupay, Dembele, Adams etc) and possibly Cannon or Simms or Okoronkwo on the bench or filling in the odd cup game.

If I was to guess Sam, then I don’t believe Dyche, will sign a centre forward, who cannot get a hold of the ball. My belief is that his preferred system will always be about having a centre forward who is good at protecting the ball, allowing for a lot more second phases. We will see?

Still think our own Tom Cannon would be a far better prospect than Adams or Dembele.

I think now, I will stop reading about every player we are linked with in the press and just wait to see IF we have any money to sign anyone and IF we do, who it eventually is.
But I have eternal hope that we don't make the same mistakes on signings. I wrote at the time that Maupay was always a non-starter for me. He was a waste of money, waste of space on the pitch and waste of a good shirt. I watched him miss more sitters for Brighton than he scored goals. Noticible how well they have progressed without him!
So, although it's the hope that kills you, I really hope that we make signings that signal we are looking to be shrewd with who we sign and where a better option is not clearly available, start to bring on some of our very good youngsters. Yeah, I know, you can't win anything with kids, right !!?

Karen #15

Cannon would be a far better option than Adams and the rest of the deadbeats we're being linked to. He looked very good when brought on by Lampard and I was really surprised when he was sent out on loan.
Nevertheless, that will have done him no harm and he may well be better equipped to step us with us.

I agree Tony. We need someone with good physical attributes in the centre forward position to lead the line. Although Cannon has done well in a short loan, it's a heck of ask for him to do that for, say, 20 games in the Premier League if DCL cannot get fit. Welbeck at Brighton is a good example of someone who we'd have turned our noses up at, but who does a very effective, intelligent job for them. If Adams is very cheap, he could be an excellent buy - a bit like Marcus Bent was once upon a time.

Marcus Bent was a terrible striker and is exactly what we need to avoid, as is Danny Welbeck. The best Everton sides I have seen have a proven goal scorer up front where we can get the ball to them and they will score - Lukaku, DCL under Ancelotti, Rooney (briefly). If that player can then hold the ball up and bring people into play - like DCL, then even better. But the primary aim needs to be strikers instinct and the ability to convert chances. We do not need a return to Moyes esque having strikers running towards the corner flag trying to protect possesion.

Andrew@18 it's more important that the team wins than the striker scores goals and though Bent only scored 6 goals in his full season with us it was his selfless running, hold-up play and work rate that enabled us to come 4th that season.

As Tony says I think Dyche may want similar traits in his CF and simply scoring is not the only quality (though obviously it helps!).

Robert@17, I agree with you on Cannon, he wouldn't be first choice striker yet and I think his development would be much better served by a full season in the championship. If he can manage 15+ goals then he will have moved on a bit and can return a challenge for a first team spot.

I disagree about Che Adams though. Not sure he can do the Marcus Bent/DCL job as he is only 5 ft 7 to start off with. More similar to Maupay i'd say. I think we need someone a bit bigger and stronger who can make the ball stick consistently.

I'm curious why we'd want to sign a striker who has been relegated, presumably due to significant lack of goals?

Che Adams is 5ft 10 and pretty meaty.

The reason we might sign him and not a high scoring striker is that we're skint.

Neither of these players are going to turn our fortunes around overnight. Saying that I'd be happier to see Dembele replace Maupay but it's a no from me on Adams.

Robert, where do you get 5ft 10 from? Most of the places I look have him under that.

I wonder how cheap he would be? Less than £10m? I'm not convinced he has the physical attributes Dyche would want but he's a (small) upgrade on Maupay at least.

Hopefully, we have some new arrivals by the time these fixtures are played. Ticket details will be announced nearer the dates, according to Everton's official site.

Everton can confirm three pre-season fixtures for the Men’s Senior Team ahead of their 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

An Everton XI, which will include Under-21s players, will face League Two side Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park on Saturday 22 July (2pm BST).

Sean Dyche’s squad will then take on Bolton Wanderers, who narrowly missed out on promotion from League One this season, at the University of Bolton Stadium on Tuesday 25 July (7.45pm BST).

That friendly will be followed four days later with a trip to the Bet365 stadium to take on Stoke City, who finished 16th in the Championship in 2022/23, on Saturday 29 July (3pm BST).

NEXT!

Most certainly need depth in the squad but these two are bang average - at best. I'd rather promote some of the youngsters than spend what little money we have on lower Premier League level very average players.

The Premier League pays some of the highest wages in global football, I'd have thought we can attract young hungry players from the Championship or abroad rather than [very] low average Premier League players to simply be stocking fillers.

Just what does our scouting network do all day?

Barry.

Good to see the players are not being rewarded with another really expensive pre-season trip to some sunny paradise and are keeping it local. It may also give the scouts a chance to spot some talent knocking around in the lower leagues.

Some of these names we are being linked with are hopefully nothing more than typical pre season rubbish being thrown about because we need to start showing ambition.

Something I picked up on was the game against Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium. What an horrendous name for a football ground!

Fingers crossed we don't sell our soul to some horrible company like this as that would be almost as bad as Kenwright getting his name on it.

Anthony #20, remember we signed a keeper who was relegated, presumably due to not stopping the ball going in the net?

What is the preoccupation with Che Adams? The guy is a spooner. It would be a complete waste of money buying him, in my opinion.

He could join the barn door brigade we are accumulating I guess... maybe that's the thinks.

Che Adams would be an absolutely perfect replacement for Maupay.

if just going by names rehashed from last summer, what about that lad from Chelsea who got injured. is he fit again? imagine he's out of their plans. A loan with an option might be available.

The Coventry striker, imo, should be top of the list, he looked deadly every time I saw him (admittedly only a couple of times). But he has the attributes which would suit, is developing, and if he does a decent job, will be a profit maker should we sell. Him, Cannon promoted, the Chelsea lad on loan would provide enough decent options for our target of 13th-9th.

Then focus on 2 wingers (starter and back-up/rotation). (Diallo on loan would suit, Sulemana also)

then 2 full backs (who can ideally cover at centre back/midfield) and a centre back. Ryan manning is available for free and was very good in the championship.

Promote Mills, Warrington, Tyrer, Branthwaite and maybe another youngster or two.

easy.

Sam @19
Agree that the team winning is the most important thing and a CF who can hold the ball up and lay it off for colleagues to feed off can be a recipe for success,but who are they going to lay it off to at our club?
A 6 goal a year striker is not going to hack when you have a goal shy midfield as well!
We need an instinctive striker who actually has the confidence and self belief to shoot from time to time.
We created a fair number of chances last season and all too few were converted.If they had been we wouldn’t have struggled like we did!
No,we don’t want a lay off merchant,we need a goal scorer.
I know we have no money but I believe there are players out there,perhaps in lower or foreign leagues who would fit the bill.
Of our young players I don’t think Simms is the answer,the jury’s still out on Dobbin,so that leaves Cannon who I think needs another season on loan before we can see what he can do in the Premier League.

Sam at #23

Che Adams an upgrade on Maupay? Not really a glowing recommendation.
My Nan would be an upgrade on Maupay.

I don't think anyone on here is particularly thrilled at links to the likes of Adams or (on the other thread) Weghorst. Neither are going to be prolific but they wouldn't be the first unglamorous names to do well for us. Really, all of this depends on budget. I've done an article looking at those who are free or available for £15m or less (obviously it's only a sample). These players tend to look like 8 to 12 goal a season strikers with one or two exceptions. Only 5 strikers scored more than 15 Premier League goals this season which shows how hard they are to come by - and also how teams have evolved so that the striker is a foil for wide forwards and attacking midfielders.

Interestingly, 3 of those 5 (Toney, Wilson and Watkins) all made their names in the lower leagues and were relatively late developers. Even Kane needed a few developmental loans before Pochettino and circumstance gave him a chance at Spurs. So the lower leagues are definitely a good place to look when the budget is tight, but you do need to be prepared to wait for these players to develop.

For obvious reasons, we're a deeply impatient bunch. We're also picky. Generally we seem to turn our noses up at players like both Weghorst and Adams (workers, not goalscorers) and also like Lukaku (lazy). I'm wondering who is good enough for us this summer other than Kane and Haaland. Benzema is obviously too old.

Seems we are in for some Kenyan boy from the Quatar league. Looks big and strong on highlight reel. Might be worth a shot. As long as no silly money involved.

Robert, the search for the 15 goal striker is not going to be easy. To be honest if we signed an up and coming striker who got 8-12 that would be encouraging for the coming seasons. Someone who could realistically grow into a 15+ striker. I think people would be happy with that.

To me Gyokeres stands out as a player who comes into this category, could fit in and improve. Buzzing to step up, prove himself and raise his game. I think he would adapt to the Premier League, but that’s the million dollar question isn’t it. His stats of 17goals 5assists in 21/22, then improving to 21 goals 12 assists in 22/23 show a player who is on the up. He is ripe to be signed by a bigger club.

We need to pay the money to sign him and get Che Adams or Weghorst for strength in depth and options off the bench. It seems achievable business.

It’s going to be fascinating to see what Kevin Thelwell has up his sleeve. With better financial backing / P&L situation he could well have had Kudus, Gibbs-White and Ouatarra last season, so he can certainly spot them, now just needs to sign them!

Its really strange that we do not bother to look into the American or South American leagues at all! There are so many top, top talents over there that's untrue.

Just to name a few:

Marcellino Nunez, 21 y/o Midfielder, Chile (Club: Universidad Catolica)
Mathias Villasanti, 25 y/o Midfielder, Paraguay (Club: Gremio)
Jhilmar Lora, 21 y/o Right back, Peru (club: Sporting Cristal)
Cristian Casseres Jnr, 22 y/o, Midfielder, Venezuela, (Club: New York Red Bulls)
Daniel Ruiz, 20 y/o, Winger, Colombia, (Club: Millonarios)
Gino Infantino, 19 y/o, Winger, Argentina, (Club: Rosario Central)
Marcos Leonardo, 19 y/o, Forward, Brazil, (Club: Santos)

I got criticised on here a few moths ago for saying we could learn a lot from that lot accross the park (why I don't know). Looking at our Recruitment since the arrival of Mosh and the crazy prices that have been paid. I see in todays football news Mac Allister has gone for 35 million to yeap you know where. The Sigurdsson fee a few years ago was madness, and Alex Iwobi cost the fecking same! Even Micheal Keane cost 25 million.

Soren@37

simple answer is because none of them would ever get a work permit

Joe @38
If we had a pot to piss in, we may learn something about how the other lot negotiate transfers, however, we don't, so it's irrelevant. The fee they paid may be seen as a bargain, but what wages is the new guy on, compared to our top earners? How much money revolves around sponsorships and face-time on TV, which is almost guaranteed with the other lot. It's not as black and white as some would make it.

We certainly can't compete in the transfer market with the Sky favourites and haven't for some considerable number of years, hence our atrocious derby record and general record against the monied clubs in recent times. It might take another five or perhaps ten years to even try to compete with the neighbours, it's sad and annoying but that's where we are.

The best we can hope for is that any new arrivals are able to be competitive and hungry and that the team benefits from their arrival, there will be no 'superstars' arriving at Goodison for many many moons, that's got nothing to do with how we operate, it's a stark reality.

Mistakes have been made, we all agree about that, but it's done and dusted, so there's little point in harping on about what went wrong, it's how we operate from now on that's vitally important.

We should be looking at Rodrigo from Leeds. He allegedly has a relegation clause in his contract that means his release clause is £3m.
Scored 13 premier league goals last season.

Soren (37) - Not sure where you got that list from but it is definitely out of date in places. For instance Marcelino Nunez is 23 and left Universidad Catholics to sign for Norwich in August 2023!

Andrew,

you are right. I had that list for some time now and a few on it have probably gone to other clubs already. Just wondered why aren't Everton scouting that market in general.

Some excellent U20s talents:

https://www.driblab.com/new-talents/the-best-talents-of-the-south-american-u-20-championship/

Brian, I really like the player, watched him a few times at the back end last season and was their best player , someone is going to get a bargain. Would not be surprised if he was after European football somewhere next season.

Some interesting comments above. My two penny's worth is that we probably need to sign two strikers, I would settle for a carthorse (a "lay-off merchant" as someone described above) who can make the ball stick, bring others into play and maybe bag 10 a session.

That person (Weghorst fits the bill for me) would fill in nicely for DCL and would complement Dyche's system and style of play. I would also like to see us take a punt on an unpolished potential gem, the lad from Qatar, one of the players from the South American League that Soren refers to. This would allow us to develop Cannon properly with another loan to a Championship team, perhaps one pushing for places next season but where he will get minutes.

That said, my absolute preference is we spend the money and get Gyokeres. I don't think I am playing football manager here when I say that Simms would surely be of interest as a makeweight in that deal or perhaps for Clarke from Sunderland? I like him but think that Dyche doesn't, with one year left on his contract I think this is do or die for Ellis and Everton, Dyche seems to have played his card on that one.

Tony#44.
Tony, reports say Real Madrid may move for him. So it's between them and us. Wonder where he'll end up. 🤣🤣🤣

Joe 38, you are right: Mac Allister for £35M is robbery. How do they do it?

Chelsea paid over a £100M for the other not so good Argentinian midfielder. Brighton have held out for massive fees for their other players. What is going on???

In terms of younger, high-potential signings - I think that is maybe for next summer. With so little money available to improve a squad, we probably just need to fill up a few spaces in the first team and first team squad. Personally I don't think there are any strikers currently playing in South America who would be able to step straight into our first team - apart from maybe Pedro of Flamengo and Retegui of Boca Juniors. There might be one or two others but not many. In each case, I don't think they'd be particularly cheap and I doubt they'd score more than, say, Gyokeres or Piroe from the Championship either.

There are very young attackers in South America, at relatively low cost, who might take a year or two - but I don't think that's what we're after.

Mac Allister was out of contract at the end of the season before the World Cup. He agreed to sign a new contract, but it came with a sensible release clause to the right club.

Brighton get something. Mac Allister got a wage rise, security, and a shot at the big time if he performed.

Job done, I'd say.

Matthew @39,

Why do they get the work permit when they join other clubs in the Premier League then!?

“Good to see the players are not being rewarded with another really expensive pre-season trip to some sunny paradise and are keeping it local.”

That's a interesting perspective on the purpose of pre-season fixtures; they are just ‘jollies' for the boys! It's not as if they've been banned from funding their own luxurious vacations from the massively rewarding wages they continue to receive (and which are a huge factor in our P&S financial problems).

To me it seems like it is exactly the wrong time for the club to become introverted and strictly provincial. We need to project positivity if we are to attract any talent at all.

Pre-season is about looking to the future, not dwelling on the past. Anyone who doesn't already get that the team must do better is beyond motivating anyway.

Che Adams is one of those who looks like he could be a decent prospect but has continued to underwhelm for so long it seems unlikely a move to EFC would achieve anything at all for our attacking threat.

I definitely want us to become introverted Si, but not for the reasons you state though mate.

Young players might love getting away, but senior players who have got the money to go anywhere are probably happier staying at home, and this is why I think Dyche has probably gone down this route?

Pre-season should be about one thing only, and the harder you work, the better base you're giving yourself for the season ahead – which is the only thing that really matters, imo.

Just reading that the summer transfer window actually opens on Wednesday, 14 June – I'm sure 1 July was posted???

So clubs can formally begin trading negotiations – which doesn't really explain how so many transactions seem to have been completed already but that catches me out every time.

Deadline Day is set for Friday, 1 September, with the window officially closing at 23:00 BST. Can't wait.

Michael (53) - I believe that English clubs can trade with one another from Wednesday June 14th, and that the international window opens on July 1st.

If we need to raise funds to offset losses for this accounting year (or 3 year period) on or before June 30th then I imagine we'll be frantically redialling our fellow Premier League clubs in the hope of offloading Onana or Pickford or both - in precisely the same way that Richarlison's transfer was announced on July 1st last summer. Omnishambles.

No to both, ta.

Akpom and the lad from Coventry to lead our line please, as we need fucking goals. We need more than one to finish games off, like down at Brighton!

How have the Murderers signed Mac Alister and got pictures of him in their blood-stained shirts plastered all over the media yet the transfer window doesn't open until June 14th?

Oh wait, it must be that one rule for them thing again that doesn't exist. The fucking horrible cheating pricks.

Why is everyone panicking?

I have already gotten the beer and crisps in for a late night on 31Aug to see if we are going to make any signings!!!!