By George Overhill

8th Aug, 2022 | 5:10pm

Everton hunt for striker after Conor Coady, Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana signings

Everton are set to welcome a considerable transfer market haul as they hunt a striker on top of three imminent announcements, Fraser Fletcher reports.

The Toffees were blunt in attack during the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in their opening game, without a focal point to play off in the absence of injured star Dominic Calvert-Lewin and suspended back-up Salomon Rondon, and are targeting a solution.

They also lost two defenders to long-term injuries in the form of Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina, and have moved quickly to land Wolves captain Conor Coady to help plug that gap, on top of the double midfield boost of Amadou and Idrissa Gueye, which are set to be announced very soon.

Writing on his personal Twitter account former BBC journalist Fletcher said: “Connor [sic] Coady to join Everton. Despite talks over immediate permanent deal Coady will join Everton on loan with option to buy.

“Everton still searching for striker too. Onana to be announced imminently, Idrissa Gana Gueye to complete second part of medical then official.”

Movers and shakers

What a difference a few weeks make, as Everton have gone from a side apparently held back in every transfer race by financial restraints and uncooperative negotiating partners, to being one of the most active in the Premier League.

Midfield looks like being a real strength once the old and young pair of former Toffee Gueye and potential star in the making Onana are through the door.

The former’s experience in the top flight, and at Goodison is seen as a perfect way to help the relatively green 20-year-old adapt.

Defence looks like being an area of near-constant headaches for Frank Lampard as he scrambles to put out fires after just one game back, on the back of a season where it was a major weakness.

Coady surprisingly being available is a relief, and a loan-to-buy deal is surely the most sensible option at this stage, and something that they had previously targeted for the likes of Maxwel Cornet.

The injury curse has blighted the last year at the club, and the absence of Calvert-Lewin cannot be overstated at this point, so it is imperative that a replacement can be found to top off what has turned into a strong window.

At the same time, the fact that money has suddenly started to be spent so freely raises slight concerns that more problems are being stored up for down the road, so in light of the recent history under Farhad Moshiri the fans will have to hope that it is being done in a sustainable way.