Everton ready deadline-day bid to sign West Ham United star Michail Antonio
Everton are among three Premier League clubs reportedly plotting a deadline day move for unsettled West Ham United striker Michail Antonio, but face a battle to convince the Hammers to sell the 28-year-old, according to the Sunday Mirror.
The Hammers forward, 32, has just 18 months of his contract remaining at the London Stadium and is believed to be open to an exit from the club after struggling for minutes so far this season.
The Jamaican international has endured a difficult season so far, registering just five goals in 12 starts in all competitions and it looks as if the forward may be on the move, to a few of West Ham’s nearest rivals this month.
The forward was previously linked [talkSPORT, 16 January] with a move to the Toffees when Frank Lampard was in charge, but despite his sacking, the Blues still hold an interest in the forward.
And according to the Sunday Mirror [29 January, pg 78] Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves are all reportedly plotting deadline day moves for the 32-year-old, but will most likely face a battle to convince the East Londoners to sell one of their key stars.
Unlikely
With both Danny Ings and Gianluca Scamacca out injured for the Hammers for the foreseeable future, it is unlikely David Moyes will be willing to sell a player who’s played a key role throughout his managerial tenure.
What makes this move even more uncertain is that the Hammers would certainly be deemed unwise to sell to clubs in and around them in the Premier League table.
Certainly, Antonio could prove a stellar short-term buy for the Toffees, but it is not a striker they need right now. Or maybe, it isn’t the priority for the rest of the January window.
What will that do to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s confidence with the England international trying to find some consistency and confidence heading into a crucial Premier League run-in down at the bottom?
With the Toffees set to lose Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United, the Toffees should be prioritising a wide-forward this month as they are desperately short in that department, especially with Gordon’s departure.
These are incredibly pivotal few days for the Everton hierarchy and expected new manager Sean Dyche.