Everton make contact to sign ‘budget Harry Kane’ striker Niclas Fullkrug for Sean Dyche as bargain fee emerges
Everton have made an enquiry to Werder Bremen about signing joint-Bundesliga top scorer Niclas Fullkrug this summer, Graeme Bailey reports.
The German international shared the golden boot with new Chelsea signing Christopher Nkunku last term after each netted 16 league goals, and the “huge target man” is a long-term target for Sean Dyche.
Fullkrug has seven international strikes in just nine caps and is apparently seen as the “budget Harry Kane” in his home country, and could be available for as little as £8.5million.
Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast (11 July, 56m 10s) the 90min transfer specialist Bailey said the 30-year-old had “long been on Sean Dyche’s wanted list and there have been enquiries made. One of them, Niclas Fullkrug, the Werder Bremen striker, huge target man.”
He added: “Interest from Fiorentina in him but I understand that Everton are maintaining an interest and do like him, only €10m we’re hearing so would fit into Everton’s budget as well… the ‘budget Harry Kane’ in Germany they call him, so I would keep an eye on that one.”
Bargain
Clearly, if Fullkrug can provide even a budget version of the England captain’s output in England it would provide a huge lift to a flagging attack that so often is deprived of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Dyche is renowned for liking a big man up top and the German’s scoring record was strong last season for a promoted side.
A player coming off a (shared) golden boot in a top European league isn’t usually available for such a small fee, so if the seven-figure asking price is accurate it sounds like it could be a steal for Everton.
Neal Maupay is very much the opposite sort of forward and he didn’t seem to fit into Dyche’s system at all, so if the manager can land players this summer that suit his style of play it should make for a more effective unit next term.
The budget issue is clearly central to the transfer window, but if money is tight the possibility that he could land a goalscoring target man and a versatile proven Premier League forward in Rodrigo from Leeds for little over £10m it looks like an inviting opportunity.
That both are 30 or above, coupled with the imminent arrival of 38-year-old Ashley Young on a free transfer, none would be at the club for the long-term, but the departing youth talents show that it is a needs-must situation at Goodison right now and the veterans might just be the answer for the present.
And with the actual Kane currently linked with a move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich [Daily Mail, 10 July], the possibility is now open that the Premier League and the Bundesliga could swap the genuine and the budget versions in the same window.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have also made an approach to sign another full-back on top of Young as Dyche looks to address a priority position.