Everton transfer news: Sky Sports pundit reacts to pursuit of Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Kevin Campbell has admitted “I like them both” of Leeds United pair Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville amid links to Everton, but feels Rodrigo was the priority.
The Toffees were in the running to pick up the Spanish international at a bargain price before the 32-year-old took the option to move to Qatar last week (13 July), and have been heavily linked to a move for Willy Gnonto with the Daily Mail reporting on Sunday (16 July) that a £15million bid has been knocked back.
But Everton have also been credited with interest in the two Elland Road wingers [Football Transfers, 18 June and Telegraph, 20 June], both of whom Campbell rates as players, but when Sean Dyche so badly needs a striker the former captain is less sure about the merits of chasing wide-men on a tight budget.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News the Sky Sports pundit said: “I like them both, but bottom line is Harrison has been coveted by quite a few teams, very good player.
“He’s good and technical, can score goals, can create, fit, get’s up and down, get’s around the pitch well.
“Summerville, he’s a bit of a live-wire as well, he can create, he can score.
“But we’re talking all these players and the bottom line is do Everton have the money to go and get these guys?
“That’s the problem. And where is the priority? Really it’s striker.
“So Rodrigo at £3million you were thinking, ‘Yeah, great.’
“They can bolster the squad but do they have the money to do that for those type of players?
“We’re going to find out, and that’s going to be the million dollar question that I’m sure, not only me, but all the fans are going to be looking out for, the recruitment, what’s the recruitment going to be like?”
Everton could have done with all four of the men they were targeting from Leeds but Rodrigo would surely be the most useful of all to Dyche currently.
Cash appears to be in the budget in some form to offer for the likes of Gnonto or El Bilal Toure, but how far it stretches or when it is available is harder to discern.
Few Toffees fans would be complaining if the likes of Harrison were to arrive in addition to a central forward, but until that elusive striker is actually wrapped up anything else should probably be a secondary consideration.
In other Everton news, the chances of a star man leaving Goodison Park have been ended with an emphatic stance.