Deliver or bust for Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Everton as Hugo Ekitike transfer talks emerge
Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be in last-chance territory at Goodison Park with Everton already kickstarting their January plans in the shape of Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike.
Everton were pretty active on the attacking front in the summer window, bringing in the likes of Beto, Youssef Chermiti, Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison from Leeds United.
However, the Toffees’ investments have so far failed to bear any fruit as they have now failed to score for the fourth time in five Premier League games this season as they fell to a Leandro Trossard strike against Arsenal at Goodison Park on Sunday [17 September].
The Toffees are still without a goal at Goodison Park this season and will be relegated from the division unless they can start finding the net far more regularly than they currently are.
Portuguese striker Beto has been given the nod since his summer move from Udinese, but with Calvert-Lewin returning to full fitness again, Dyche has a critical decision to make on who his preferred striker will be moving forward.
The England international’s recurring injury issues have become such a frustrating sight for the Toffees fans that they’ve almost forgotten how good he really is and after several campaigns now, of injury recurrences and spells on the treatment table, Calvert-Lewin may be in last-chance saloon territory at Goodison Park.
Deliver on your potential this season, or face a brutal exit next summer.
However, it seems the Toffees have already kicked off plans to secure a potential replacement in Paris Saint-Germain’s young forward Ekitike.
The French hitman had long been a target for Everton throughout the summer window with Fabrizio Romano reporting via Twitter on 9 August that the club had “concrete interest” in the young Frenchman and later followed up that the Ligue 1 giants wanted a “total package” worth €35million [£30m].
And according to a latest report, Everton haven’t given up hope of acquiring his services in future.
Even after the additions of Chermiti and Beto, it seems as if the Toffees are planning for the long haul, a future which may not involve Calvert-Lewin if he fails to deliver again this season.
According to 90min (20 September), the Blues are in touch with the representatives of Ektike as the PSG forward is set to make a decision on his future.
The news outlet reported on its website on Wednesday (20 September) that the Toffees are monitoring the Frenchman’s situation as he is currently down the pecking order with The Parisians.
It said the 21-year-old is ready to “look at other options available” if he isn’t more involved at the Parc des Princes by December, with the Blues’s Premier League rivals West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Wolves also interested in signing him.
It could be difficult for Everton to pull off a deal to sign Ekitike in January due to the amount of interest that there is in the forward but it seems the club are making their intentions known about signing a regular and reliable goalscorer.
Whether the Toffees are actually going to act on their interest is another matter entirely, especially after the strong attacking business they undertook last summer but it certainly seems like it could be a message for Calvert-Lewin to finally get his act together or face the prospect of a brutal Goodison Park axe.
In other Everton news, a new player stance has emerged on a potential free transfer move to Goodison Park.