Everton in 'inexcusable' mess as Anthony Martial rescue mission possible
Anthony Martial could yet be an option for Everton as they scramble around the free agent market.
The Toffees are still coming to terms with a catastrophic transfer deadline day on Tuesday.
Beto and Iliman Ndiaye departed, for Fiorentina and Manchester City respectively, while Jack Grealish was brought in on loan.
While re-signing Grealish is a positive, the failure to bring in a replacement for Beto means that Thierno Barry is now David Moyes' only striker.
It is a sorry state of affairs for Everton, who may consider bringing in a free agent striker.
That is where former Manchester United striker Martial may come into the equation.
What has been said on Anthony Martial to Everton?
Martial has been largely forgotten about since leaving United after nearly a decade in 2024, having scored 63 Premier League goals during his time at Old Trafford.
The former France international spent two seasons in Greece with AEK Athens and has more recently played for Monterrey in Mexico.
He left Monterrey in June and is therefore now seeking a new club.
There had been chatter of Everton potentially looking at Martial, which Crook relayed via talkSPORT on Thursday morning.
"There's talk Anthony Martial has been offered as a free agent, having recently left a club in Mexico," Crook said. "That tells you the type of barrel Everton are now scraping."
The transfer expert went on to say: "It's inexcusable they've only got one striker and two full-backs."
Those thoughts will be echoed by pretty much every Evertonian, with the fanbase still not coming to grips with what panned out.
Who else is out there for Everton?
Karim Benzema has been mentioned as an option for Everton, while Jamie Vardy is another notable name out of work.
While Benzema may be long past his prime, it is still a deal that would at least get fans excited again.
Vardy, meanwhile, plus Martial, are best to be avoided.
This is a mess of Everton's own doing - whether Angus Kinnear, the Friedkin Group or both - and it is over to Moyes to pick up the pieces.
The only hope is that the wheels are already in motion to bring in a player from 1 January.