OPINION
It’s no secret that Everton failed to adequately replace the goals of Romelu Lukaku last season, after the towering Belgium striker’s move to Manchester United.
Ill-fated moves for Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez failed to work out, and it wasn’t until the January addition of Cenk Tosun from Besiktas that the goals started to flow again at Goodison Park.
Tosun was an excellent signing, as he netted five goals in 14 games for the Toffees and gave them a real focal point up front, but he’s not enough on his own.
Ramirez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Oumar Niasse are the other recognised centre forwards at the club, while Theo Walcott can operate there as well. Ramirez may still come good, while Calvert-Lewin remains raw and should be given time, but Niasse isn’t good enough for a club of Everton’s stature.
His place in the squad should be taken by Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck, who the London Evening Standard reports is available this summer. The newspaper states that the Gunners are willing to listen to offers for the England international, with Everton, Bournemouth and Southampton all interested.
Marco Silva must not allow Welbeck to slip through his fingers. The 27-year-old is a proven Premier League attacker, who seems to have finally put his injury problems behind him. His pace and versatility are valuable assets, while his 10 goals in limited game time last season shows he has a clinical touch as well.
Now, no one’s saying he’s Thierry Henry, but Welbeck could flourish at Goodison Park playing off Tosun in the way that Henry used to glide inside off the left flank for the Gunners. Not only is he a valuable attacking asset, he’s an excellent team player as well.
A lot of Everton’s moves in last summer’s transfer window didn’t pay off, but that shouldn’t stop the club from seizing a golden opportunity like this one. An attacking force comprised of Richarlison, Tosun, Bernard and Welbeck would be formidable.
And, with Bernard reportedly on the way, Silva can complete a super attacking summer with a late move for Welbeck.
Plenty of players in the Toffees squad are simply not good enough to be playing for the club, but Welbeck would provide manifold experience of playing for top teams. He knows what it takes to fight at the top of the table, and would bring a real winning mentality to Merseyside.
His signing wouldn’t change things overnight, but it would be another step in the right direction for an Everton side that looked lost at times last season.