Sam Allardyce has suggested that Everton need a prolific striker if they are to challenge for a top six spot next season.
Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson have both hit 14 goals this campaign, but have dipped in and out of form, and former Toffees boss Allardyce believes that they need an effective focal point to spearhead their efforts.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “If you want to finish in the top six, which is what Everton fans are demanding, they need to find a striker that will get 15-20 a season.
“That’s not only a hard job but one of the most expensive in the game.”
"They need a striker that will get 15-20 goals a season."
Sam Allardyce believes Everton still lack the firepower to break into the top six next season.
What do you think of this, #EFC fans? ? pic.twitter.com/AJmPHWlpUu
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 22, 2019
OPINION
Talk about stating the obvious. No offence to Big Sam, who knows the perils of Premier League football more than most, and who is in a uniquely relevant position to talk about this current Everton squad, but it is hardly revelatory to suggest that a new striker is the key to success. For a long time now, the issue at Goodison Park has not been identifying the problem, it has been finding the right man to fix it. Allardyce tried with Cenk Tosun, Silva has had to resort to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. To be fair to the 22-year-old, he has shone in recent weeks, but he doesn’t look like a natural-born predator, and a more prolific option will surely be sought out over the summer. Who that may be, or how much it might cost, is anybody’s guess, but certainly something has to be done if the Blues are to finally make that next step towards finally breaking into the top six.