Despite Everton’s current battle for Premier League survival, they have continued to look to the future and most importantly future signings that could take the club back into the top end of the league, most recently being linked to hot Romanian prospect Octavian Popescu.
The 19-year-old has only appeared five times for Bucharest side FCSB this season, but has racked up two goals and one assist during these appearances and has garnered immense praise from the club’s owner Gigi Becali who has already compared the youngster to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Talking to MaisFutebol, the FCSB owner said: “He reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning of his career… Physically, (he has) everything. He is a player who has a great future ahead of him.
“He has to go to another league where he can also develop his physique. I’ve never seen a player like him in Romania.”
This has caught the eye of Everton, who have reportedly opened talks with the Romanian side over a deal for Popescu. We here at TIF have listed a couple of reasons why this would be a good signing for Frank Lampard’s team.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin replacement
While the striker has endured his fair share of injuries so far this season there is no doubt he is a top-quality striker who will gather a lot of interest in the summer, regardless of it Everton stays in the Premier League or not.
Teams like West Ham and Arsenal have already been linked with the Everton man with both teams in desperate need of a solid number nine to lead their attack, so a move looks more like a question of when not if.
With this in mind, Lampard will need to replace Calvert-Lewin immediately and Popescu could be a great addition as he is young and will be hungry to prove himself in one of the best leagues in world football, and he matches the physicality they will lose with the sale of DCL.
Should Everton sign PopescuYes
No
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Potentially huge discount
While Popescu is at the start of his footballing journey he has had a lot of praise heaped onto him and therefore a huge price tag has followed. According to Becali, he believes the player is worth anywhere between 100-150 million euros, continuing, “I’ll never be able to sell Tavi for his real value. I think he’s worth between 100 and 150 million. But (I may have to) sell him at half price – at 50 million euros (£42 million).”
Therefore if you believe in the potential of the youngster, Everton stumping up £42m for his services will be a huge coup if he does in fact reach the levels he is believed to reach. This is even more important considering Everton’s recent transfer history which has seen them spend a whopping £561.88m on signings since 2016 and has landed them in trouble with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations.
A sum like this for a player with Popescu’s potential and his huge future fee will surely entice Everton to make a move, and it could be a great one.