The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has dropped a damning claim on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast about how Frank Lampard views Everton striker Salomon Rondon.
Evertonians may have been hoping this season would be a fresh start, but they are winless after two games and have seen a number of key players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey pick up injuries.
The Toffees have not been able to bring in any striking cover for Calvert-Lewin this summer despite his injury woes and the sale of Richarlison, which has left them with Rondon as their only fit senior striker, although he is yet to start a game this season.
Edwards believes that this could be down to the fact Lampard just doesn’t rate the striker as a player.
Discussing potential transfer activity at the club, he said: “I think Everton are obviously looking for another striker; they’ve been linked with Neil Maupay at Brighton, who’s got a year left on his contract.
Should Lampard start Rondon this weekend?
Yes!
No!
“Calvert-Lewin, injury-prone, as you say. Frank Lampard, he doesn’t rate Salomon Rondon, who was brought to Everton on a free transfer by the previous manager Rafa Benitez – hasn’t exactly done well on Merseyside.”
TIF Thoughts on Rondon’s time at Everton…
Expectations shouldn’t have been high when Rondon arrived on a free transfer last summer given his age and the fact that he’d been playing outside of a top league for the previous three seasons across spells in China and Russia.
However, just one league goal in 21 appearances for Everton probably shows why Frank Lampard doesn’t rate the striker and has started a more unnatural fit in Anthony Gordon through the middle so far this season. He also only managed eight touches in 26 minutes against Aston Villa, which perhaps backs up the manager’s apparent stance.
If Everton aren’t going to bring in another centre-forward before the window shuts in September, Lampard may well have to try and get as much out of Rondon as possible at least until January, especially if Calvert-Lewin can’t get over his injury problems, so the Venezuelan may yet get an opportunity to impress the manager.