To ensure that Everton enjoys a more comfortable season, whereby they’re further distanced from relegation, Sean Dyche will need to add more attacking impetus to his side.
Last term, the Merseyside outfit netted just a miserable 35 goals in the Premier, which was the second-lowest in the division. They only scored two or more times in a single game on six occasions to underline their lack of forward threat.
Due to their current predicament, they don’t have time to allow players for periods of adaptation – they need proven top-flight players to hit the ground running.
One man who has recently suffered relegation from the Premier League but will be on the lookout for an instant return is Wilfried Gnonto, who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park.
What’s the latest on Wilfried Gnonto to Everton?
According to Sport Italia, Gnonto is ‘very close’ to completing a move to Everton, with the fee for the Italian understood to be around €22m (£19m).
The report also states that Aston Villa are interested in the 19-year-old, but are yet to Leeds’ valuation.
In a previous article, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor said Everton had been showing “interest” and named Gnonto in a group alongside Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville who were being courted by the Toffees, saying:
“I think these are the players that probably need to be moved on. They’re probably not going to be there next season and once they go, there’ll be a clearer sort of transfer budget. So I think departures should be the priority at this moment in time [for Leeds].”
This signing would finally see Everton begin to reinvest the £45m they accrued from the controversial sale of Anthony Gordon with Gnonto being an extremely shrewd acquisition.
Would Wilfried Gnonto be a good signing for Everton?
The former Inter Milan academy graduate joined Leeds last summer and in what was an extremely difficult season for the Yorkshire Giant, he emerged with a commendable reputation.
In just 14 top-flight starts, the winger recorded six goal involvements. The reluctance of Javi Gracia to give the winger regular minutes, only awarding him with three starts in 11 games, was a particularly baffling situation.
Back in January, after Leeds suffered a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was full of praise for the £20k-per-week dynamo, saying:
“I’ve seen a special young talent. He was absolutely exceptional. Honestly, sometimes you see potential and talent and you are excited but I watched him so closely, and his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, his choice of when to run with it, his awareness if his teammates, really, really good.”
A player of this direct and effervescent profile could be the man to reignite the stuttering career of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Last campaign, the Englishman was restricted to just 17 domestic appearances due to persistent injury problems but has previously indicated that he has the devastating potential the lead the Everton line.
During the 2020/21 campaign, the frontman bagged 16 goals and formed a solid attacking partnership with Richarlison, who found the net on ten occasions.
This type of prolific link-up is what the Toffees have desperately lacked and Gnonto would be an ideal candidate to get Calvert-Lewin firing again.
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