Everton are lining up a £40m bid to lure on-loan Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi to the Goodison Park, it has been claimed by The Sun.
Chelsea have made Batshuayi available and earlier this month, Monaco were keen to sign him on loan. However, the Blues are more interested to sell him as they are likely to use the cash elsewhere.
Marco Silva’s side have blown hot and cold this season. A strong start has given way to another period of inconsistency and the pressure is building on Silva to deliver the goods. They have collected 30 points from 23 games in the Premier League and are eleventh right now which according to Farhad Moshiri is unacceptable especially after the nature of their recent transfer windows.
They must be aiming for a finish inside the top-six as the bare minimum this season, with just three points separating them from Watford who are placed seventh.
Coming to their striking options, Richarlison, who has been their first-choice striker, has seen a dip in his form lately. The other options, namely, Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have failed to cement their place in the first team and have more often than not failed to come up with the goods for the manager.
Hence, an addition will not come as a surprise especially if Moshiri decides to back Silva one more time in their quest to become regular Top 4 challengers.
BATSHUAYI: A GAMBLE WORTH TAKING
Having started his senior career with Standard Liege, Batshuayi switched to Marseille and was quick to draw the admiration of the football fraternity with his performances for the Ligue 1 side.
In 2016, Chelsea brought him to the Stamford Bridge but he struggled to cement a regular place for himself in the starting XI. The 25-year-old was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund for the second half of last season.
Batshuayi was a hit for the German Bundesliga outfit, scoring 9 goals in 14 appearances. However, he struggled to make a similar impact during his loan spell with Valencia this term, scoring only 1 goal in 4 games.
The Belgian international is a powerful centre-forward and has shown enough to suggest he can make the grade at a top club. He needs the backing of the manager and deserves to be given a prolonged period as the main man in the team. Shouldering responsibility can work wonders especially for a striker with the amount of talent the Belgian possesses.
During his time with Dortmund, he showcased his offensive strengths and with the likes of Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun hardly being productive in the attacking sector, the entry of Batsuayi could inject some freshness into Everton’s ranks.
Having said that, it would definitely be a gamble by the Toffees to sign a player like Batshuayi. He has shown glimpses but not enough to make this a foolproof signing yet.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
