Highlights
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Everton are focusing on the summer transfer window to solve attacking problems.
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Potential big-money departures could ease the club’s financial worries.
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Interest in Sammie Szmodics could be a solution to Everton’s goal woes.
After almost securing another season in the Premier League despite point deductions, Everton turned their attention to the summer transfer window where they could finally end their attacking woes.
Everton transfer news
The people at Goodison Park will be hoping their quest for security is followed by some positive news about the potential takeover of 777 Partners, which has been awaiting Premier League approval for most of the season. The Toffees could then start to think about other positive aspects of the summer transfer window.
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For now, the headlines are still being made by the possible departure of Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite, two big moves to ease Everton’s financial concerns. The latter has had a particularly impressive season, attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur and even European giants Real Madrid. However, it remains to be seen whether he decides to leave Everton this summer.
These sales would at least give Sean Dyche a summer budget of his own which he could use to try and solve a number of issues in his current squad, including finding a reliable goalscorer.
With this in mind, according to Football Transfers, Everton are considering signing Sammie Szmodics, who has had an excellent season in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers and is on course to win the Golden Boot. With 25 league goals, Szmodics has even surpassed Erling Haaland in the league, albeit in a lower division, with the Manchester City star scoring 21 goals so far this season.
After such an impressive year, it remains to be seen how much Blackburn will demand from their striker, which could quickly become a setback for the Toffees. Again, the 777 acquisition could be crucial to making such a deal happen.
“Incredible” Szmodics can end Calvert-Lewin frustration
While injuries haven’t helped, Dominic Calvert-Lewin quickly became a weak point for Everton, who had to rely on a striker who struggled to score regularly. However, Szmodics have given Blackburn the exact opposite, despite them fighting for Championship survival.
|
League stats 23/24 (via FBref) |
Smodics |
Calvert Lewin |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
25 |
6 |
|
Supports |
4 |
1 |
|
Expected goals |
20.9 |
11.3 |
|
Key passes |
48 |
17 |
The most concerning thing about these numbers is Calvert-Lewin’s expected goals compared to the number of goals he has actually scored so far this season. The numbers suggest that the Everton striker performs significantly worse, while Szmodics performs above average. And that is the difference in quality that the Blackburn star can offer.
Former Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson knew all about this quality, previously praising Szmodics and saying (via Limerick Live): “After Christmas last season I think he was really good for Rovers and after the summer holidays he was extremely good. He also scored these goals.”
“We always know he can score goals, but he’s not used to playing a lot of games at this level to begin with. He played with Peterborough but not much. The way he scores goals, the confidence he plays with and the role he plays. “As one of the senior players, it’s just unbelievable.”