Everton have begun the hunt for a new striker with the club set to pass on the option of triggering a £30m permanent deal for Armando Broja.
Broja is an undoubted talent but his loan spell has been plagued by injuries and one of David Moyes‘ priorities in overhauling his Everton squad will be player availability.
While he has impressed in spells, Broja has played just ten times without scoring and Moyes has preferred to hand chances to Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in recent weeks.
The £30m option to make Broja’s move permanent was inserted in the deal struck by outgoing director of football Kevin Thelwell but Everton have indicated they will not take it up, with Broja set to return to an uncertain future at Chelsea.
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Although there are funds available to invest this summer, a £30m outlay on Broja would have put a sizeable dent in their summer budget. The money will now be spent elsewhere.
Everton want at least one striker as part of their huge squad overhaul and might require two if they fail to strike an agreement with the experienced Calvert-Lewin, who is in talks over a new deal at the club.
Moyes has been holding talks over the last couple of weeks with some of the 13 players who are either out of contract or returning to their parent clubs.
Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure‘s departure was confirmed on Tuesday after he failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. He will follow Ashley Young out of the exit door after Sunday’s final Premier League game at Newcastle.
The departures of goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia were confirmed at the end of last week, signaling a reshuffle in that department.
But with Broja leaving, all eyes will be on how Everton reshape their forward line, which has been among the Premier League’s least productive in successive seasons. Their goal tally of 41 is the third lowest in the division, with only Southampton and Ipswich scoring fewer.
As The i Paper reported last month Everton made a pitch for striker Liam Delap but with Manchester United seemingly ahead in the queue for the England U21 forward they may have to turn their attentions elsewhere.
Although a new transfer committee has been assembled after Thelwell’s departure, it’s understood that Moyes will be the driving force on recruitment this summer.
Given the remarkable job he’s done since returning to the club, that seems fair – if tracked over the entire campaign his points per game would have secured Everton eighth place this season.
But it is a big job with some huge calls to make. Decisions on Doucoure, Broja and Young reflect a newfound ruthlessness at Everton, with the club balancing the dual priorities of targeting players who will move them up a level with deals that make more financial sense.
Doucoure and Young were both asked to take pay cuts to remain at Everton but have opted to move on.
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