Everton must pay ‘big, big fee’ to sign confirmed striker target

Everton are planning to sign a new striker this summer and their hunt is well underway, with in-form Monaco star Mika Biereth one of the names on their shortlist.

David Moyes could lose two of his centre-forwards this summer, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract set to expire at the end of June and Armando Broja expected to return to Chelsea once his loan with the Toffees ends.

We understand that no contract discussions have taken place with Calvert-Lewin since The Friedkin Group’s takeover of Everton in December, and it remains to be seen whether any new negotiations will occur.

TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on April 18th that Everton are interested in Monaco star Biereth and have sent scouts to watch him on multiple occasions this season.

And now Football Insider have provided an update on the situation, stating that Everton must pay a ‘big, big fee’ to sign Biereth this summer.

The 22-year-old was born in London, came through the ranks at Fulham and Arsenal, and was loaned to RKC Waalwijk, Motherwell and Sturm Graz, before Arsenal sold him to the latter permanently. Biereth then joined Monaco for around £11m in January and has been in sensational form since, notching 12 goals in 16 games for the Ligue 1 side.

The report states that the Toffees view Biereth as a ‘more prolific’ target than other strikers on their radar, such as Evan Ferguson, who is unlikely to join West Ham permanently once his loan from Brighton ends.

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Everton preparing for big summer window

As mentioned, TEAMtalk can confirm that Biereth is on Everton’s radar, along with Ferguson. We exclusively revealed on April 14th that the Toffees are keeping tabs on Ferguson’s situation.

However, given the fact that the Irish international has failed to score in seven appearances for West Ham, there is doubt over whether he can reignite his form in the Premier League.

Biereth’s form is far better than Ferguson’s but whether Everton can afford to match Monaco’s demands remains to be seen.

The Friedkin Group are ready to back Moyes with cash in the transfer market, but must still be mindful of PSR despite Everton being in a much better position than previous windows.

Everton are also keen to strengthen in multiple positions, so splashing a big sum on Biereth could hinder them in improving other areas of the squad.

With Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison both expected to leave this summer, a new winger will be another priority for Everton.

Moyes is also keen to sign a new centre-back and Everton have three targets on their shortlist who could replace Michael Keane, who is set to depart as a free agent in June when his contract expires.

In terms of other attacking targets, we understand that Genoa forward Albert Gudmundsson, who is currently on loan with Fiorentina, is also on Everton’s radar.

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