Everton had to fight for their lives in the 2022/23 Premier League season, barely escaping relegation in what proved to be an unpredictable battle to the last Matchday. The Toffees are one of the league’s most storied sides, so they are not used to watching their standards slip this badly over the last couple of seasons.
Without star man Richarlison, whose first season with Tottenham did not exactly go swimmingly either, Everton were very much lacking in the necessary quality in the attacking third. But despite strong seasons from players like Amadou Onana in the midfield, it is clear that the Toffees have serious issues in their squad just about everywhere.
So here are five possible transfer targets for Everton in the summer 2023 window, as they look to climb back up the Premier League table in 2023/24.
Werder Bremen ST Niclas Füllkrug: Niclas Füllkrug was one of the best overall players in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, tying Chelsea-bound RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku with 16 goals to share the Torschützenkönig honors.
As impressive as Füllkrug’s goal-scoring record was in 2022/23 as the best German striker of the season, what he did for Werder Bremen as an all-around striker ended up being more impactful. Bremen were well safe from relegation, largely thanks to Füllkrug’s – and Marvin Ducksch’s – work. The 30-year-old No. 9 recorded five assists, 1.7 fouls drawn per game, 1.2 key passes per match, and 1.1 dribbles completed per contest.
Everton’s leading goal-scorer in 2022/23 was winger Dwight McNeil with seven goals. McNeil is a good footballer who can score some absolute bangers, but the Toffees clearly can’t move into the next season with the 23-year-old standout as their best attacker.
Füllkrug has little future upside and could be a poor signing if the price isn’t right. Given his importance to Werder and his excellence last season, he may not come at a discount. That said, because Füllkrug played so well last season, it is hard to ignore him as a high-risk, high-reward option. After all, Everton may not be able to be choosy this summer. Strikers are not easy to come by on the market.
Monaco CM Aleksandr Golovin: Aleksandr Golovin has faded out of the spotlight since the World Cup, but he’s actually been an excellent player for Monaco. He was legitimately the Monégasque side’s best player in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season and one of the best overall midfielders in the league.
Look at the numbers. Golovin scored 8 goals with 7 assists, averaging 1.7 key passes per game and 2.9 combined tackles and interceptions per match. The 27-year-old is one of the hardest-working midfielders in the game, capable of playing top-quality defense while creating chance after chance for his teammates.
Everton need to sign star-quality players if they want to really move up the table in the Premier League. They have a decent midfield trio, led by Onana as the main standout, but they do need to sign one more quality piece. Golovin can be that guy.
Udinese ST Beto: Beto has been linked to Napoli as a possible Victor Osimhen replacement, in case the Partenopei cannot keep the Nigerian No. 9 amidst an offer they cannot refuse from an elite European side.
But if Beto isn’t courted heavily by Napoli or wants a challenge outside Serie A, the Udinese striker could be an option for Everton with more future upside.
Beto is coming off a promising season for the Friulani. He scored 10 goals this past season, which seems a little low, but Udinese’s creation fell off badly in the second half of the season. Beto looked like one of the best strikers in Serie A in the first half of the campaign.
Like Füllkrug, there is a risk with signing Beto. He wasn’t as good as the Werder star last season in terms of consistency, but at the age of 25, the Portuguese No. 9 has a lot more future value, which becomes important when a club like Everton thinks about their future return on investment. Ultimately, the decision at striker could come down to cost.
RB Leipzig CM Tom Krauß: Schalke went down despite putting up a strong fight at the end of the season, and one of their standout players of the 2022/23 campaign was a loanee from RB Leipzig, Tom Krauß.
Everton are reportedly interested in the promising 21-year-old German midfielder. The Toffees could be interested in creating a young nucleus in the midfield, and Krauß, if the price is right, could be a calculated gamble.
Krauß is a tenacious player in the middle of the park, as he showed the kind of grit Schalke fans love. He averaged 3.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game for the Royal Blues in the 2022/23 season.
The issue with Krauß is that he didn’t show the technical level that would inspire a move to the Premier League, but it is also possible that playing for a highly defensive club like Schalke did not help him showcase his ability. Leipzig, after all, tend to pick out quality midfield players.
Burnley ST Wout Weghorst: Decent at times during his loan spell with Manchester United, Wout Weghorst made up for his lack of quality relative to the Red Devils by working as hard as possible.
In many ways, Weghorst’s stock has fallen since he helped lead Wolfsburg to the Champions League. Despite his size, Weghorst is a lot more than a guy who can head in a lot of goals from crosses, which he did at his peak in the Bundesliga.
Weghorst was one of the best all-around strikers in German football. In addition to the 53 goals he scored in his first 3 Bundesliga seasons, the former Alkmaar standout regularly averaged more than a key pass per game, showing great hold-up play for one of the Bundesliga’s better sides.
At 30, Weghorst can be a very cost-effective option and a part of the rotation, but he probably isn’t good enough to be the solution for Everton. As brilliant as he was in those three seasons with Wolfsburg, he’s recent track record – including in his final season in the Bundesliga – is uninspiring. Weghorst could work, but probably only if the club signs another striker with him.
