We find ourselves two games into the new Premier League season and Everton already look set to teeter along the perilous tightrope of relegation.
The Toffees have only spent €12.5m (£10.6m) on Youseff Chermiti, whilst also bringing in the veteran Ashley Young on free transfer, and Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison on loan.
However, Sean Dyche’s men find themselves at the bottom of the table and crying out for some offensive reinforcements to reverse their ill fortune.
As a result, Everton are linked to one of France’s most exciting and promising talents…
What’s the latest Everton transfer news?
According to Le Parisien, Everton are ‘still talking’ with Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike and his entourage about a possible summer transfer.
It is understood that the 21-year-old has known for two weeks that he has no future at the French juggernaut and needs to find a new club before the window shuts.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
But, AC Milan, Lyon, and West Ham are all interested in Ekitike, with the latter having positioned themselves ‘more concretely’ in the last few days.
The Irons sporting director Tim Steidten has reportedly held a ‘positive’ meeting with the forward and his agents.
Earlier in the window, Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Merseysiders were in talks over a loan deal with a mandatory buy-option in the region of €35m (£30m). But, as has been reiterated, there are many clubs keen on the youngster so Everton must accelerate their attempts to conclude this transfer.
Would Hugo Ekitike be a good signing for Everton?
Ekitike, who has been described as “special” by former manager Oscar Garcia, has demonstrated across two full seasons of relatively regular Ligue 1 football that he is a useful and dangerous asset.
In 52 appearances in this division, he has scored 13 times and crafted eight assists, playing as a nimble, hard-working, and effervescent focal point.
The most eye-catching part of his short career was the 2021/22 season with Reims, where Ekitike netted ten goals in 15 league starts.
But, this didn’t come as a surprise to some, with Reims reserve team coach Franck Chalencon lauding the talent:
“Very young, we saw a huge potential, something natural, with a feeling for scoring a goal.
“His main quality? His instinct for goal. It's very rare that Hugo plays a game without creating a chance himself at any occasion. In front of the goal, his ratio is excellent. But he's not only a striker, he can play on the wing, too. Very technical.”
Last summer, the Frenchman secured a loan move to PSG with a €35m (£30m) option to turn the deal into a permanent transfer.
In his first season at the Parc des Princes, he recorded eight goal contributions in 32 matches, and despite joining permanently, he looks set to be offloaded.
Ekitike’s signing would finally be a replacement for Richarlison, who in four years at Goodison Park, established himself as a firm fan-favourite thanks to his dogged work rate, endless running, and eye for goal.
Similarly to Ekitike, he doesn’t possess a mind-boggling goal-scoring record, with 53 goals in 152 appearances for the Toffees, but he was massively important in the effort to avoid relegation.
Former Everton and current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti once claimed that Richarlison is a “modern and complete forward, not very sharp on his feet but coordinated and with great synchronization in the area.”
Therefore, Ekitike could be the long-awaited heir to Richarlison’s loveable, influential, and dynamic throne.
The Merseyside outfit are desperate for this dimension in attack and Ekitike could be the one to provide this for Dyche, though time is running out in the transfer window to finally land the true heir to Richarlison's throne at Goodison Park.
