Everton not expected to make Broja's loan deal permanent

I believe he can play wide as well, so he could be a useful squad player. It just depends what the club want to do with whatever the transfer budget is.

Broja's performance today – it's 11:50 pm here – showed exactly why. His injury record is not worth gambling on.

Danny, I don't think that we are in a position to splash £30M on a squad player. That said, I would not be surprised if his loan was renewed for another year.

It doesn't strike me that he will be a prolific goalscorer. Can he play wide? I think he has done for Albania and he was certainly drifting wide on occasions yesterday.

I don't expect he'll ever be hugely prolific – but a more talented striker can link up better with the flanks and midfield, enabling a better brand of football.

His goal-scoring record is poor. He only scored 2 goals for Chelsea, 6 for Southampton, none for Fulham and none for us. Not all of this is down to injuries.

I suspect he can if he can stay fit – but he's missed a lot of football so may need a bit of patience before he's found a good rhythm.

But personally, I don't think he is worth using up wage budget never mind the £30M fee on top of that.

I'm dreaming of Delap but he will probably end up making a stupid decision and go for sitting on the Chelsea or some other bench. Ww'll see.

£30M on an injury-prone squad player is ridiculous (plus his wages).

I'd like to see what Chermiti could do with a couple of starts in the games left.

Another loan wouldn't be a bad result for us. Maybe start next season with Broja, Beto and another striker fighting it out amongst themselves – with Chermiti getting the games he needs in the Championship or Eredivise or wherever.

I was not expecting to see the words "born in Slough"!

Also, his scoring record is about 1 in 5 or 6. So £30M for somebody who, historically, will appear in about 15 games and score 3 or 4 goals doesn't look like good business to me.

If we aren't signing him, we have to give Chermiti a couple of starts.

If we do have some money to spend then we can spend it to better effect.

People need to also wake up as to where else would you find potentially a striker like this? Every club is looking for a striker.

Will Everton take up the option to buy? No… but they will try to negotiate another loan which the player and Chelsea will be happy with. That's what will happen.

Calvert-Lewin at 28 should be leaving, injuries are going to get harder to clear as he gets older.

Broja, Beto and Chermiti will give us three strikers, I would be happy with that — and for money to be spent elsewhere in strengthening the squad.

That starts with Chermiti; he needs games.

Viktor Gyokeres for £20M Jan 2023 or Armando Broja summer 2025 for £30M?

Such a shame we were skint in January 2023.

Being a contrary sort of a chap, I wouldn't hesitate to give Doucoure a new contract provided it's a good bit less than what he's getting now.

I know he has plenty critics but he gives his all every game and pops up with important goals now and again. He's a better team player than he is given credit for on ToffeeWeb.

But overall I haven't seen anything to make me believe he's worth that price. If yesterday was his official audition for Moyes to sign him, just look at how much better we got when he came off for Beto.

I want to see more minutes go to Chermiti.

Don't think anyone we have on the books are the answer tbh. But getting a good striker is very difficult, especially with our finances.

The thought of starting next season with one-on-one Beto, a crocked Broja, and green Chermiti might not actually give us the impression of a club on the up and up.

Only Chermiti out of that mediocre trio would be with us next season in my ideal world, third choice after the two new lads X and Y (chance would be a fine thing).

As I said yesterday, however, I could see Broja getting another year here on loan and be second choice after X.

Aside from those already at rich and / or regular Champions League clubs – the hot striking targets this summer are probably:

Ekitike
Delap
Gyökeres
Sesko
Cunha
David

It is pretty much out of the question any of them will sign for Everton. Made-up rumours will abound to sell newspapers and generate on-line advertising revenue. But in reality, all of these players (and their current clubs) will have better offers elsewhere.

In the next level down, you have the likes of:

Vlahovic (9 in 25 for Juve)
Kean (17 in 29 for Fiorentina)
Castro (8 goals in 30 for Bologna)
Ferguson (1 goal in 19 for Brighton and West Ham)

Obviously Moise Kean isn't coming back and only Ferguson looks realistic – precisely because he is unproven and out of form.

That said, I don't think we should be too downhearted. If we sign a right-sided Ndiaye and a quality adventurous right-back, then I think we'd score more goals – regardless of who is up top.

So, on that basis, I don't think we are crying out for a new main striker ahead of Beto. We could have him – and maybe Broja on loan and develop a very high quality teenager (as well as Chermiti) – like what Bournemouth are doing with El Junior Kroupi who they bought in January.

I would use these games to rotate Broja and Beto, give them run-outs every game, one final look over. I would not give Calvert-Lewin any games when fit; we need to play players that might just stake their claim with Everton next season.

Like another poster said, loan Chermiti out, if we manage to bring a striker in, but have an option of a recall in the loan.

On the subject of wingers, Leeds are pretty much nailed on to come up, therefore there's no way they want Harrison back. Tough for him but surely we can and must do better.

Calvert-Lewin and Michael Keane to Burnley? Leeds? Depending on the playoffs, back to Sheffield United or reunited with Lampard at Coventry?

I read somewhere recently, within the last week, possibly BBC Gossip, that Calvert-Lewin was in talks with Newcastle but would that depend on Isak, is it, moving or if he'd play second fiddle to Isak?

Whatever, TFG are reported to be leaving contract talks until after relegation becomes a mathematical impossibility which hopefully means only between players and management and not within management.

It will be really interesting to see where Calvert-Lewin goes, I can't see him turning down £100k plus with us to then go to a struggling side, they wouldn't pay the wages for starters. I think second fiddle at Newcastle is his most likely destination and they have reportedly liked him for a while. West Ham maybe?

I wonder if there's a case of making do with what we've got currently or a better loan (Richarlison for Broja say), and spending that money elsewhere on the team until better candidates emerge.

If £35-45M only gets you an injury-prone Evan Ferguson. Perhaps it would make sense to improve other areas first, rather than spending on someone that we know will struggle in the current set up. If we have less creativity than Brighton, is Ferguson not going to score less with us?

We've had some shite strikers down the years, despite spending decent dough. My view was previously we needed to buy fewer of them, but better quality. I think we are here again.

Gee. That seems easy… Wonder why nobody thought of that before???

Then again, stranger things happen and often, an average - decent player can look better in a better team. Dominic has suffered from playing as a solitary, often isolated striker with little supply or support. And he's had a torrid time with injuries.

On the subject of strikers, I see the coroners inquest into Kevin Campbell's death will take place this week. His family have been asking for it as there were concerns over his treatment and the time it took for diagnosis and shortcomings over his care.

Other clubs seem to do it.

We haven't got the finances to be taking a £30M on a striker with a worse injury and scoring record than Calvert-Lewin.

I can see a world where no one is interested in Calvert-Lewin and he signs again with us.

Be another gamble who ever we sign. Alcaraz and Ndiaye though I think will create us loads of chances.

Or take a punt. Aston Villa gambled on Oli Watkins… and look at the 33-year-old former journeyman Chris Woods at Forest.

I'm not sure letting 3 go that will bring in £20M at best in total is going to go a long way to solving our problems.

I hope Calvert-Lewin scores 20 a season for someone but it's more likely to be a Brentford or Leeds that he goes to rather than a club in Europe.

I'm more concerned with what the club is thinking about Alcaraz at the moment. If Moyes persists in not starting him, we could lose the right to buy what looks like a promising young player at the right price.

Is there something going on we don't know about?

The club could have gotten a decent fee from Newcastle if they hadn`t demanded a ridiculous £25M for him even though he was entering the last year of his contract. The player himself clearly thought they would wait a year and get him for nothing… Had the Geordies already told him as much?

The injury is a bad one and has scuppered everyone's plans. We got neither his services nor a fee.

The player may no longer be wanted by Eddie Howe... Who wants a striker with Hammy issues? One thing is certain: his wage demands surely have to be re-aligned with his circumstances.

A section of our fan base will only ever judge him by the goals he scores, despite the desperate service he has received, but many people in the game recognise he is a fantastic player. Probably the best receiver of a long pass or big hoof in the game.

If Howe still wants him, it may be so he can play him next to Isak, not instead of. He is brave enough.

A partnership which would cost very little… and one which could escalate The Skunks to newer higher levels.

I like Calvert-Lewin a lot as a player and will wish him well wherever he goes.

I'm far from convinced by him at present and personally think our man Beto will score plenty next season – so long as he has Ndiaye, McNeil, Alcaraz and Jimmy G supplying him.

The strange antithesis of that being the attitude toward Calvert-Lewin…

I for one hope Calvert-Lewin will sign a contract and I think Moyes would use him effectively and not like Dyche did, on his own. With the right service, he is still better than Broja or Beto.

I would be reluctant to base evaluations on Calvert-Lewin under Dyche. His confidence took a hammering but on his day is a very good footballer, well, better than the other two!

No issues with Calvert-Lewin from me mate – but, it looks like he is off anyway, so it becomes a moot point. He's a better player than often given credit for – cut his teeth in the lower leagues when basically a kid, so a tough lad by all accounts too.

However, Beto has only recently (relatively speaking) been given a run of games and there are potential partnerships that could enhance his positives. Like all strikers, they have strengths and limits.

He makes chances for himself and is good at making runs to get the one-on-ones. (He was marginally offside against Liverpool – if he'd scored that, how the narrative would have changed!)

He is definitely not a hold-the-ball-up striker – something that is further exaggerated when playing Doucoure behind him – and that is no slight on Doucoure.

Plus, he keeps defenders busy and occupied, freeing up space for the other attacking players. Play to his strengths and we might possibly have the answer to the striking issue!

Not sure why Calvert-Lewin would be high on their list of priorities.

Interesting times ahead to see what the plan is with regard to departures and recruitment, but I don't think TFG will make the mistakes of their predecessors and I expect exciting times ahead.

We need another ''class act'' up front and I would go for Delap of Ipswich but you know that's not gonna happen.

Strikers come at a premium and even then need a good support group. We have struggled in that department all season as we all know only too well and, thanks to some great defending, we have stayed pretty competitive — even after the first four games when we conceded 13 goals in four defeats.

He hasn't done anything to make me think I should change my opinions either. The simple answer, although he looks a quite skillful player, he doesn't look like a goal scorer and it seems that his injury record is waving too many red flags, never mind anything else that can be said against taking him. I wouldn't even consider another loan period.

In other words, he has to be sent back at the end of the season. We are not a charity any more.

£30M is way too much for his output. Let Chelsea loan him out to another club next season.

But I'm not convinced we truly need it for next season, in any case. Just looking strikers, this season the situation looks like this:

- Haaland 21

- Isak 20

- Wood 18

- Wissa 15

- Watkins 14

- Cunha 14

- Mateta 13

- Strand Larsen 12

- Delap 12

- J.Pedro 10

- Jackson 9 (Christ alive 9 goals in a team with Palmer, Neto, Madueke et al...)

In amongst all of this, only Haaland, Isak, Watkins and Cunha are top class players. Delap looks like he could get there - maybe J.Pedro at a push.

Interestingly, Nunez (£85m), Hojlund (£72m), Solanke (£65m) Rutter (£55m) have all recorded really shit goal returns.

The others in the top scorers list are a mixed bag. But certainly Wood, Mateta, Wissa, Strand-Larsen are not top class players. they just happen to play for clubs who play to their strengths (as per Delap also).

I would be very surprised if lumbering Wood would have scored many for us this season, with our lumbering attack. He benefits from good full-back play, Gibbs-White pulling the strings - and the pace / quality of Hudson-Odoi and Elanga in the wing / forward positions.

It's not unlike the situation when our strikers were last scoring goals - under Lukaku under Martinez, and then DCL under Ancelotti.

In each case we had attacking full backs (Coleman and Baines / Oviedo - and then Digne and Sidibe / Coleman) a decent number 10 (Barkley and the Sigurdsson) and pace / quality in the wing forward positions (Deulofeu and Rodriguez / Richarlison). We were much, much better set up as an attacking force than we are now.

So I expect we can more easily generate more goals in the team by upgrading the RB and right wing / forward positions with pace and quality - and letting Alcaraz develop in that number 10 (ish) position.

If we do that then I can see Beto and Broja (loan?) getting decent goal returns (albeit probably not more than about 10 / 12 in each case) - but the team overall scoring more.

And I reckon it should be much easier to make a material improvement at wing forward and full back than it would be to find a top class striker.

That's partly because our right flank is abysmal - the worst in the Premier League two seasons in a row. And partly because better players are relatively plentiful and avaliable at reasonable cost.

Even if we were to be fairly unimaginative and take Walker-Peters and Nuamah - our right flank would be miles better than it is now as an attacking force.

In each position I could list about 20 alternatives who would be a a first team ready upgrade and within our likely budget.

I couldn't do that for the striker position.

I agree with you that striker is unlikely to be the quickest/easiest road to improvement this summer. As you say the right flank should be easy to upgrade though it will be interesting to see how McNeill and O’Brien (assuming Branthwaite stays) fit in. I also think a better class partner for Gueye is needed as Garner is competent but unremarkable in my view.

Of course much depends on player availability and our transfer chest. If it’s true that Delap has a £30m release clause for example then we should probably throw our hat into that contested ring. It’s interesting how little impact Evan Ferguson has made at West Ham, presumably that’s mostly down to injury; will be interesting to see his next step, perhaps a promoted team taking a punt on him like Ipswich did with Delap.

I am not sure we've the money or the pulling power to bring in a striker that will make a material difference when the team needs upgrading elsewhere.

Improving around the team will make it more attractive to a decent striker to come, rather than fear no service or quality what so ever - and will probably generate at least the same number of goals.

Southall has come out and said we are only going to get a decent money by throwing money at them, as Moyes and the style has no pulling power. And that's probably right.

So upgrade the full backs, right wing, and central midfield. And take a loan or a budget forward to replace Dom for next season. That provides time to look at the real emerging strikers rather than the ones everyone is chasing.

I think Moyes will have the option to take Broja or Richarlison on loan, possibly a Zirkzee (united will sign another striker and that leaves him Hoiyland pssibly out), Igamane Rangers, and possibly a couple of others from Europe look like the area we are shopping.

I do think Delap would do well with us. Pace, aggression, regular game time, I think he'd be a bit of a cult hero and would add volume to Bramley Moore. But I accept its all European football, big wages, and media profile these days.

There must be a striker out there. Maybe we'd have to spread our wings and find better value on the continent.

Personally, I'm not sure why many get concerned about transfer pots. Don't get me wrong, I know we are scarred from the reckless and incoherent spending of the Moshiri era that nearly cost us big time. But I doubt these owners will follow suit, but will make funds available.

How much? We don't know. Only they do. As I keep saying, it's not always what you spend, but how you spend it. Especially in Everton's current position, where we have to be clever in which players we go for on the journey back to the top end of the table.

It's not all been bad recently. O'Brian, Branthwaite, even Mykolenko is solid, if not spectacular when playing in a settled back 4. Garner was a modest signing but fits in well at present. Ndiaye and Alcaraz.

There is a base to be built on there. Let's hope the owners are ambitious and brave come the summer.

Although we might technically be able to afford a release fee quoted as between £30m and £40m - the reality is he will get better offers.

He is linked with Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and the RS.

They will offer him substantially higher wages than we would.

At least 2 of them offer him immediate Champions League football.

All of them have a high likelihood of silverware in the next 3 years. Even dysfunctional Man Utd.

It has nothing to do with the (non) pulling power of Moyes.

It is financials and status of the club generally.

I think RS and Arsenal will aim higher and Chelsea already have a similar or better striker in Jackson. United already spent big on youngsters Hojlund and Zirkzee. I see Delap wanting to be first choice next season and so going to a team one tier down maybe Newcastle, West Ham, Brighton, Forest etc.

That still makes it a longshot for sure but if we finish the season strongly then hopefully being starting striker at Barkley Moore in a team moving forwards might have an appeal. I'd call it nearer a 10% chance!

Sadly they are a much more attractive proposition than Everton right now too.

He's 23 and pretty clearly talented. Given that he's at the club we've got the opportunity to make an educated assessment as to his fitness rather than one from afar.

Talented young strikers in the 20M-30M age bracket aren't easy to come by. Even just a season without serious injury would improve his market value dramatically.

We'll have to gamble on something. We can't afford (nor attract) proven talent with no risk.

He led the line well against Forest. He doesn’t play off the defender’s shoulder as Beto - a more limited player- is able to do. However, his technical ability and link up play is far better than Beto’s.

It would be great to get a second season loan deal done, but I am sceptical Chelsea are going to agree to that.

So do we spend big on a player we have been able to assess mainly on the training pitch, or do we go to the market to see if we can get better value for a lower price?

Interesting summer ahead.

I'm not suggesting for one even one second, let alone one minute, that he's a player we could go for. Way out of our league right now.

But rewind several years and he was a journeyman bouncing around French clubs, FC Koln in Germany, sent out on loan several times, exchanging for modest fees of 3-4M Euros in his early 20s and relegated twice. He didn't really kick off until Stuttgart signed him for one season (still only 25), before he moved to die "Schwarzgelben".

My main point reverts back to my repeated banging the drum for our scouting network to get it's arse over to the continent and uncover hidden talent, where you will get better value for money.

https://www.everton.news/report-everton-almost-signed-27-year-old-striker-who-is-now-outscoring-harry-kane/?callback=in&code=YJA4YWFKZTYTOTUYMY0ZNGQXLTG1ODKTYZCZYTQZZDK3YWQ5&state=1895dcc4d97746778850500439f9e12d

I disagree somewhat Sam, Delap to me looks the real deal. I was born in Ipswich and a lot of my mates are fans, I’ve watched them a fair bit this season. He has it all, young, strong and powerful, has an eye for a goal, can run at defenders and his hold up play is improving each game. If there is even a small chance of getting him we should try.

Especially when you consider some of the reported fees we've splashed out on some dubious signing during that period. And if true, haggling over £15M just sums up our transfer non-strategy at that time.

Fortunately, I think it's improved the past couple of windows. Tentative steps, but improvement.

As always, any transfer is a risk and who's to say this player would have succeeded at Everton? Being the Everton striker has been a tough gig in recent seasons.

I'm not convinced he'd have been a hit at Everton since, for the last 5 years, we've been set up to protect the goals against column due to the poor quality in the squad (and lack of money to improve it). The step up to the Premier League in a very poor attacking unit would probably have set him back.

Our strikers will continue to struggle until we have sorted out the supply of service from full back, wing / forward and attacking midfield positions

It's easy to make the comment you have in hindsight, but Dyche was only going to pick Calvert-Lewin from what we had available at the time, and it would have cost more than the mooted fee to pick up a serviceable striker that fit Dyche's "tactics".

I’d rather give game time to Chermitti to see where he’s at and what he’s capable of. Him and Beto are the only senior strikers we have currently expected to be here next season.

It's been obvious for some time that we need a more talented striker than Beto / DCL (effective though they can be).

How do you do this without any money?

Well, you gamble.

Chermiti is one such (low cost) gamble which may yet pay off.

Braiden Graham is another.

Broja is a more immediate option. He definitely has talent and has hinted he could score goals - but doesn't yet have a track record.

He was available to us purely because he was injury prone. We're it not for his injury issues he'd be playing for Ipswich.

We could take the gamble because we didn't need him to fit right away - we had DCL and Beto.

But if we can get him fit then we have a potential quality striker. Moyes seems to think so too - hence he's giving him a chance to impress now fit.

He's definitely worth another loan to my mind - and it seems unlikely Chelsea will have many (any) better options than loaning him out to us. No-one is going to pay much of a fee.

I meant to say the 1st round were Premier clubs are involved, which is obviously the 3rd round which is played the first week of Jan.

First why did he put Broja on. He surely has seen enough already and isn't going to spend £30M on him anyway. Calvert-Lewin (mentioned in earlier posts) has been clear to all for quite some time that he is running his contract down and will leave for free to wherever. I would think, as he won't have a many offers, there is a good chance he will return to Sheffield Utd where Wilder was the manager there when DCL was coming up through the ranks. He will feel at home there even though it will be on a much less lucrative contract.

Secondly when Tarks did, what looked like his hamstring, why did Moyes put Keane on and not move O'Brien into central defence, bringing a sub into the the right back position? Keane has got to be rusty and looked it on more than one occasion. Our strength in defence was badly weakened by that move and it gave City the game I thought.

All in all it was a bad day at the office for our Davie which was disappointing to witness. I hope he and the boys put that one behind them very quickly.

1. He rates Broja and is giving him the opportunity to get a run of games – with a view to extending the loan in summer. Some sense in that.

2. Poor though Keane often is, he was our best centre-back at the start of the season – and the right-back options are all crap (hence we're playing a 6ft-6in centre-back there).

McNeil did not look fit and I thought he pulled up with an injury shortly after coming on; as a result, he offered nothing going forward or defending.

Tim Iroegbunam I cannot make my mind up about, he flatters to deceive sometimes and I am just not sure if he can step up to the mark.

Alcaraz doesn't look happy at being sub or being used wide and obviously the lack of clarity regarding his transfer appears to be getting to him.

Up front, Broja just is nowhere near making an impact, he obviously doesn't think his future is here, at least that's how it looks. Beto had more energy but was totally ineffective.

All-in-all, David Moyes must be looking at the squad and thinking it's really not good enough at all, even his first 11 has holes in it. But it's clear decisions have to be made and players need to know. Perhaps Moyes himself doesn't know what he has to play with and who stays and goes.

I think he will ditch several in Broja, Young, Doucoure, Keane, Patterson, Harrison, Coleman and there will be big question marks over many others: Iroegbunam, Beto, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil (for me, one of the most overated one-footed players we have). Others I have no idea over: Chermiti, Harrison… so many holes to fill. I guess it's a reflection of where we are.

If things are as tight financially as we suspect, then probably only half would go (probably the most expensive). With no Director of Football, Moyes will have a huge task…