- Everton continue to be linked with Chelsea striker Liam Delap
- Reports also claim Juventus forward Loïs Openda has been offered to the Blues
- Moyes could soon face a major decision over what type of striker Everton need
Everton’s search for a new centre-forward is beginning to reveal something more interesting than a list of transfer targets.
As reports linking the Blues with Liam Delap continue to gather momentum, fresh claims that Juventus striker Lois Openda has been offered to the club suggest David Moyes and Everton’s recruitment team could already be weighing two very different solutions to the same problem.
According to reports, Everton are preparing a £30million bid for Chelsea forward Delap, although the London club are believed to value the 23-year-old at more than £40million. Newcastle United have also been credited with interest.
Meanwhile, Football Insider recently reported that Everton have been offered the opportunity to sign Openda from Juventus, with the Serie A side willing to discuss either a permanent transfer or a loan deal that becomes permanent. The Belgian is also thought to carry a valuation of around £40million.
The similarities in the figures involved are striking. The profiles of the players, however, are very different.
Delap fits Everton’s long-term model
It is easy to understand why Delap appeals.
At 23, he remains one of the most highly-rated young English forwards around and already has valuable Premier League experience under his belt. Strong, aggressive and capable of leading the line physically, he possesses many of the attributes Moyes traditionally values in a striker.
Perhaps more importantly, Delap feels aligned with the type of recruitment strategy Everton have been trying to establish under TFG.
He is young enough to improve, young enough to retain significant resale value and young enough to potentially become a key player for years rather than seasons.
That matters when transfer fees of £40m are being discussed.
Openda offers proven pedigree
Openda presents a very different proposition.
The 26-year-old has already produced elite-level numbers in Europe, scoring heavily for both Lens and RB Leipzig before earning his move to Juventus.
There is arguably less uncertainty around his ceiling because he has already demonstrated what he can do at a high level.
The concern is equally obvious.
His first season in Turin failed to go to plan and Juventus’ apparent willingness to move him on inevitably raises questions. Everton would effectively be betting that a difficult year in Serie A was an exception rather than the start of a decline.
That is why the emerging links feel significant.
Everton unquestionably need more goals. But the bigger decision may be determining what kind of striker best fits the next stage of Moyes’ project at the Hill Dickinson.
Do they invest in Delap’s long-term potential or back Openda’s established pedigree?
The answer could become one of the defining decisions of Everton’s summer.
