If Everton are to bolster a squad lacking depth this summer, Kevin Thelwell is going to have to pull some serious strings in the transfer market.
Having already admitted that sacrifices will have to be made, Evertonians will be hoping that their most important stars, like Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, are not the ones forced out.
However, were the latter to ignore the new contract he is set to be offered, offloading him might be their only option, with just one year left on his deal.
That could send alarm bells ringing for Thelwell, who will want to plan ahead for such a grim eventuality.
Well, with this latest report, he seems to be doing just that…
Everton interested in Luton Town star
This transfer update comes courtesy of TEAMtalk, and seeks to detail the Toffees’ interest in one of Luton Town’s stars.
Rob Edwards’ side fell to the drop on Sunday, having failed to capitalise on the deductions suffered by both Everton and Nottingham Forest.
However, they did not go down without a fight, and thus quite a few of his star men have caught the eye.
Ross Barkley is one such name, who could now be set to move to Aston Villa, but Elijah Adebayo is another who has emerged with great credit.
The report states: ‘Everton are poised to step up their pursuit of Adebayo once they have generated some much-needed cash from player sales.’
Sean Dyche needs more firepower
Were Everton to snag Adebayo from the Hatters, it would mark another piece of shrewd business from them, to prey on a relegated side.
Already Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucouré, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford have been plucked from those condemned to the drop, with all four developing into key players for Sean Dyche.
Adebayo would certainly follow suit, as a powerful striker with more than enough physicality to thrive within Everton’s system.
In fact, the 6 foot 5 finisher found the net an impressive ten times in the Premier League this season in just 26 games, more than both Calvert-Lewin and Beto managed.
And whilst for many this was the first they had heard of the 26-year-old, for Wayne Rooney, he has always recognised his talent.
He even noted back in 2022: ‘Adebayo was a handful. He’s a player I actually tried to bring to Derby. He is big, good in the air, strong and hard to play against.’
These are traits that Dyche has characteristically gone for in his strikers over the years, and to bring Adebayo in for a cut price in their current financial position would mark a smart move at this stage.