Everton have been told they should hijack Nottingham Forest's reported move for Brighton striker Neal Maupay.
The Reds are said to be close to signing the Frenchman from their Premier League rivals, with a price tag of around £15 million mooted.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Trevor Sinclair declared his admiration for the striker but believes Everton should be looking to make a move ahead of Forest as he is well suited to their team, both on the pitch and off it with his character. Everton are in desperate need of a striker and the Forest target could fit the bill, Sinclair believes.
READ MORE: Jesse Lingard makes ‘life changing money’ claim after Nottingham Forest transfer
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest ‘in talks’ over £15m Premier League transfer
“I like him as a player, I think he’s certainly a Premier League striker,” Sinclair said. “He operates really well and he’s got a fantastic personality. He’s got character, a little bit of cheek about him.
“The team that I’m looking at now, they need a striker who has quality, and I don’t think he’d be out of place at Everton. You can see Everton’s forward players huffing and puffing, so if Maupay is available you couldn’t get that signature signed quick enough.
“They are bang in trouble in that No.9 spot at the moment, Everton. They’ve got three wingers playing, with one of them as the central striker, today and the levels are so high in the Premier League that you need that special centre-forward to play in that area. And if you’ve got Maupay possibly available, I think Frank Lampard would be wise to try and get him.
“We want to see Maupay play. He’s a personality, he scores goals, he’s an entertainer, he’s shown he’s good enough to play at this level. When you talk about Scousers, they’ve got personality, they’ve got character, and I think he would react in a positive way to being around the people of Liverpool.
“They’d love him. He’s got a bit about himself, he’s got an edge, and you’ve got to have that to play at either Goodison Park or Anfield, and I think he’d be an absolute hit if he went to Everton.”
READ NEXT:
Nottingham Forest transfer news LIVE: Three signings 'close', McKenna injury blow, Bakayoko latest
Keinan Davis sent classy Nottingham Forest message as transfer confirmed
Wolves send clear Morgan Gibbs-White transfer message to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest in 'advanced talks' for striker after bid accepted