Everton could turn the tables on Steven Gerrard and profit from a supposed fall-out with one of his players, solving their striker crisis by landing Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. Football Insider report that the Blues have registered their interest in the England international and claim that the Midlanders are open to letting Watkins go as they work on trying to bring in a new front man in the final weeks of the summer transfer window and a well-placed source has told them Gerrard has a tense relationship with the player as the pair “do not see eye to eye.”
Everton are in desperate need of more attacking options due to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury, the £60million sale of Richarlison last month plus youngsters Ellis Simms and Lewis Dobbin having both been sent out on loan so the Blues’ only recognised striker is Salomon Rondon, brought in on a free transfer by Rafael Benitez last year after working with him in China at Dalian Pro. However, the veteran Venezuelan netted just once in 20 Premier League outings last term and Frank Lampard opted to start with winger Anthony Gordon out of position as centre-forward in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa rather than pick the 32-year-old who was back available after serving his three-match suspension for being sent off against Brentford in May.
Everton have been linked with moves for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Neal Maupay and Southampton’s Che Adams in recent days but Watkins would represent an arguably more exciting prospect. The Saints man, whose full name is Che Zach Everton Fred Adams, is actually deemed the Premier League player closest in style to Watkins with Comparisonator’s Similarity Comparison placing the pair as having an 84% match but he has never hit double figures in the Premier League while Watkins has achieved the feat in both his seasons at Villa Park, netting 14 in 2020/21 and 11 last term.
