Everton are not a side famed for their goalscoring, but to have also lost their solidity this season marks a real problem.
After all, if they are not scoring, the very least they need to be is secure at the back.
Frustratingly for the pragmatic Everton manager Sean Dyche, for whatever reason, all the good work they achieved the campaign prior has been expunged. They kept just their first Premier League clean sheet of the season last time out at the seventh time of asking.
Those at Goodison Park would ideally prefer their team to be able to boast both a solid backline as well as a potent attack, but that has frustratingly not been the case for some time now.
Fortunately, when one man returns, at least the latter might get a little boost.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin could leave Everton in January
After all, it’s fair to say that neither Beto nor Dominic Calvert-Lewin are setting the world alight up front at the moment.
The latter is comfortably Dyche’s preferred option, hence why his stand-in seldom gets a start, but neither have been prolific at all across the last year or so.
Last season, their combined goal tally of ten in the Premier League was outscored by 25 different players alone.
So, it should come as no surprise that, should Calvert-Lewin refuse another Everton contract, the club are considering their options in January.
To get any sum of money for a player who would just leave for free the following summer would mark a success, especially when they have an alternative hopefully soon to return from injury.
Why is Youssef Chermiti not back from injury?
Whilst Armando Broja would mark the natural choice to replace Calvert-Lewin should he depart, histhe Albanian’s current deal with Everton is merely a loan one.
Youssef Chermiti, on the other hand, remains a permanent player, and a talented one at that.
Joining for £15m last summer, there was huge expectation over this teenage striker, fresh from scoring three goals in the Portuguese top flight from just nine starts.
And, whilst he is yet to score a senior goal for the Toffees, the 20-year-old remains well-regarded by many at the club, even earning 18 Premier League appearances last season and his first start too.
However, just when he seemed destined for a standout 2024/25 campaign, injury struck him down, with journalist Joe Thomas writing: ‘A real shame for Chermiti. So bright in early pre-season, it looked like he had carried through the confidence from those cameos late last season into the summer. What could be a big year for him will now get off to a slow start.’
Undergoing foot surgery on the eve of the new campaign, his exact return date remains uncertain.
It seems like the severity of the situation was far worse than anticipated, as Dyche continues to stress the long-term nature of his absence.
However, when he is back, there is certainly a chance to be taken for him up front.
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