Everton are ready to rival another Premier League club in the chase for Antoine Semenyo… 

What’s the word?

According to The Guardian, the Toffees have enquired about the availability of the Bristol City marksman. Crystal Palace are also pursuing the deal, and with both clubs needing to replace injured or outgoing strikers, it could make for an interesting transfer battle.

The 22-year-old is expected to command a fee of around £20m for the Robins, who rejected a £10m bid from Bournemouth earlier this summer.

He can be Calvert-Lewin 2.0

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin yet again ruled out with another lengthy injury, Everton have been left searching for a starting striker to deputise in his absence.

Reports have linked them with a number of forwards from Ligue 1, but perhaps shopping in the Championship could see them pick up another cheap gem who can be moulded into a top Premier League striker.

It could be a repeat of their £1.5m acquisition of the talismanic Calvert-Lewin, who was signed from Sheffield United in 2015.

Despite a troubling injury history, he has still netted 58 goals for the Toffees, including a 16-goal haul during the 2020/21 top-flight season.

Semenyo had something of a breakout season in 2021/22 and could bring huge value to this Everton team. The Ghanaian could directly replace the goals of Calvert-Lewin, and his link-up play could even surpass that of the England international, who has previously been noted for this trait.

Last season in the Championship, he scored eight goals and set up a further 12, which suggests that he could provide a creative outlet for some of the Toffees’ tricky wingers who would support him.

Labelled a “dangerous” forward by his former manager Phil Parkinson, Semenyo gives every indication that he could come into Goodison Park and be an instant hit.

Also providing 1.1 key passes per game, a huge improvement on Calvert-Lewin’s 0.6 from last season, it could mark a change away from Everton's reliance on a target man and see Frank Lampard alter his approach towards a passing style which may suit his players a bit more.

With Everton desperate for a reliable presence up front, they could do much worse than signing the young, up-and-coming Semenyo. It could mark another successful coup when exploring attacking options from the EFL, if the move comes off.