Everton manager Frank Lampard has alerted the board to the importance of signing a new striker during the forthcoming January transfer window, with an EFL Championship whiz identified…

What’s the word?

Lampard’s desire to bring in new additions is no secret; with the club languishing in 17th place, facing the peril of a relegation fight for a second successive campaign, an added element of genuine quality is a necessity.

According to talkSPORT, Everton are set to rival Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers for the signing of Coventry City’s Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has been a sensation since joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.

The tweet read:

“BREAKING: Wolves, Brentford and Everton are all interested in signing Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres. Coventry value Gyokeres at as much as £20m.”

Spending such a sum on an unproven commodity in the English top-flight might be considered a risk by Toffess owner Farhad Moshiri, but with an exemplary goal record for Coventry and incremental gains being made year on year, it might be a deal that would bear fruit given Everton’s withered frontline. 

Iwobi connection

Everton’s forward options have left little to admire this season, with Anthony Gordon the club’s top scorer across all competitions with just three strikes.

In fact, Dwight McNeil and Demarai Gray are the only other squad members to have netted two times, with summer signing Neal Maupay and talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin both bypassing the opposition keeper on one occasion.

Granted, the latter has spent the vast majority of the campaign shackled to the medical department, but the collective forward surge has been, candidly, woeful. 

By signing Gyokeres, the Toffees would unleash a dynamic forward boasting a wealth of goals across the past several seasons.

Since joining from the Seagulls, the Coventry ace has clinched 33 goals and six assists from 90 appearances, becoming an integral force in a side that have established themselves as an ambitious outfit in England’s second tier since promotion from League One in 2020.

The 24-year-old Gyokeres has indeed been a devastating factor behind the team’s success, scoring 18 goals last year and starting off the current campaign with resounding success in netting 12 times from his first 24 league outings.

Should Everton welcome him to the fold, the step up in competition would certainly be a factor, but his natural goal-scoring instinct and consistency in the Championship certainly point towards a continuation of his good work over the past few years.

And with the revitalised Alex Iwobi behind him, he would have a vibrant supply with regularity; after several seasons of subpar performances at Goodison Park since his £35m move from Arsenal in 2019, the 26-year-old Nigerian ace has unearthed his creative touch under Lampard, already serving six assists this season.

And if Sky Blues boss Mark Robins’ praise is anything to go by, then Lampard will certainly yield an exciting talent if a move rises to fruition, nurturing his skills at a top-flight outfit.

Robins said:

“He’s not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination but he has some unbelievable ability – power, technique. He has got everything in his locker and that desire and hunger to score goals."

With Everton in severe danger of falling into the bottom three, an exciting new frontal addition is paramount, and Gyokeres could be the answer to lift them back to a respectable position.