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This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

Striker Artem Dzyuba has told Sport24 that Everton were interested in signing him last January, as reported by Russian outlet Championat.

What's the story?

The 31-year-old has spent his entire career in Russia so far and had built up a reputation for being strong on the ball, as well as being a striker who can chip in with a fair amount of goals who also holds the ball up effectively.

He has claimed that he had attention from the Toffees and Wolves over the winter, with both clubs sending scouts out to assess his performances for Zenit St Petersburg, where his current contract expires at the end of the season.

It is not known if the club submitted a formal offer to bring him in mid-season, but the 6 foot 4 striker claimed he was not interested due to the prospect of winning the Russian Super League, which he duly achieved.

He also added that he hoped a move would materialise over the summer, but it seems as though the Goodison Park outfit instead opted for Moise Kean, whose playing style is a complete contrast to Dzyuba's.

Better off with Kean

It is an interesting revelation that Everton had an interest in Dzyuba, particularly in January when Marco Silva was beginning to move away from the inconsistent Cenk Tosun, whose height and physical stature makes him a similar type of striker to the Russian.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Oumar Niasse also at the club the Toffees aren't short of height up front, and it therefore seems strange that the Portuguese was looking to add another big man to his options in attack.

Everton fans are likely thankful that the summer brought a change in transfer approach - opting against signing an ageing striker with a record of one goal in three in a division of much lower quality than the Premier League.

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Instead, a young and exciting forward blessed with pace was brought in - Kean - and although he is yet to get off the mark so far he has shown his talent and energy up-front, with his pressing resulting in the opening goal against Wolves.

His attributes should also suit Everton and the Premier League much better than Dzyuba would have, as displayed already by his positive link-up play with players such as Alex Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson against Lincoln and Wolves.

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