January Transfer Window 2026

[Neiler]

Very much this, every now and then you get that 'one' that can just hit the net from anywhere around the box and you can count on them racking the goals up. I do think it's a shame we didn't get Delap in a sense he is more suited to Moyesball than either of the current two are imo.

The Yak was another.

We went through a fair few strikers with Moyes when you think about it in the decade or so he was here when you compare to other positions during that era, he never really settled on one: Campbell, Ferguson, Rooney, Bent, Jimmy Vaughan, Big Vic, Johnson, The Yak, Beckford, Beattie, Jelevic.

Each weren't bad players.......but none ever really became that "Nailed On Era striker" only a few got over 10 PL goals if my memory is right....maybe the Yak and Beckford - that in itself raises the obvious question - for all his qualities Moyes struggles with strikers.

 

[hetion]

Bit of sense in that mate - a question ive always quietly asked myself is how many goals can we expect from a forward playing for Everton as a 1 up top as essentially thats what it is, as opposed to wide forwards you see elsewhere supporting a 9.

Id suggest 10 if we're lucky, unless you get really lucky and find a Lukaku - who was just a beast and bult in a shed by the A-Team for that role.

We've been wedded to a 4-2-3-1 for going on 20 years now anyway, bar the odd nuance - its a tough gig for anyone being the no 9 here in that context.

It's also worth saying that generally being a sole striker in the way football is played these days is much, much harder than it used to be. The reason most of them are absolutely massive now, and you rarely see strikers with silky skills, is most of the job is just being a battering ram atm. Cause trouble, mess with defences, chase things down - they often don't even have the best scoring chances falling to them. It's physically so gruelling. It's why half the top 10 scorers in the league last season weren't even strikers.

 

[Neiler]

It's also worth saying that generally being a sole striker in the way football is played these days is much, much harder than it used to be. The reason most of them are absolutely massive now, and you rarely see strikers with silky skills, is most of the job is just being a battering ram atm. Cause trouble, mess with defences, chase things down - they often don't even have the best scoring chances falling to them. It's physically so gruelling. It's why half the top 10 scorers in the league last season weren't even strikers.

Good post mate, it also begs the question of what's a realistic expectation in return for a forward in modern football or here - you often here about needing a "20 goal a season striker" but hardly anyone bar the absolute cream surrounded by top players scores 20 league goals as a 9.

What would be an expectation of a top number for a top striker (no 9) here?

15 goals?

 

[Chrismac]

Chat of Zirkzee wanting out in January, big strong and holds the ball up well.
Would he suit our midfield and style of play?

 

[NeilMorepies]

Are there any more updates concerning our interest in Fred that was reported earlier in the week?

 

[hetion]

Good post mate, it also begs the question of what's a realistic expectation in return for a forward in modern football or here - you often here about needing a "20 goal a season striker" but hardly anyone bar the absolute cream surrounded by top players scores 20 league goals as a 9.

What would be an expectation of a top number for a top striker (no 9) here?

15 goals?

My hot take is - and this is all not including penalties, so you can add 3-5 on for those - if a striker is doing all the other striker things very well, then getting over 10 *league* goals every season is good. Getting over 15 league goals every season would be absolutely incredible - it's really only the absolute top strikers who manage that every single season while still doing all the rest of the job to a high standard.

I'm talking year in, year out, not banking on freak one-off hot finishing streaks like Wood or Mbeumo had last season. Getting 10+ league goals every time AND doing all the dirty work to a high level is a good striker.

 

[Neiler]

My hot take is - and this is all not including penalties, so you can add 3-5 on for those - if a striker is doing all the other striker things very well, then getting over 10 *league* goals every season is good. Getting over 15 league goals every season would be absolutely incredible - it's really only the absolute top strikers who manage that every single season while still doing all the rest of the job to a high standard.

I'm talking year in, year out, not banking on freak one-off hot finishing streaks like Wood or Mbeumo had last season. Getting 10+ league goals every time AND doing all the dirty work to a high level is a good striker.

Say a Mateta, Jimenez or Welbeck mate!

 

[DanB90]

Chat of Zirkzee wanting out in January, big strong and holds the ball up well.
Would he suit our midfield and style of play?

Good footballer. Crap striker.

 

[hetion]

Say a Mateta, Jimenez or Welbeck mate!

Basically yes! Someone of that ilk would be great.

And I do genuinely think that's the exact level Barry can be at for us - for reference he scored pretty much exactly the same amount of goals per minute last season in La Liga as Mateta did in the prem, at 6 years younger, in his first ever season in a top league. Maybe it'll take til next year but I think he'll be a good top-half level striker for us which would be fantastic to have.

 

[hetion]

Good footballer. Crap striker.

Such a weird player. I'm no tactician but seems like the opposite to what we want? He'd be (maybe) very good if we had two shot-happy forwards on either side of him. Be hilarious with Grealish though. 5 minutes of intricate passing between them in the penalty box daring the other to shoot.

 

[Nymzee]

Chat of Zirkzee wanting out in January, big strong and holds the ball up well.
Would he suit our midfield and style of play?

More than our current strikers would, however if we ever changed to a style that required a proper forward he isn’t it.

 

[Neiler]

Basically yes! Someone of that ilk would be great.

And I do genuinely think that's the exact level Barry can be at for us - for reference he scored pretty much exactly the same amount of goals per minute last season in La Liga as Mateta did in the prem, at 6 years younger, in his first ever season in a top league. Maybe it'll take til next year but I think he'll be a good top-half level striker for us which would be fantastic to have.

The Mateta comparison i find really interesting mate and shows the value of patience in development with Barry, his first couple of years at Palace he really struggled but the last couple of years hes gone on to be one of the most complete strikers in the league, he broke into the France squad recently to.

Would we have binned Mateta off long before that, we proabably would have..................

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

Chat of Zirkzee wanting out in January, big strong and holds the ball up well.
Would he suit our midfield and style of play?

More interested in the Ivan Toney stuff...that one smells like a Moyes special. Weirder things have happened:

 

[Chrismac]

More interested in the Ivan Toney stuff...that one smells like a Moyes special. Weirder things have happened:

Think Toney will be tough to convince after the racism incident tbh

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

Think Toney will be tough to convince after the racism incident tbh

I've learned not to discount anything when it comes to us.