Back page While a move to Manchester United hasn’t been confirmed, it looks certain that Romelu Lukaku will leave Everton during the current transfer window.
Chelsea were also in the running to secure the Belgian’s signature but a lot of betting websites have now suspended their market on his next destination.
That leaves Everton with a massive hole to fill as Lukaku helped himself to 25 Premier League goals last season.
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While forwards Sandro Ramirez and Leandro Rodriguez have already joined the club this summer, they would no doubt like to spend some of the reported £75 million that they will receive for Lukaku on someone who has played in England.
Wayne Rooney
A return to Goodison Park has been mooted for years now, and the rumours linking Wayne Rooney with a switch back to the club he made his Premier League debut for have intensified in the past week.
Many believe that Rooney is finished as a top level player but, at 31, he has more miles left on the clock and could be the deep lying forward that the Toffees have been lacking under Ronald Koeman.
In his first spell at the club, Rooney played 67 times and scored 15 goals in all competitions, including *that* stunning strike on debut against Arsenal.
Re-signing the England captain would be even less risky if they can pick him up on a free transfer.
Olivier Giroud
Arsenal flashed the cash this week by forking out somewhere in the region of €50 million to acquire French international Alexander Lacazette from Olympique de Lyonnais.
If Alexis Sanchez remains at the Emirates Stadium, Olivier Giroud may find his game time even more limited than it was during the 2016/17 campaign.
The 30-year-old has netted a very respectable 98 goals in 226 appearances since joining the club from Montpellier back 2012, and could be just the man to spearhead Everton’s attack in place of Lukaku.
Reports this have week have suggested that Giroud is Koeman’s number one target, and Arsene Wenger’s position will be tested with a £20 million bid.
Kelechi Iheanacho
The fact that Manchester City are willing to part with such a promising youngster has left many of the club’s supporters scratching their heads.
While they do have Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus on their books as options up front, both have suffered injuries in the past and Iheanacho has capably deputised.
West Ham United were heavily linked with the Nigerian international but Leicester City now appear to be frontrunners for his signature, and a fee of £25 million has been mentioned.
The 20-year-old was a revelation in the 2015/16 season, scoring 14 goals from 35 appearances, most of which were from the substitutes bench.
Andre Gray
The form of Andre Gray went a long way to securing Burnley’s spot in the Premier League as he scored nine times in his first top flight season.
The 26-year-old cut his teeth in the Conference Premier and the Conference North before earning a move to Championship side Brentford in 2014.
He excelled in the second tier, and Burnley forked out £6 million to secure his services.
In 2016, Gray was charged by the FA for homophobic comments he had posted on Twitter a few years before and he was forced to serve a four-game ban.
While Burnley may not be keen to part with a key player, money talks and Everton will have plenty of that should Lukaku leave for Old Trafford.
