If anything summed up Everton under Farhad Moshiri it would be the year of 2022.
At the beginning of the year, the Toffees entered it with Rafa Benitez at the helm. However, after just one month, Frank Lampard would arrive with Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek on transfer deadline day.
Only one of those is still at Everton, with Dele now at Besiktas on loan and Van de Beek back at Manchester United.
Lampard is the soul survivor but even his credentials are being questioned now. Having saved Everton from relegation last term, 2022/23 was all about consolidation.
The impressive signings of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski meant they did look more comfortable for a period of time. Yet, as the World Cup kicked off, the Toffees are now sat in 17th, just one point above the relegation zone.
Additions will quite evidently be needed in January but they will still have to avoid the reckless spending that has occurred so regularly under Farhad Moshiri.
If they are to spend anything, however, they must look at Jonathan David. Everton have held an interest in the Canadian forward this year but the longer they leave it, the more unrealistic a signing he becomes with fierce competition mounting.
A striker, however, is a must. Lampard looked at strengthening that area of the side in the summer with players such as Ben Brereton Diaz mooted. He remained at Blackburn Rovers and the club acquired Neal Maupay instead.
Having lost Richarlison, it was hardly a capable replacement with his one goal this campaign a testament to that statement.
There has been a real struggle for goals in the Toffees frontline with Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering from a number of injury issues too. He has found the net only three times in this calendar year and has looked a shadow of his former self in the final third.
Such a rough year has meant Everton now require a sizeable upgrade and by signing David, it could give Lampard the license to find just that, all while forgetting about the club’s talisman and moving him on.
Should the Lille sensation be acquired then it would be a sublime capture. This is a player who has scored nine times in 15 Ligue 1 outings this term, a tally that adds to the 19 goals he bagged in all competitions last season.
A spectacular forward who is capable of dominating defenders, he has been described as a “phenom” who is undoubtedly “one of the best strikers in the world” by Tony Marinaro.
That is quite the statement and it’s hard to disagree when you consider his haul of 15 goals in the French top flight throughout 2021/22 was more than Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The odds are firmly stacked against Everton when it comes to bringing David to Merseyside but their lack of goals this year is evidence that they need a capable centre forward swiftly when the window re-opens in five weeks’ time.
Hopefully the World Cup star will be just that.
