Everton’s inability to convert chances into goals is the root of their problems. Despite having an xG of 14.40, which places them among the top seven teams in the league, their actual goals scored record, which ranks them third worst with a total of six, includes three goals from a win over Brentford.
The only striker to assume that role since Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United in 2017 for £75 million is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Englishman enjoyed two exceptional seasons in 2019–2020 and 2020–21, scoring a good 13 and 16 goals over the course of those two seasons, but he has since fallen victim to his own physical issues.
Everton has struggled to stay afloat while he’s been sidelined with an injury. They also lacked ruthlessness in front of goal after Richarlison left for Tottenham last summer, which has left them hanging on by a thread.
In an effort to solve this issue, Sean Dyche spent a staggering £30 million on Beto from Udinese, who helped to relieve some of the burden on Calvert-Lewin. However, in the summer of 2022, Everton came dangerously close to acquiring a number nine who was better than both of their present strike partners.
Serhou Guirassy, a striker for Rennes who is currently outscoring Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe, was a player that the Toffees were keeping an eye on.
Serhou Guirassy was nearly signed by Everton.
After Richarlison moved for greener pastures and Calvert-Lewin developed an injury history, Everton was in serious need of offensive muscle in 2022. Their quest for a striker led them to Stade Rennes Serhou Guirassy. They were even ‘near’ to bringing him to Goodison, according to a report from the French source L’Equipe via TEAMtalk.
Guirassy was one of the two attackers Frank Lampard was looking for to improve his attacking options, but the Merseyside club was unable to complete a deal for their top target when the loan-to-buy strategy was rejected.
According to the Daily Express, Stade Rennes was determined that they would only permit the 26-year-old to leave permanently if it would help them pay for their own shopping spree. This made it possible for Stuttgart to step in and steal the striker away from Everton.
The international from Guinea scored 11 goals in his first season in the Bundesliga, but he has had a scorching start to the new season, scoring ten goals and dishing out one assist in his first six games, surpassing players like Kane (eight), Mbappe (seven), and Haaland (eight).
| Top scorers in Europe’s best five leagues | |
|---|---|
| Player | Goals scored |
| Serhou Guirassy | Ten |
| Lautaro Martinez | Nine |
| Erling Haaland | Eight |
| Harry Kane | Eight |
| Jonas Wind | Seven |
Serhou Guirassy: How good is he?
Given that he is outscoring the world’s most productive forwards, it is understandable why a number of clubs are keeping an eye on Guirassy before the battle to sign him begins in January. Everton is already kicking themselves for not seizing the opportunity when it presented itself.
The 27-year-old is making the Toffees pay for not acting quickly in their negotiations by showcasing that he is the complete striker, adept at dropping deep to receive possession, making sharp movements in the final third, and displaying a ruthlessness in and around the penalty area. He has unmatched efficiency and consistency with his goal-scoring exploits.
When comparing his metrics to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues in the past year, via FBref, Guirassy is levels ahead when it comes to his finishing. He ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, top 5% for non-penalty xG, and top 19% for shots on target per 90.
The Englishman, on the other hand, has declined sharply since the 2020–21 campaign and performs far worse than Guirassy, ranking in the top 81% for non–penalty goals, top 22% for non–penalty xG, and top 71% for shots on target per 90.
When it comes to being the center of an attack, Calvert-Lewin is levels behind Stuttgart’s current goal-scoring machine. His remarkable finishing skills have come into full bloom, showing with ease that he would have been a vast improvement over Everton’s current crop of strikers.
Guirassy, who was dubbed “sensational” by the Bundesliga website, is the most recent in a string of missteps by the Toffees in the transfer market. Dyche’s team is sixth in big chance creation, but they have only scored six goals as a result. The £13 million sensation would have increased that total and propelled them up the table.
