Everton sought to sign striker Erling Haaland, who is now Europe’s most in-form No. 9.
Everton may have made another mistake by failing to secure a deal for their main target in 2022.
Serhou Guirassy of VFL Stuttgart is the most in-form striker in Europe right now, much to Everton’s chagrin. The Toffees tried valiantly to sign the forward in 2022 but were unable to do so despite the best efforts of director of football Kevin Thelwell.
Everton earned their first three points of the season over the weekend, defeating Brentford 3-1 in a crucial win for Sean Dyche’s team. The Toffees had only scored twice in the Premier League this season, both against Sheffield United, and lacked any form of cutting edge in the final third.
Everton, on the other hand, cruised through the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium thanks to goals from Abdoulaye Doucoure, James Tarkowski, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, the three-goal victory may only cover up Dyche’s squad’s flaws in the near term, particularly in the last third.
Summer commitment Beto has led the line admirably for Everton since his £26 million move from Udinese, but his failure to find the back of the net in three outings has supporters wondering where goals will come from if they are relegated again.
Everton will be kicking themselves for not signing Guirassy while he was still at Stade Rennes. The Toffees held talks with the Ligue 1 club in 2022 but were unable to secure their top target when their loan-to-buy bid was rejected.
Stade Rennes made it plain that they would let Guirassy to leave, but only on a permanent basis so that the departure could fund a shopping spree, and Stuttgart eventually stepped in to steal the striker from Everton.
The 27-year-old scored 11 goals last season but has started the new season with 10 goals and one assist in five appearances, putting him Europe’s most in-form striker, ahead of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Victor Osimhen.
Given his blistering start to the season, multiple clubs are now keeping an eye on Guirassy to see how he develops in the coming months before the race to sign him begins in January. However, whether Everton squandered their opportunity remains to be seen, given the large financial outlay required to entice him away from the Bundesliga and the prior amount paid for Beto.
