According to the Sun, Everton are interested in signing £25million-rated Espanyol striker Borja Iglesias in January to solve their No.9 woes.
The Toffees are prepared to meet the buy-out clause but they face an uphill task in convincing the 25-year-old to shift bases in January and not wait till next summer, claims the Sun.
Iglesias has been in tremendous form in the La Liga this season, scoring 9 goals from 22 appearances to keep his club in the top half.
A youth product of Valencia and Villarreal, Iglesias has a prolific scoring record for the Celta Vigo reserves in the Segunda Division B, having scored 73 goals from 144 appearances. He scored 22 goals on loan at Real Zaragoza in the second tier last season and the Spaniard has, at last, made a big impact in the La Liga since his summer switch to Espanyol.
His scintillating form has put Everton on red alert as the Toffees look to bolster their attack heading into the second half of the season. There was an air of expectancy around Goodison Park when Marco Silva took over the reins from Sam Allardyce at the start of the season but the Toffees have failed to live up to the expectations under their new manager.
Everton currently sit 11th in the standings and the impact of Silva’s aesthetic attacking football in quite evident from the numbers. The Toffees have scored 34 goals in 23 games, which is the best scoring record outside the top six. However, the absence of natural No.9 has taken a toll on the team’s performances.
Mega-money summer arrival Richarlison has filled in the role of a makeshift striker. The Brazilian has done exceptionally well as the spearhead of the attack but Everton should look to use him in a wider role in the second half of the season to utilise his potential to the fullest.
Cenk Tosun, who was supposed to be one of the mainstays of the forward line, has struggled for form and has proven himself to be a glaring misfit for Silva’s philosophy. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made an impact occasionally but he is not quite the finished product that Everton need to propel them to a top-six finish.
To put things into perspective, Everton are in dire need of a specialist No.9 and in-form La Liga striker Borja Iglesias might be the perfect man to answer the club’s woes.
Iglesias is an out-and-out centre-forward who will be a perfect fit for Silva’s Everton due to his ability to make runs behind the backline.
He is not a playmaking forward but he is more of a natural goalscorer who depends on the quality of the supply lines, something which would please Everton given the availability of players like Gylfi Sigurdsson, Theo Walcott, Bernard and Richarlison. He is the sort of striker who is likely to thrive in a free-flowing system and that is exactly the reason why Everton should sign him at all costs.
A fast and agile striker with plenty of drive and determination, Borja Iglesias can be termed as a Spanish version of Jamie Vardy. Similar to the Leicester City talisman, the 25-year-old is adept at running behind defences and latching onto crosses and through balls. However, he has a bit more flair, finesse and tactical awareness about himself, being able to turn his marker and also find the net with well-placed efforts from outside the box.
Everton can still compete for a Europa League spot with a consistent run in the second half of the season and they should leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring the Spaniard to Merseyside in January.