Joe Gelhardt in action for Wigan Athletic (Image credit: Google)
According to The Sun, Everton are lining up a move for Wigan striker Joe Gelhardt, who is dubbed the new Wayne Rooney.
The report also suggests that Everton’s transfer supremo is desperate to sign the young striker. Gelhardt, 17, came through Wigan’s youth ranks and was promoted to the first-team last summer. He made his league debut in April 2019, appearing as a second-half substitute against Birmingham City.
The youngster has featured in 12 games this season in the Championship and has scored one goal. Despite Wigan struggling the second-tier, Gelhardt has been impressive in his short cameos.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have done quite well so far and are in line to finish the season in a respectable position. The Toffees struggled under Marco Silva earlier in the campaign but recovered under Duncan Ferguson and the Italian.
A 3-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend has seen the Blues move to the 7th position in the league. That said, Ancelotti would be wise to bring in reinforcements for the next season.
One area that needs to be strengthened is the centre-forward position since only Dominic Calvert-Lewin appears to be performing well. Italian youngster Moise Kean was brought in last summer to boost the attacking options but has failed to deliver.
Senegal striker Oumar Niasse was sent on loan but he has returned without enough game time. He has failed to convince the manager and his contract with the club expires at the end of the season. Therefore, Ancelotti must bring in fresh faces to bolster the depth in the squad and Joe Gelhardt would be a suitable option.
The 17-year-old has made waves with his impressive displays this term. For England’s U18 side, he has scored 3 goals in 6 games.
The Liverpool-born forward would bring in much-needed competition within the team while boosting squad depth in a troublesome position.
Therefore, Everton must lure Gelhardt to Goodison Park in the summer ahead of his other admirers including Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, as per Football Insider (h/t The Sun).
