Three Alternatives For Edinson Cavani Who Everton Can Target
Paris Saint-German have graced the news headlines over the last few months. Be it their record-breaking deal to sign Neymar from Barcelona, or the aftermath that followed in the infamous penalty row between the Brazilian and Edinson Cavani, PSG have managed to grab a lot of headlines and eyeballs.
The penalty row was followed by a lot of controversy, as one might have expected. Reports surfaced as to how the club were willing to offer Cavani about a €1m to prevent him from taking penalties – allegations which were later refuted by PSG. The latest development as of now, is Everton’s interest in signing Edinson Cavani.
Everton have been struggling ever since they allowed Romelu Lukaku to join Manchester United. While Jose Mourinho and the United fans gleefully celebrate Lukaku’s success, Ronald Koeman and the Everton fans have been reduced to a rather frustrated state. It is quite clear that Everton are in need of a quality striker pronto, and if the move to land Cavani fails, here are three alternate options the Merseyside club can target.
Olivier Giroud – Arsenal
Olivier Giroud’s Arsenal career seems to be nearing a rather sorry end. With Alexandre Lacazette in the fray, Giroud’s chances have certainly taken a major hit. The player appears to have all the necessary attributes to be a typical Koeman striker acquisition.
Giroud has immense Premier League experience and is also proficient enough to find the back of the net several times – having scored 100 goals and 41 assists in 238 games for Arsenal. At 31 years of age, he may not be a long-term solution but considering Everton’s dire requirement, the Frenchman could be a viable option. Given that Giroud is a target man and not the type of striker who relies on pace, he should enjoy a longer career than what mobile strikers do.
Moving to Everton can open up several opportunities for Giroud in his quest to find regular first-team action. With the World Cup in Russia next year, joining Koeman’s squad in January should seem like an enticing option for Giroud.
Michy Batshuayi – Chelsea
Michy Batshuayi endured a torrid time at Chelsea last season following a big-money move from Marseille, with the €25m man forced to play second fiddle to Diego Costa. Now with Costa out of the picture, Batshuayi is still struggling to find chances. The most shocking example was when Antonio Conte recently deployed Willian ahead of Batshuayi in their game against Manchester City – much to the ire of the fans.
Thus, a move to Everton would give Batshuayi the regular football he desperately craves for. If he ends up on Koeman’s radar though, the player would have to work on his concentration on the field and hone his skills in the air. The Toffees are in need of proven quality and if Batshuayi makes the cut, he will have a tall billing to live up to.
Nicolai Jorgensen – Feyenoord
Nicolai Jorgensen is a physically strong goal-getter renowned for spearheading his team’s attack with finesse – all attributes that Koeman is currently seeking.
The 26-year-old plundered a total of 25 goals in his first season in Holland following a switch from FC Copenhagen. He is speedy and sharp up front, making him likely to adjust well to the demands of being a Premier League striker.
Jorgensen is also known to be quite crafty in creating chances while also being a lethal counter-attacking threat. Besides, the player would also be a relatively cheap option when compared to Cavani, thus providing all the right reasons for Koeman to target him in January.