Everton opinion: Should the Toffees sign Andre Silva?

A 3-2 loss to Newcastle United after taking a 2-0 lead in the first half has been the way of life at Everton in recent times. There’s been nothing but inconsistent results despite making smart moves over the summer and the Toffees are languishing in 11^th place at the moment.

The loss to the Toon Army was their 13^th of the season, with just 10 wins to their name. However, to make things even worse, the Toffees now have a negative goal-difference.

This is due to the fact that they’ve scored only 41 goals this season, which is less than all of the top six sides plus Watford, and Bournemouth. Their defensive record shows that they have conceded the eighth most goals this season.

A place in the Premier League top seven would be out of their reach this season but it shouldn’t be next season if the club spends and reinforces the right areas.

Under Marco Silva, there have been sparks of what the former Watford manager can do. Draws against Liverpool and Chelsea, and wins over Leicester City among others, showcased an attacking yet tactical style of play.

But without a goalscoring forward, the Toffees have struggled and they have been linked with the likes of Marcus Thuram (Liverpool Echo) and Jean Kevin Augustin (Daily Mail). Yet, one man who would help the likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson flourish is on-loan AC Milan star Andre Silva.

The 23-year-old is contracted to AC Milan but is currently out on loan at Sevilla (Sky Sports), where he had a fantastic start to his career in Spain. Silva went on to score seven in his first seven appearances, before injuries put a halt to his burgeoning form.

Since his return, the Portuguese has managed only four goals, which has played a part in Sevilla’s downfall. Despite that, Silva is still a world-class prospect and at 23, he has a lot of time on his hands. An out-and-out centre-forward, the former Porto man is an excellent poacher.

While he is not the biggest striker or the most skilful, Silva makes up for it in other areas. His footballing intelligence is good and that makes him a brilliant fox in the box striker.

He personifies the modern centre-forward, someone who isn’t the best at one thing but is more of a ‘jack of all trades’. That combined with his intelligence and spatial awareness makes Silva deadly in the box. That’s what makes him perfect for Marco Silva’s tactics.

Furthermore, Silva combines his ability in the box with a tireless work ethic and more importantly for the Toffees, the creativity few strikers have. Like Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Silva has the vision to pick a teammate before setting them through on goal with an incredible pass.

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This would allow the likes of Richarlison, Sigurdsson and even Bernard to flourish alongside him.

Conclusion

While adding Andre Silva won’t make Everton a team that could challenge for the title, the Portuguese definitely has the skill-set and the work-ethic to flourish in England.

For Everton, it’s a move that would effectively make them a top seven club under Marco Silva, as it gives the former Watford manager the Romelu Lukaku replacement he needs.