Everton’s Ongoing Quest for an Ideal Striker: A £160m Journey

Introduction

Everton approaches their match against Tottenham at Hill Dickinson Stadium this Sunday, boasting an undefeated record at home this season with three wins and two draws. Despite satisfactory recruitment during the summer, a pressing void remains in their forward line—a dilemma that’s persisted since Romelu Lukaku’s exit in 2017. Over the last decade, the club has invested nearly £160m in 17 strikers, yielding inconsistent results.

The Dilemma of Finding a Forward

Historical Context

Since Lukaku’s departure in 2017, Everton has netted just 357 goals in the Premier League—the lowest of any club consistently participating in the league. Surprisingly, Leicester City outperformed them with 388 goals during the same timeframe, even after spending two seasons in the second division. Despite periodically acquiring new strikers, Everton has been unable to establish a dependable long-term solution.

Recent Struggles

The Toffees’ recent home victory against Crystal Palace highlighted persistent issues; manager David Moyes had to substitute his center-forward at halftime for the third time in four matches. While Moyes praised Beto’s substitution impact, he critiqued Beto’s inability to convert a close-range opportunity during a crucial moment in the match, which ultimately led to a last-minute defeat against Manchester City.

At present, Everton’s two strikers have combined for just one goal in 16 Premier League appearances this season.

The Current Players

Beto and Barry

Thierno Barry, a recent £27m acquisition from Villarreal, is adapting to the rigors of England’s top flight, having previously shone in La Liga. Meanwhile, Beto, signed for £21.5m from Udinese, is often a source of frustration among fans, oscillating between brilliance—evidenced by his five goals in four matches last February—and inconsistency, highlighted by a critical miss in the recent draw with Aston Villa.

Player Testimonials

“Beto embodies the anguish the club faces,” said Mike Richards from the Unholy Trinity podcast. “His acquisition was more about opportunism than acquiring a top-tier talent. He is not the kind of striker who will deliver 20 goals a season, even though he has garnered quite a following.”

The Legacy of Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku’s tenure from 2013 to 2017 left a lasting mark, having made a pivotal impact for Everton. After joining on loan before making a permanent switch, he became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 68 Premier League goals. Since his departure, none of the strikers brought in have come close to matching his scoring rate.

The closest to achieving a decent goals-to-game ratio has been Oumar Niasse. Despite this, he only managed eight league goals during his time with the club.

The Influences of Management Changes

The constant change of managers—nine in the past 12 years—has hindered the ability of strikers to settle and succeed at Everton. High-profile signings, such as Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean, have fallen short due to managerial shifts and injuries, while others like Salomon Rondon and Neal Maupay have struggled to make significant impacts.

Looking Ahead: January Transfer Window

Financial Constraints

Everton’s financial difficulties have significantly impacted their ability to invest in premium attacking talent. With recent points deductions due to Financial Fair Play infractions, the club managed a meager profit of £85.5m from player transactions between 2021-2022 and 2024-2025.

However, following the takeover by the Friedkin group, the Toffees managed a record-breaking £97m net spend this summer, although it was spread across nine new signings.

Future Aspirations

As Everton aims for a return to silverware—a trophy since 1995 or European competition since 2017—they will likely need to bolster their attacking roster come January. The ongoing trend of nurturing young talent hints at a strategic pivot toward acquiring players who can yield a profit for the club in the future.

As the hunt for their ideal striker continues, the upcoming match against Tottenham will serve as a critical juncture in evaluating their current squad’s capabilities.