Everton haven’t exactly got off to the brightest of starts since Rafa Benitez became their new manager.
The Toffees have been quiet in the transfer window and are yet to really splash the cash as they strive to improve their hopes of reaching European football.
On the chalkboard
If Everton’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in pre-season told us anything, it’s that Benitez’s squad clearly isn’t good enough.
It lacks key components and their defence is all over the shop at this early stage in the new campaign.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is yet to return to the fray and without him, they look troubled up top too. That’s precisely why their Spanish manager needs to improve the forward line.
Moves for players like Haris Seferovic and Tammy Abraham have been mooted but they now have another target man on their radar; Salomon Rondon.
Not the answer
If Everton seal a move for the 87-cap Venezuelan it would be a significantly poor piece of business, even if Benitez does rate him significantly.
Rondon played 61 times under the manager at Newcastle, finding the net on 26 occasions. In the process, he was compared to the greatest Premier League forward we’ve ever seen.
After scoring against the Toffees, Benitez commented: “If Alan Shearer scored the goal Rondon did it would be talked about for a long time.”
Rondon is a bullish forward who isn’t afraid to stick his neck on the line but the fact of the matter is that his goal record isn’t the greatest.
He has scored just 35 goals in 140 Premier League games, failing to ever really take the English top-flight by storm.
One of his strongest attributes is his heading. According to WhoScored, Rondon won a whopping 4.6 aerial duels per game during his last season in England.
What this reminds us of is a certain Lacina Traore. He only ever played twice for Everton but was another target man with a questionable scoring rate.
He is seven inches taller than Rondon but they are similarly adept in the air. Traore won 5.3 aerial battles per game for Cluj in the 2019/20 Europa League for instance.
Of course, the ex-Newcastle striker and current Everton target is far more experienced but their scoring record and similarity in terms of playstyle lead us to believe that the hierarchy would be making a mistake by signing him.
Benitez needs to look elsewhere in his bid to provide competition for Calvert-Lewin.
AND in other news, Benitez can find his new Morientes if Everton sign “phenomenal” 30-goal monster…
