The financial year has ended, and Everton have now concluded their scramble to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability (PSR) rules. Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey have both been sold but a crucial deal with Newcastle United fell through.
Indeed, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was closing on a move to Tyneside, with Yankuba Minteh heading in the opposite direction, though a deal could not be agreed and Minteh is now signing for Brighton & Hove Albion for £30m.
Still, reports suggest that Calvert-Lewin is still keen on a transfer away and Everton will thus need to move for a new centre-forward, with an exciting name being lined up.
Everton transfer news
According to The Guardian, Chelsea feel they have work to do regarding PSR despite making several sales, with Armando Broja transfer-listed amid 'strong interest' from Everton.
The Toffees need a striker regardless of Calvert-Lewin's future, and Broja, aged 23, could fit the bill. Chelsea would look for a fee in the ballpark of £20m, so it's certainly one to keep an eye on.
Why Everton should sign Armando Broja
Bold and bullish, Broja is an imposing centre-forward with a shrewd eye for goal and a controlled technique that could work wonders for the sharpness and solidity of Sean Dyche's frontline.
Goals scored
0.17
Bottom 6%
Assists
0.17
Top 36%
Pass completion
84.3%
Top 1%
Progressive carries
2.16
Top 24%
Successful take-ons
2.49
Top 1%
Blocks
1.00
Top 16%
The Albania international did not enjoy the most auspicious of 2023/24 campaigns, featuring sporadically for Chelsea throughout the opening months, having returned from an ACL injury that had ravaged his previous season, before moving on loan to Fulham in January, where he failed to start and failed to score.
But such woes should not define Broja, who is blessed with a range of exciting talents and could be a dream for Everton if given a platform to star as a leading figure. His promising loan spell with Southampton in 2021/22 – where he scored nine times – showcased his suitability for top-flight football.
The 6 foot 3 Broja carries the seeds of something special, and he could prove to be the impactful addition that would allow Dyche to forget about missing out on Minteh.
Minteh, aged 19, is a winger, not a striker, and while he's an immense talent who proved his skills on loan at Feyenoord last season, clinching 11 goals and six assists and winning the KVNB Cup.
Said to be "unpredictable for defenders" by Odense's chief executive Steffen Nielsen, the Gambian starlet is fleet-footed and electric in his attacking movements, and while he will not be moving to Merseyside, Everton can swiftly put such bitterness behind them and move for another gleaming forward.
Described as an "animal" of a forward by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Broja might not be the solution to the problem down the flanks but he could take Everton's frontline to the next level and must be signed to ensure that the gains made over the past year are built upon.
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