Everton made the decision to part ways with Sean Dyche earlier this month and swiftly decided to bring back club legend David Moyes for another spell in the dugout at Goodison Park.
The Scottish head coach is set to see out the final Premier League games at the stadium before the switch to the new one for the 2025/26 campaign, and is tasked with helping the club to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Moyes appeared to be the best candidate on paper as he already knows Everton and the Premier League, and has recent experience in helping a club to push on beyond a relegation battle.
He won the Europa Conference League and competed in the Europa League as manager of West Ham United, before his exit from the London Stadium last summer.
It is now down to the board to back Moyes in the transfer market to ensure that he has the options needed to, firstly, avoid relegation and, then, to fight higher up the table next season.
The January transfer window has been open for business for two weeks now and the Toffees are reportedly eyeing up a striker from one of their Premier League rivals.
Everton eyeing Premier League striker
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Everton are interested in a deal to bring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson to Goodison Park before the February deadline.
The report claims that the Toffees have made contact with the Seagulls in attempt to sign the Ireland international on loan for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
It states that Everton are vying to secure his services on a temporary basis amid interest from a host of clubs, including West Ham United, Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
However, the report also suggests that Chelsea and Arsenal would be interested in a permanent swoop for the striker and Brighton are only willing to consider a loan deal in the January transfer window.
The report adds, however, that the south coast outfit are yet to give their blessing for the Irish marksman to move on from the club on loan this month because they are concerned about knocks to Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro, which have left them light in the centre-forward position.
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Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Brighton will allow Ferguson to secure a loan move to another team for the second half of the season, Everton must ensure that they are at the front of the queue to sign him if they do.
Finishing chances has been a big problem for Everton in recent seasons and it is no secret that the strikers at the club have consistently struggled in front of goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Everton struggles
In the 2023/24 campaign, the Toffees created 54.00 xG worth of chances and only scored 40 times under Dyche, which shows that they significantly underperformed compared to the quality of opportunities they created as a team.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles in the striker position contributed significantly to that underperformance, and the England international has consistently let Everton down with his wasteful finishing at the top end of the pitch throughout his time at the club.
Since his return of 16 Premier League goals in 33 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, the 27-year-old marksman has failed to hit double figures for goals in each of the last four seasons – including the current term.
2024/25
5.42
2
2023/25
13.63
7
2022/23
6.50
2
2021/22
6.22
5
As you can see in the table above, the English forward has consistently underperformed against his xG during those campaigns, particularly last season, with just seven goals from almost 14 xG.
These statistics show that Calvert-Lewin has been incredibly wasteful for Everton and has let his teammates down by failing to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that they have created for him.
Therefore, the Toffees could significantly improve their attacking output by signing a clinical striker with the quality to take advantage of the chances that they have been putting on a plate for Calvert-Lewin in recent years.
Why Everton should sign Evan Ferguson
This is why a move for Ferguson during the January transfer window could be perfect for Everton because the Irish forward is a ruthless finisher.
Injuries have seemingly prevented the 20-year-old star from kicking on at Brighton, as he was out from April to August last year with an ankle injury, which meant that the forward missed all of pre-season.
The young whiz is also currently out with another ankle issue, and has been since the end of December, and this suggests that it would be a gamble from Everton to sign him, as they run the risk of injuries preventing him from playing regularly.
It could be a risk worth taking, though, as Ferguson, who was hailed as “phenomenal” by teammate James Milner, is miles better than Calvert-Lewin in front of goal and could be a huge upgrade for Moyes at the top end of the pitch.
The Brighton youngster is in his third season of regular football in the Premier League and has consistently shown that he has the quality to more than make the most of the chances that come his way in the final third.
22/23
5.67
6
+0.33
23/24
3.97
6
+2.03
24/25
0.66
1
+0.34
Total
10.29
13
+2.71
As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has outperformed his expected tally by almost three goals since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which speaks to his finishing ability at Premier League level.
Whereas, Calvert-Lewin has underperformed his expected tally by 22.94, with 56 goals from 78.94 xG, in the top-flight throughout his time with the Blues so far.
These statistics suggest that Ferguson has significantly more quality in front of goal in comparison to the English striker, which suggests that he would be miles better for the Toffees, given the quality of chances that they can create, and provide Moyes with a centre-forward who can be relied upon in the penalty area.
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If Everton can bring him in and keep the 20-year-old star fit then their respective finishing statistics suggest that Moyes would have a striker who is miles better than Calvert-Lewin available for the second half of the season.