Romelu Lukaku made a huge impact for Everton during his time at the club, scoring a lorry load of goals whilst also making the club a huge profit on the fee they forked out for him.
The Belgian striker originally joined the Toffees on a season-long loan back in 2013, before impressing during his temporary stint, scoring 16 times in his 33 appearances – prompting a permanent move to Goodison Park the following summer.
The Everton hierarchy splashed out £28m for his services, a move that would see the former Chelsea man score 71 times in 133 appearances for the club, an average of one goal every 1.8 appearances he made during his second spell at the club.
His form during his time on Merseyside caught the eye of the elite clubs in the Premier League, with Manchester United paying a whopping £90m, including add-ons, for the Belgian ending his three-year stay at Goodison.
However, seven years on from his move away from the club, the Toffees have the opportunity to repeat a similar deal for a player this summer.
Everton could sign £20m attacking ace this summer
Everton’s attempts to sign a new centre-forward this summer have so far come to no avail, with the club targeting players all over Europe to try and improve their attacking options.
However, given the lack of success in the recruitment in forward areas, they may be tempted to reignite interest in current Chelsea forward Armando Broja.
Earlier on this summer, rumours were flying over the Toffees’ reported interest in the Albanian, but no deal was ever agreed, with neither the club nor the striker finding a solution as of yet during the transfer window.
Sean Dyche’s side were quoted a fee in the region of £20m for his services, but instead decided to explore alternative options at the top end of the pitch.
Their potential U-turn on Broja could see them forget about one target who has also been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside this summer.
Why Broja can allow Everton to forget Abraham
In recent days, Roma striker Tammy Abraham has been touted with a move to Goodison after Roma agreed a deal to sign Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk from Girona.
It’s pushed the Englishman to the fringes of Daniele De Rossi’s squad, prompting rumours of a return to the Premier League for the 26-year-old.
However, despite the recent interest, Dyche’s side would be better off targeting the current Chelsea man, with his figures from the 2023/24 campaign making him a better fit for the Toffees’ current system.
The Albanian “animal”, as described by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, may have registered the same number of goals as the Englishman, but registered a significantly higher shots per 90 average – showcasing he’s capable of putting himself in those goalscoring areas, but needs to be slightly more clinical.
| How Broja & Abraham compare per 90 in 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Broja | Abraham |
| Games played | 21 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 1 | 1 |
| Shots taken | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| Pass accuracy | 86% | 51% |
| Successful dribbles | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| Duels won | 6.6 | 6 |
| Touches in penalty area | 7.6 | 4.1 |
| Stats via FotMob | ||
However, he’s dominated in possession and finding a teammate, completing 86% of the passes he attempted, compared to Abraham’s measly tally of just 51% – making him a focal point to play off of in Dyche’s system which required a target man – with Broja the perfect player for that role.
Whilst both players would undoubtedly improve the options available at Dyche’s disposal, Broja – who ESPN’s Gab Marcotti claimed “can do a lot of the things Lukaku can do” – would seemingly prove to be the better option for the Toffees, if they were to pursue a move for either of the attacking talents.
Abraham has the talent, but his injury record in recent times could prevent him from making a huge impact at Goodison, with Dyche needing to shift his focus onto the current Chelsea man – and repeat a deal that saw the club sign the prolific Lukaku in the past.