Everton consider swoop for Southampton striker Che Adams

Everton are in a three-way Premier League race with Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers for the signing of Southampton striker Che Adams.

Che Adams, 27, scored five goals and registered three assists along the way in 28 league appearances last season but couldn’t save Southampton from getting relegated. He is eyeing an immediate return to the Premier League, and having entered the final year of his contract at St Mary’s, Southampton are open to cashing him in should they provide a suitable offer this summer.

Wolves and Bournemouth are admirers of the Scotland international, who has been at Southampton since the summer of 2019. Everton reportedly have a genuine interest in Adams, with manager Sean Dyche keen to bolster his forward line for the upcoming 2023/24 season.

Everton look to beat Wolves, Bournemouth to Che Adams’ signature

Everton’s goalscoring record was the second-worst in the Premier League last season, making new attacking signings a priority for Sean Dyche. The Toffees have so far signed Ashley Young on a free transfer from Aston Villa and Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal, and while they are closing in on Sporting CP forward Youssef Chermiti, the club’s lack of investment in a potent, proven goalscorer is perplexing considering Dyche’s emphasis on the need for firepower.

Ellis Simms has already moved on, while Neal Maupay could leave after just one season having been deemed surplus to requirements by Dyche. As Dominic Calvert-Lewin has struggled with fitness concerns over the last two years, the Everton manager simply cannot rely on the England international for a regular supply of goals next season. As a result, along with Chermiti, he is eyeing a move for Southampton striker Che Adams.

Adams hasn’t proven to be a prolific goalscorer for Southampton, bagging 25 goals in 124 Premier League outings thus far. Yet, his pace, power and hold-up play could benefit Everton a lot, with Dyche seemingly eyeing a profile similar to Calvert-Lewin. The Scotland international could certainly offer the kind of physicality that Calvert-Lewin hasn’t been able to consistently provide to the Toffees due to chronic injury problems.

All in all, Adams would be a good fit in Dyche’s system at Everton. He will cover and compete with Calvert-Lewin whilst providing Everton with a focal point in attack which they lacked for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign. The ex-Birmingham City man is eyeing an instant return to the Premier League, using the top-flight experience he has gained with Southampton in recent years to help solve the Toffees’ goalscoring woes as well as keep them far away from the relegation zone in the upcoming season.