The Krasnodar forward has been sneaking under the radar, until bagging two goals v Spain this week.
Everton have had a torrid season so far. Big spending in the summer has not proved fruitful and they are now conducting an increasingly frustrating hunt for a new manager after the sacking of Ronald Koeman.
One of the key areas where they failed to improve in the summer was the striking role. Everton never truly replaced the departing Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United in a mega transfer in the summer.
January is now approaching and names are starting to be mentioned – but Everton might be wise to make themselves the team that gambles on Krasnodar forward Fyodor Smolov.
This week he grabbed international headlines with his excellent display against Spain for Russia. The game ended 3-3 between the two nations, with Smolov scoring two sublime goals.
It takes his tally for the season to 11 goals in 16 games for club and country. He is simply continuing where he left off last term. He scored 25 goals in 31 games for his club last season and this summer coming will be charged with leading Russia’s hopes of success at their home World Cup.
One thing he does, better than many in Europe right now, is score goals and that is exactly what Everton need. Smolov would not come cheap, but Everton would be making a smart bet by bringing him to the Premier League.
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