Everton have some promising young forwards on their books but they cannot be expected to do it alone.
Everton’s failure to buy a suitable replacement for Romelu Lukaku grows more obvious by the week, but the impact on summer signing Sandro Ramirez should not be overlooked.
After all, the Spaniard’s early struggles were to be expected, yet they have been exacerbated by Everton’s need for goals and, unless the Toffees rectify the situation, Henry Onyekuru could suffer the same fate when he finally arrives at Goodison Park next summer.
You would think that by then Everton would have signed an experienced forward, whoever is in the hot seat, but it may not be that easy, as the Toffees discovered in the summer. And expecting Onyekuru to hit the ground running would be foolish in the extreme.
Signed from Eupen earlier this year, the 20-year-old is currently on loan at Anderlecht, for whom he has scored five goals in 12 appearances.
That is a decent return, but he has only experienced Belgian football so far in his career and, as Sandro has discovered this season, the Premier League is unlike any other division in Europe.
What Everton really need is an experienced forward such as Olivier Giroud to ensure that both Sandro and Onyekuru can develop at their own rate.
Too much pressure on a young forward can often be detrimental to their career and if Everton want the Nigerian to shine, work should already be carried out behind the scenes to ensure the next transfer window ends with the right result.
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