Everton are battling a host of Serie A and Ligue 1 clubs to sign Marseille striker Valere Germain on a free transfer during the summer transfer window, as reported by L’Equipe.
After the Toffees dropped two more points at Goodison Park to slip ever further from the Champions League picture, the prospect of a 30-year-old free-agent arriving on the blue half of Merseyside is unlikely to improve the mood all that much.
Especially when you consider that the 30-year-old in question is a striker who hasn’t reached double figures since the 2016/17 campaign.
In total, Germain has scored a less-than-impressive three goals in 32 matches this season.
And, given that new Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli is famed for his high-octane, free-flowing attacking football, it should be no real surprise that an ageing centre-forward will be allowed to depart when his contract expires in July.
L’Equipe reports that Germain is a cut-price target for Bordeaux, Sampdoria, Genoa, Rennes, AC Milan and Everton.
But there is a reason why the veteran centre-forward is a man in such high demand just weeks away from his 31st birthday. Germain may not be the most prolific of goalscorers but he is the sort of hard-working, unselfish number nine who tends to get the best out of those around them.
The former France U21 international proved to be the perfect foil for a young Kylian Mbappe at Monaco, dragging away defenders with his intelligent movement while opening up the spaces for his fresh-faced team-mate to run riot en route to that 2017 Ligue 1 triumph.
It speaks volumes that Karim Benzema, the willing Robin to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Batman at Real Madrid, backed Germain to the hilt last year, defending his compatriot in the face of serious criticism.
“In Marseille, he has a lot of pressure, and there are players who can and who can’t with the pressure. Valere Germain, if you hear me, I know you’re a good player,” Benzema said.
So while it would be tempting to write off Germain, a 30-year-old striker with three goals all season, it’s worth remembering that there is more to his game than putting the ball in the back of the net.
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