Wayne Rooney may have debuted up front for Everton, but they will be in trouble if a more suitable forward is not found.
Wayne Rooney may have departed Everton as an exciting, goal scoring centre-forward 13 years ago, but he is clearly no longer that player.
Although the England captain lined up as the sole man in attack on his second Goodison Park debut against Ruzomberok in the Europa League on Thursday, he struggled to hold position or offer a goal threat.
The contrast to departed Everton marksman Romelu Lukaku was instantly striking; indeed, the Toffees’ best attacking moments came when Rooney dropped deep or moved out wide.
This underwhelming start to the season – though it ended in victory – only served to reinforce Everton’s need for a new front man.
Olivier Giroud has been mentioned as an option in the Liverpool Echo and he would certainly fit the bill, offering a presence up front, with team-mates capable of picking up the slack left by Lukaku in terms of mobility in the front line.
Regardless of a move for Giroud or a similar player, which must be a priority, talk of pursuing Gylfi Sigurdsson – again in the Liverpool Echo – seems strange given Everton’s current options.
Ross Barkley may head out of Goodison, but both Rooney and Davy Klaassen work best in a position where Sigurdsson operates.
If Everton have money around the £50million mark – Sigurdsson’s reported price tag – it would be best spent on a striker, freeing up Rooney to work elsewhere.
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