Everton have tabled a £30m “wrecking ball” signing

Everton fans aren’t asking for Erling Haaland, but it would be great if David Moyes’ attacking plan is led by a goalscorer who can prove the difference in the fight to record a top half in the Premier League.

Moyes may be referring to the improvements made throughout the 2025/26 season, but the truth is that Everton were no better last season than they were during the 2024/25 campaign, although the Scotsman enjoyed a big impact when he replaced the dejected Sean Dyche in January.

A long-running bid for Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney is heating up, but the Toffees need more than just a midfielder this summer. Namely, they need a few forwards to propel them, well, forward.

At the top of Moyes’ shortlist is Jarrod Bowen, who is likely to be available after West Ham United’s relegation from the Premier League, but he is not the only one on the radar.

Everton have submitted a bid for promotion to the Premier League

Everton need forwards, and Moyes knows what he likes from a tactical point of view. It seems only natural that the exasperated Scot would move for a striker who has given him rich rewards in the past, Bowen who has been a talisman at West Ham for so many years.

The 29-year-old, who was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel ahead of the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign, is expected to be on the move this summer following a downgrade, with Everton among the frontrunners, having already started.

Despite West Ham’s £50m valuation, Everton have not been ruled out, and the Friedkin Group are already lining up another exciting striker who could overtake Bowen on Merseyside.

According to Football Insider, Everton have made contact with Chelsea this summer and offered Liam Delap a contract as Moyes looks for a new player to be at the forefront of his system.

Delap did not enjoy a standout season at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea are expected to let him leave. Everton are at the front of the pack, but many clubs are interested.

Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap from Ipswich Town last summer. Everton have been hot on the heels of the race, and while the Blues hope to turn a profit and sell the 23-year-old for £40m ahead of the new campaign, his return to the pitch will see Moyes and himself push for a tricky fee.

Why Delap would be a better signing than Bowen for Everton

Everton’s interest in Delap last summer faded, and while the Ipswich striker was rich in his eyes as Chelsea offered him the world, common sense would suggest that Stamford Bridge was not the hot spot he needed at that stage of his career.

It’s frustrating. Delap was one of the most exciting strikers in the Premier League when he took to the pitch with the Bulls, scoring 12 goals in 37 games. His physical presence made him stand out, and he would have been perfect in Moyes’ Toffees system.

Alas, he went to Chelsea, failed to nail down a place at Stamford Bridge and is now being dragged to the exit by the current force.

It’s an obstacle, but he can overcome it at Everton, perhaps even developing into a striker who can surpass Bowen at Hill Dickinson.

Bowen may be an experienced and powerful Premier League striker, but he’s on the move, and won’t stop to make the long-term impact that Delap will enjoy in front of the forward line.

Still only 23, Delap has scored 13 goals and conceded 14 chances in two Premier League seasons, bringing danger alongside his threat as a “wrecking ball” in attack, as noted by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones.

He’s not a superstar – yet – but Delap has shown he can score goals in the Premier League, and considering Everton’s need for goalscorers and the fact that Bowen will be expensive while offering a limited amount of top-quality, Delap could be a speedster for the Merseysiders.

Unsurprisingly, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish did not play together at Everton last season, citing injury problems that led to a layoff at Hill Dickinson.

Everton hope to show this summer that they are learning, evolving, growing. By signing players who can break out as stars, offloading the likes of Branthwaite and Grealish (if he returns to Merseyside), Moyes could hit a winning streak and close the gap between Everton and Europe’s Premier League places.

Can Delap and Bowen add the star power the Toffees need? They could turn up, and Chelsea’s scrappy striker could prove the best signing down the line.