Everton burst into race to sign their new Calvert-Lewin

Since losing Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer in the summer, Everton and David Moyes have had to rely on Thierno Barry and Beto as their options at centre-forward this term.

French striker Barry is beginning to live up to his potential and has four goals in his last eight games.

As for Beto, things have been tougher going this term. Very much the senior number nine, he’s managed half the number of goals as Barry, with just two strikes to his name in the Premier League this term, in 22 appearances.

Everton are certainly missing Calvert-Lewin in front of goal this season, so it might not be a surprise to learn Moyes could make a move for a new striker in January.

Everton targeting Premier League striker

It seems like signing a new number nine is a priority for the Toffees this winter. There are already some names being linked, including Youssef En-Nesyri and a sensational return for the iconic Romelu Lukaku.

However, according to a report from TEAMTalk, there is another name, from within the Premier League, who has cropped up.

Everton are said to be ‘keeping an eye on the situation’ surrounding Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who could be in line to leave Molineux this winter.

However, it is not going to be a straightforward deal to do. Several other Premier League clubs are in the race, with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Aston Villa also said to be keen on signing the striker.

As for a transfer fee, the Old Gold have set an asking price of £40m for his signature.

Why Strand Larsen would be Calvert-Lewin 2.0

It seems as though Everton’s search for a striker with Premier League experience to help them become more clinical in front of goal might lead them to Strand Larsen. The Norwegian striker has certainly shown evidence of being a consistent Premier League goalscorer.

In actual fact, though, he has been disappointing this season. In 20 Premier League appearances, he’s only managed to score one goal and has assisted one as well.

That goal came from the penalty spot, and he’s since gone 13 games without finding the back of the net.

However, the 2024/25 campaign showed exactly how good Strand Larsen is. In 35 top-flight matches last term, he scored 14 goals and assisted four.

That included a run of seven goals in his final nine games. It is not for nothing that ex-Wolves boss Vitor Pereira called him a “phenomenal” striker.

Everton will be hoping that the Norway international can rediscover his best form, because they need his quality to help fill the void left by Calvert-Lewin.

This term, the new Leeds United man is on fire, with nine goals to his name in 20 top-flight matches.

In an Everton shirt, he struggled with injuries at times, but still put in some impressive performances.

The Sheffield-born striker bagged 71 goals for the club, with his best two top-flight campaigns coming in 2019/20, when he scored 13 times, and 2020/21, when he hit 16 goals.

It is interesting to see how their underlying numbers from their best Premier League seasons stack up. For example, the Wolves star averaged 0.5 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 28.57%.

In contrast, Calvert-Lewin, back in 2020/21, scored 0.6 goals per 90 minutes on average and had a 22.22% conversion rate.

It is easy to see how Strand Larsen could be the new version of Calvert-Lewin on Merseyside. He provides a focal point up front, and, at his very best, can score consistent goals in the Premier League, exactly like the former Toffees number nine.

If there is enough wiggle room in the budget for his £40m fee, Strand Larsen could be the man to help solve Everton’s striker issues.

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