Everton Football Club have had a busy transfer window so far in the summer of 2024. The Toffees are looking to improve their squad so they can climb the table and ensure they steer well clear of the relegation zone next campaign. In the last couple of seasons, Sean Dyche’s men have been dragged into the scarp to survive in the Premier League.
So far this summer, the Toffees have spent £42.9m and have added four new signings to their squad. However, this was all funded by a major outgoing, specifically Amadou Onana who joined Aston Villa for £50m. Ben Godfrey and Lewin Dobbin also left the club.
In terms of their incomings, Everton have brought in three players on a permanent deal and one on loan. Two of those signings came from France; Jake O’Brien signed from Olympique Lyon and Iliman Ndiaye joined from Olympique Marseille. The other permanent signing was Tim Iroegbunam who swapped Villa Park for Goodison Park. The Toffees also signed Jesper Lindstrom on a loan to buy deal from Napoli.
Although they have made a positive start to the window, the Merseyside club might not be done there, with just under three weeks to go. They have recently been linked with one Championship player who can add attacking firepower to their squad.
Latest on Everton’s Gnonto pursuit
The player in question here is Leeds United and Italy winger Wilfried Gnonto. The 20-year-old has been heavily linked with a move with a move away from Elland Road ever since their relegation from the Premier League two seasons ago. He could now leave this summer after they failed to win promotion last term.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Toffees are ‘have been long-term admirers of the Italian winger’, and could move to sign him again this summer after failing to acquire his services in 2023, despite the Italian going on strike to attempt to force a move through.
The report confirmed the 20-year-old’s price this summer, which currently stands at £25m. It is a fee that would be accepted by the Yorkshire club if the Toffees manage to place a bid before the deadline at the end of August. However, it is not a guarantee they have the funds to do so.
Gnonto showed flashes of brilliance last season in one of the toughest leagues in European football, the Championship. The former Inter academy player managed to cement a starting spot under Daniel Farke last season after a tough start to the campaign. He scored eight goals and grabbed two assists as Leeds limped to a third-place finish, and also managed to get an assist in the play-offs.
Whilst the 13-time Italy international is highly valued by Leeds, there are players the Toffees could move on to afford the 20-year-old this summer who are valued at a higher price. One of those is star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s value in 2024
With less than one year left on his contract at Goodison Park, a departure from Everton for Calvert-Lewin cannot be ruled out this summer. He came close to joining Newcastle United, but that deal fell through, with the Daily Mail reporting a fee of £35m was needed for the Magpies to sign the striker.
Should Everton manage to sell the England international for anywhere close to that price, it would represent excellent profit for the striker. He cost the Toffees just £1.54m from Sheffield United back in August 2016.
Not only that, the £35m fee would allow the Merseysiders to afford Gnonto, their main transfer target, this summer, rather than having to delay any potential move for the 20-year-old for another summer.
It is perhaps unsurprising that Calvert-Lewin, who earns £100k per week, as per Capology, is valued so highly by the Toffees. He is a crucial player for Dyche, scoring seven goals and grabbing two assists in the Premier League last season. That is the third-best top-flight return of his career, with the striker scoring 13 goals in 2019/20 and 16 goals in 2020/21.
He is also their fourth highest goalscorer in the Premier League for Everton and is only one of four players to have scored 50 or more top-flight goals for the club. A record like that led football talent scout Jacek Kulig to call him a "monster" of a centre-forward.
Player
Games
Goals
Mins per goal
Romelu Lukaku
141
68
175
Duncan Ferguson
239
60
263
Tim Cahill
226
56
321
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
213
54
262
Should Everton sell Calvert-Lewin to help fund the signing of Gnonto, they would be losing one of their modern-day legends, who has scored 54 goals in the Premier League. However, it may be a necessary sale given the fact he has one year left on his deal, so Everton can make a large profit and reinvest the money to help them climb the table further.
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