Everton make £30m offer for ‘Breaking Ball’

Everton supporters aren’t looking for Erling Haaland, but it would be great to have a goalscorer at the front of David Moyes’ attacking system who can prove the difference in the battle for a top half finish in the Premier League.

While Moyes may point to an overall improvement over the 2025/26 season, the truth is that Everton did no better last season than they did in 2024/25, although the Scot enjoyed a notable impact in January after replacing the dejected Sean Dyche.

Long-term negotiations for Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney are intensifying, but the Toffees need more than just a midfielder this summer. So they need some forwards to propel them forward.

Jarrod Bowen is at the top of Moyes’ shortlist and could be available following West Ham United’s relegation from the Premier League, but he is not the only player in the spotlight.

Everton submit offer for Premier League forward

Everton need forwards and Moyes knows what he likes from a tactical point of view. It seems a natural move for the grizzled Scot to join Bowen, a long-time West Ham talisman and an attacker who has brought in big-money money in the past.

The 29-year-old, who was overlooked by manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of the Three Lions World Cup campaign, is expected to leave this summer following the team’s relegation, with Everton already making the first move and making him one of the frontrunners.

Despite West Ham’s £50m valuation, Everton remain undaunted, with the Friedkin group already fielding another exciting forward who could surpass Bowen on Merseyside.

According to Football Insider, Everton have been in contact with Chelsea this summer and have offered Liam Delap a contract as manager Moyes looks for a new center forward.

Delap has not had an outstanding season at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are expected to allow him to leave. Everton are in the lead, but several clubs are interested.

Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap from relegated Ipswich Town last summer. Everton are favorites in the race, with the Blues hoping to sell the 23-year-old for £40m at a profit ahead of the new season, but Moyes and others are sure to demand an even bigger price for his return to the field.

Why Delap is a better signing than Bowen for Everton

Everton’s vested interest in Delap came to an end last summer, with the Ipswich frontman flashing riches like Chelsea had promised him the world, but a more pragmatic perspective would have suggested that Stamford Bridge was not the hothouse he needed at that stage of his career.

It’s frustrating. Delap starred for the Tractor Boys, scoring 12 goals in 37 games and becoming one of the Premier League’s most exciting strikers. His physical presence sets him apart and would have been perfect for Moyes’ Toffees system.

Unfortunately he went to Chelsea but failed to secure a place at Stamford Bridge and is now being pushed towards the exit by the powers that be.

It’s a setback, but he can overcome it at Everton and perhaps even develop into a better forward than Bowen at Hill Dickinson.

Bowen may be an experienced and prolific Premier League attacker, but he is too fit to make the long-term impact that Delap would enjoy at the front of the attack.

Still only 23, Delap has scored 13 goals in his two seasons in the Premier League, conceding just 14 big chances, and, as Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones pointed out, gives him an edge alongside his threat as a “destroying ball” in attack.

Although he’s not a superstar yet, Delap has proven he can score goals in the Premier League, and given Everton’s need for a goalscorer and the fact that Bowen, who offers only limited high-class quality, would be costly to sign, Delap would undoubtedly be the most agile signing for the Merseysiders.

Remarkably, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish did not play together at Everton last season due to injury issues that caused a rift at Hill Dickinson.

Everton will want to show this summer that they are learning, evolving and growing. By signing players who can actually stand out as superstars, and easing the burden on players like Branthwaite and Grealish (if they return to Merseyside), Moyes could achieve a winning formula and close the gap between Everton and the Premier League in the European standings.

Can Delap and Bowen add the superstar power the Toffees need? They may do so, and Chelsea’s rogue striker could even prove a better contract in the future.