Everton could sign £21m ace ‘similar to Haaland’

With the January transfer window now open, Everton are reported to be one of the clubs in the race to sign Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Toffees have made contact with Spurs to discuss a possible deal for the Wales international, who has attracted interest from a number of teams.

The Italian journalist added that Crystal Palace have already agreed a £33.5m deal with the Lilywhites and that Sunderland have also called to confirm the situation.

Why Everton shouldn’t sign Brennan Johnson

Johnson scored 18 goals in all competitions for Spurs last season, including the winner in the Europa League final, but the Toffees will have to withdraw from the race to sign Johnson this month.

The Wales international has struggled as a goalscorer this season, which is why Tottenham are keen to sign him after his impressive form in front of goal last season.

An issue with Johnson’s performance since the start of last season has been a lack of creativity in possession on the right, with him providing just three assists in the Premier League in 2024-25.

As you can see from the table above, Spurs’ attackers have not been very effective in front of goal in the top flight this season, but their lack of creativity is an even bigger problem.

That’s why Everton should pull out of the race to sign him for £33.5m this month. This is because he may not be able to make a big impact in the final third.

Instead, the Toffees should spend big to bring in a new centre-forward, who has recently been rumored to be a good marksman, to lead the line.

Why Everton should sign a Serie A striker

Everton could add another useful addition to their squad by signing a player of even greater talent than Johnson and swooping in for Roma No. 9 Artem Dovvik in the January transfer window.

It was recently reported that the club had made contact with the Italian side to discuss the possibility of signing the Ukrainian international, who is valued at around £21 million. This means he will cost more than £10 million cheaper than Johnson.

Signing a 28-year-old striker who should be in the prime of his career for £21m seems like a bargain on paper, but it is a result of his lack of form this season.

Like Johnson, Dovvik has only scored two goals in the league so far this season, according to Sofascore, but he has only started three games in Serie A, which is a mitigating factor in his favor.

The left-footed shooter was described by Mario Balotelli as “similar to (Erling) Haaland” when he moved to Roma, a natural comparison as he is also a towering and powerful centre-forward.

The Ukraine international may not be able to score 25 goals in 24 games, as Haaland has done for Manchester City this season, but Dubvik, combined with Haaland’s physical attributes, poses a huge goal threat.

As you can see from the table above, the 28-year-old marksman regularly started matches in the 2024/25 and 2023/24 seasons and was a regular threat in front of goal for Roma and Girona.

This suggests that Everton could benefit from the current situation by giving him regular game time in the Premier League in the second half of the season, which could see him return to his usual self in the final third.

While Dobvik is a natural goalscorer, as evidenced by goals like the one in the clip above, and his strong form against Roma and Girona, the same cannot be said for Beto and Tierno Barry, who have combined for three goals in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, Everton should spend the money to sign Dobubuk instead of Johnson. Given his track record in La Liga, he could be an even bigger talent for manager David Moyes to utilize, as he has the qualities to offer the team even more as a goalscorer and creator.