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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton have discussed the possibility of signing Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic on loan with Marco Silva said to be an admirer of the frontman.
What’s the word, then?
Well, with just nine days of the window remaining, the Echo report that Everton are chasing four or five new faces before the deadline.
A number of names have been linked with the Toffees, and Mandzukic is just the latest star to be tipped for a move to Merseyside.
The Croatia international scored nine goals in Serie A last term and also recorded six assists, helping Juventus to yet another Serie A title.
Mandzukic offers Marcel Brands an ideal stop-gap
Everton’s transfer guru Marcel Brands looks set for a busy period between now and the deadline.
He must set about signing the four or five players that Silva wants, and must also actively find a replacement for Idrissa Gueye who has now officially departed for Paris Saint-Germain.
The Echo’s report states that a right-back, striker and winger are on Silva’s radar, whilst Kurt Zouma has also not been given up on.
Of course, having that much on your to-do list in just 10 days could potentially overwhelm Brands and some of those areas may not get the ideal man signed for them in time.
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However, in exploring a loan move for 33-year-old Mandzukic, Brands would have the perfect short-term problem solver who will allow him to focus his efforts on the more pressing areas of the team that need bolstering, such as at centre-back where Yerry Mina and Michael Keane are the only senior options.
A loan move would come with no strings attached and would hand the Toffees a good, experienced option to improve on top of the existing duo of Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who netted nine goals between them last term.
Plugging that gap up top with a short-term option would allow Brands more time to find a suitable long-term figure for the role, instead of seeing the former PSV director panic into investing a lot into the wrong player.
The 6 foot 3 centre-forward is the ideal stop-gap for Brands in what looks set to be a hectic period.
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