#striker-recruitment

#striker-recruitment

When they got Marcus Rashford in last season, he raised their level because he gave them a different option leading the line, but now he's gone and they haven't replaced him. I'm an Ollie Watkins fan, but he has had a poor season by his standards and that's starting to become a problem for Aston Villa. They don't have a reliable source of goals at the moment, and that's a big reason why they've struggled to win some games.

With just two goals in his first ten games with Bayern, and the presence of Harry Kane as Vincent Kompany's first-choice striker, it seems highly unlikely that Jackson has much of a future at the club. According to Football Insider, this has led Everton to take a look at Jackson, with the 24-year-old supposedly viewed as the type of centre-forward who could be well suited to David Moyes' tactics.

Everton prepare to face Tottenham at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday undefeated at their new home following three wins and two draws this season. Their home form follows a summer of largely successful recruitment, although a question mark still remains at centre-forward, which has been a problem position since the departure of Romelu Lukaku in 2017. The Toffees have signed 17 strikers over the past 10 years at a combined cost of almost 160m... with decidedly mixed results.

The January transfer window will help them in this regard, and plans are being drawn up for signings to be added to Nuno Espirito Santo's squad. One area that could be addressed in attack, with both Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson having struggled in the goalscoring department. Nuno may push to sign another striker when the transfer window re-opens, and if so, there could be one candidate that stands out above the rest: Ivan Toney

Since joining from Bologna, the Dutch forward has scored only seven goals and provided three assists in 53 appearances, a disappointing return for a player once seen as a long-term solution in the No.9 role. Zirkzee was heavily linked with a move away during the summer transfer window, but a deal never materialised. While he stayed at the club, Amorim does not see him as part of his tactical plans, with the striker featuring just three times this season, all from the bench.

"I haven't seen him this week but when I see him we speak as normal, there are no issues there," said Howe. "It's a difficult situation from both sides and it's far from ideal for both parties. "When we bump into each other we speak, but as I say I've not seen him this week as he's training later on and detached from the group. We will catch up at some stage and hopefully speak soon."