Everton are expected to miss out on a deal to bring Southampton striker Che Adams back to the Premier League, according to reports.
Is Che Adams leaving Southampton?
Adams has made a total of 145 appearances since arriving on the south coast from Birmingham in 2019, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, Ruben Selles’ former side will be presented with their final big opportunity to cash in during the upcoming window.
The Scottish international established himself as the St. Mary’s outfit’s second best-performing offensive player last season, and having been relegated to the Championship, the centre-forward has been attracting interest from Goodison Park.
Back in May, it was reported that the Toffees and Leeds United were both interested in a swoop for the 26-year-old who was keen to return to the top-flight, but unfortunately for Sean Dyche, it sounds like his target might not actually be heading for Merseyside.
Are Everton signing Adams?
According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are now also “eyeing a move” for Adams, and despite the admiration from Everton, Leeds and even Nottingham Forest, a move to join Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted side is the “most likely” outcome.
Southampton receiving an offer of £12m would be enough to “persuade” them to sanction his sale, and it’s stated that he would “jump at the chance” to complete a switch should the Clarets “firm up their interest and strike a deal”.
Would Adams not joining be a blow for Dyche?
Southampton’s former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl previously dubbed Adams a “phenomenon” during his time at the club, and considering the positive impact he made during last season, the striker not joining would definitely be a blow for Dyche.
The Unique Sports Group client posted eight goal contributions (five goals and three assists) in 28 Premier League appearances and made a total of 47 shots over the course of the campaign which was higher than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.
The Leicester-born talent, who has the versatility to operate in five various positions across the pitch, would have also been an ideal target man despite only standing at 5 foot 9 having averaged 2.2 aerial wins per top-flight game, with this physical presence likely to be a desired quality to emulate that of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Whether Everton would have been able to afford Adams’ £12m price tag anyway remains to be seen, but the boss will now have to turn his attention to other targets on the market as he searches for suitable candidates to add to his attacking ranks ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.