Sean Dyche sure to ‘putting pressure’ on quick Everton deal for Alfredo Morelos after Rangers exit – BBC pundit

We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…

Sean Dyche is sure to be putting pressure on the Everton hierarchy to get a quick deal done to sign free agent striker Alfredo Morelos if he likes him, believes Kevin Campbell.

The Colombian has now left Rangers after the expiry of his contract, following six seasons where he racked up 124 goals for the Glasgow giants, and has been linked to a Goodison move by reports in England [TEAMtalk, 4 April], Colombia [Pipe Sierra, 15 June] and Turkey [Fanatik, 18 May].

Ex-Goodison captain Campbell previously advocated moving fast for the free agent forward and his former Rangers teammate Ryan Kent, and with the winger now snapped up by Fenerbahce the Toffees boss is tipped to be asking for action on the man who is still there for the taking.

Asked if he was surprised that a deal hadn’t already been done the BBC Sport pundit exclusively told Goodison News: “No not necessarily because I’m sure they’re going to have to watch the pounds and the pennies.

“I’m sure there would have been talk from upstairs to the manager [about] what money will be available.

“There’s going to be investment, when it’s coming I don’t know.

“What we don’t want to see is it get to the latter stages of the window and nobody’s come in.

“I know it’s still early July but we know these weeks go fast, and Sean Dyche wants to do his business, he wants to integrate players in.

“So if Morelos is coming I’m sure he’s putting pressure on to try and get him in.”

Dyche hasn’t got the luxury of a hefty budget to go out early and pick up premium targets, so an element of pragmatism is necessary.

But with players back for preseason and another forward option gone after Ellis Simms’ sale to Coventry the manager is going to need to start picking up scorers sooner rather than later.

Morelos has his faults and the leap from the SPFL to the Premier League is a sizeable one, but if there is as much interest as reports suggest the current delay risks another target being locked into a deal elsewhere to leave the Toffees empty-handed again.

In other Everton news, the Toffees are reportedly ready to take advantage of a difficult situation at another English club to snap up a key man at a discount.