With Beto already being sold, it was paramount that the club brought someone in. But the club failed to sign Balogun, leaving Thierno Barry as the only recognised striker at the club.

Barry is doing fairly well under the circumstances, having scored seven goals across all competitions so far. But he has also missed a lot of big chances in the Premier League.

Today though, Everton have been linked with a new striker in the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta – and potentially this could be a superb move.

Jean-Philippe Mateta could be a serious bargain for Everton

TEAMtalk have reported that Everton are one of a few clubs to have monitored Mateta, who is out of contract next summer at Crystal Palace.

So he could be on the move in the next window for a cut-price fee. And there is good news for Everton in that, the Frenchman would prefer to remain in the Premier League.

Manchester United are said to be interested in the player, while Nottingham Forest are also keen. That should come as no real surprise given Oliver Glasner is the Reds’ manager and they worked together at Palace.

But this is an exciting link involving Everton, who obviously need someone to come in. Folarin Balogun has been linked again, but Mateta having as much Premier League experience as he does surely makes him the better option.

He is a proven scorer in this league, having hit 50 goals in 166 top-flight appearances. In total, for Palace, he’s scored 63 in 207 games, having started somewhat slowly when he first came to the club.

In the last three seasons, across all competitions, he’s scored 18, 21 and 19, and also made his debut for France last year to underline his improvements over the last few years.

So he’s a striker who’s proven in the top-flight, has international pedigree and is into the final year of his contract, which really do make him a fine option.

Plus, there is his age and experience. Thierno Barry is doing well at the moment but is clearly not the finished article. Mateta probably has a few pearls of wisdom he could pass on. He would also provide a stern challenge to Barry which could actually be very healthy.

He is certainly the kind of striker David Moyes tends to like, in that he offers good physicality and is a threat in the air. Arguably, he holds the ball up better than Barry, as well, and the fact that he is a slightly different profile is good.

Everton just need someone who can come in and hit the ground running and Mateta offers proven quality and also doesn’t seem like he would break the bank. Certainly the Toffees could do much worse.