He could explode like Lukaku: Everton plan to submit bid to sign £30m striker

Everton, much like their arch nemesis Liverpool, are deep in a notable slump of form at the moment.

All in all, it has been another satisfactory Premier League campaign with David Moyes at the helm, as the Toffees will comfortably finish in and around the mid-table positions, as opposed to being swallowed whole by relegation danger.

But recent results, such as the last-minute defeat to West Ham United last month, and Manchester City further nicking a last-minute equaliser, have exposed the Merseyside giants as being a bit too soft.

Some summer reinforcements could well be needed to give the Toffees a fresh injection of life heading into the next campaign, with a brand-new striker to lead the line perhaps a priority.

Everton plotting bid for £30m striker

Beto has come into his own across recent matches, even if Everton have slumped to some poor results, with a brace against Chelsea towards the end of March ultimately costing Liam Rosenior his Blues employment.

Yet, despite the former Udinese marksman finding his shooting boots, he still only has nine Premier League goals next to his name for the season from 35 games, with Everton surely wanting a striker who is even more lethal to lead the line.

This is where Liam Delap might well come to the rescue, with reports this weekend suggesting that Moyes and Co are plotting an ambitious move for the reserve Chelsea attacker, ahead of the summer transfer window reopening, who once cost the West London outfit a steep £30m.

They are set to make an offer during talks to take Delap on loan, but hope they can include an option to buy.

How Delap could be Everton’s new Lukaku

The hope will be that the one-time Ipswich Town centre-forward immediately hits the ground running at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, if a move were to accelerate into motion, just as Romelu Lukaku managed all those years ago.

When Lukaku arrived at Everton in the summer of 2013, the worry would have been that the Antwerp-born striker would go on to be seen as a flop at Goodison Park.

After all, he had already failed to spark into life at Chelsea, with no goals for the Blues from ten sorry Premier League outings.

Thankfully, for his sake, he went on to become a modern great at Everton, with the £28m forked out for the 6-foot-3 striker’s services in 2014, after he made his loan deal permanent, going down as a superb bargain.

Indeed, Lukaku became a feared goal machine for top-flight defences to keep tabs on, donning Everton blue, with a stunning 68 strikes coming his way in the Premier League alone across four seasons on Merseyside.

Delap will be praying he similarly explodes into life, if he decides to go down the same career path as the 124-time Belgium international, as his Chelsea career to date has never kicked into gear.

From 45 games at Stamford Bridge to date, the former Manchester City academy product has only managed to find the back of the net an unconvincing three times, leading to Alan Shearer publicly blasting him as being a “very lazy” performer for the Blues.

Yet, it’s clear from his past performances, away from the stifling environment of Chelsea, that he can be a red-hot finisher of chances, like Lukaku in his Everton prime.

For Ipswich last season, even as they constantly battled against the drop, Delap bagged an impressive tally of 12 Premier League goals from 32 starts, leading to Chelsea taking a risk on the 23-year-old after he experienced a breakout season. He would even be labelled as a “monster” for the Tractor Boys by ex-Portman Road teammate Alex Palmer.

Moving to Chelsea hasn’t worked out for him, but the former England U21 international must put this disappointment to one side quickly if he wants to forge a successful career at the very top.

Lukaku managed not to let his goal-shy performances at Chelsea get the better of him, and he now has 121 Premier League strikes next to his name.

Delap will want to follow in his footsteps, with the 23-year-old at a pivotal crossroads in his career now, as he potentially goes on to be recognised as a reliable hotshot with the Toffees, as Lukaku was, or another disastrous move weighs heavily on his shoulders.