Everton will be one of the Premier League clubs in desperate need of reinforcements this summer after another disappointing and difficult campaign last season.
The Toffees finished just two points clear of relegation on the final day of the season when Abdoulaye Doucoure netted the winner against Bournemouth at Goodison Park, but now Sean Dyche is tasked with his first full transfer window at the club to turn around their fortunes and improve their chances of competing more comfortably next season.
The former Burnley boss will have assessed the weakest areas of the squad ahead of the transfer window, with the attacking threat the biggest concern due to the quality of players being significantly weakened following the departure of Richarlison and Anthony Gordon.
Indeed, Everton have had numerous opportunities to repair their uninspiring and inconsistent goal threat but now after scoring the second-fewest goals over the entire 38-game campaign, it could never be more glaringly obvious that the club's hierarchy must invest to keep the Merseysiders inside the top-flight beyond next season.
Whilst investment is much-needed, Everton are experiencing their fair share of financial problems and will likely have to offload players to be able to recruit well this summer.
As a result, Dyche could now cash in on Dele Alli – who is returning from his tumultuous loan spell with Besiktas and eligible to start next season – and instead make a concrete move for Leeds United forward Rodrigo.
Would Rodrigo be a good signing for Everton?
Rodrigo has been continuously linked with a move to Goodison Park over the last month since being relegated with the West Yorkshire outfit and this week journalist Paul Brown told GIVEMESPORT that a deal could be very much possible financially for the Toffees:
"Rodrigo, clearly, is the kind of signing that Everton could currently fund.
"Until new investment comes in and the board is properly reshuffled, it's difficult for Everton to commit huge funding to any kind of transfer at the moment."
"That is an interesting one. He does have a pretty good goalscoring record in the Premier League, particularly if you compare him to Everton's current strikers."
Despite Leeds' struggles in the Premier League last season, the Spaniard – dubbed a "livewire" by former striker Aaron McLean – has been a constant standout performer in the team especially in front of goal – scoring an impressive 13 league goals and registering one assist with a goal contribution every 138 minutes played which is an impressive output for a side in trouble.
In fact, his output completely wipes the floor with the entire Everton squad as he out-scored every single player and when comparing his goal contributions in all competitions, Rodrigo delivered seven more (17) than their top contributor Dwight McNeil (10).
Not only that, the 30-year-old – hailed "class" by BBC commentator Pat Nevin – is an extremely versatile player with a wealth of experience behind the striker.
Thus, replacing Alli, a player also adept at playing as a 'second striker' should be an easy task for the Spaniard. Equally comfortable in the centre-forward role, Dyche could kill two birds with one stone for Dyche. He needs more creativity and he needs more goals; for a reported fee of only €3.5m (£3m), this would be a no-brainer.
With that being said, it is crucial Everton sign Rodrigo this summer as he would not only be a steal for a Premier League-proven player but would also be a hugely valuable asset to the attacking threat next season.
