Everton could sign ex-PSG striker on free transfer after being offered him

Everton have given their supporters a welcome surprise after emerging from the opening weeks of the Premier League season without a defeat.

Expectations were hardly soaring when the summer transfer window closed.

REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff

David Moyes had strengthened parts of his squad, but Everton’s failure to land another proven centre forward left a clear hole in the group.

However, that disappointment has not prevented the Toffees from making a highly encouraging start.

A 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace set the tone before Everton collected a point from a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. They then fought out a lively 2-2 game with Man United and held Tottenham to a goalless draw in north London.

Six points from four matches may not look spectacular on its own, but the wider picture is far more positive.

Everton have conceded only three league goals, sit ninth and remain one of just a handful of unbeaten sides.

They have also shown different qualities along the way. There was control against Palace, resilience on the road and enough discipline to shut out Spurs.

Moyes deserves credit for creating a side which already looks organised and difficult to beat. That said, the early results have not completely removed the questions surrounding Everton’s attack.

The Toffees have scored five league goals, while three draws underline how useful another clinical forward could be when tight matches need to be turned in their favour.

That is why the latest update concerning Mauro Icardi will attract attention on Merseyside.

Everton handed fresh Mauro Icardi hope after unbeaten Premier League start

Sport Witness, relaying information from Argentine newspaper Olé, reports that Everton remain a possible destination for the free agent after repeated links earlier this month.

That claim offers a different reading of the situation to recent reports from Italy, where it had been suggested Everton had stepped away after being offered the former PSG striker.

There is no indication that the Toffees have submitted a fresh proposal or reopened formal negotiations. However, the Argentine reports have continued to include Everton among Icardi’s remaining options.

A possible move to Lazio is now said to have fallen apart.

Icardi had reportedly placed considerable importance on joining a club in the Champions League, but Lazio eventually moved for Andrea Pinamonti instead.

Everton cannot offer European football this season, meaning Icardi, now 33, may need to adjust his expectations if he is to consider a move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The striker would nevertheless bring a level of pedigree which is currently missing from Moyes’ attacking options, having represented Inter, PSG and Galatasaray, scoring regularly in Italy, France and Turkey.

Ex-Gala boss Okan Buruk also branded Icardi a ‘football icon’ after his final season in the Süper Lig.

As a free agent, Icardi can still join a club despite the closure of the English transfer window.

Any Everton move would have to make financial sense, particularly given the wages and signing payment a player of his profile could demand.

For now, this remains a possibility rather than an active deal.