Everton are keeping a close eye on Raul Garcia ahead of the transfer window but Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, via Sport Witness, report that the Blues have yet to place an official bid for the player.
Who are Everton signing in the transfer window?
The Toffees have struggled in the Premier League this campaign and with the side sat in 17th – only one point above the drop zone – there is a very real possibility that the club could end up in the Championship.
If Sean Dyche can help his side to maintain their top flight status, then he will be aiming to ensure there is no repeat of their battle against relegation again in the next season. That could involve beefing up their strikeforce, with Everton struggling that area this year. They've managed only 32 goals over the course of their Premier League campaign so far, which is actually worse than Leeds and Leicester below them.
Dwight McNeil is their highest scorer this season for example, despite the player not being an out-and-out striker. Anthony Gordon is their fourth highest scorer with three too, despite the fact that he left for Newcastle in January. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has produced just two goals in his 16 outings this year.
Another striker could be on the agenda then – and one name that certainly appears to be interesting the club is that of Raul Garcia. According to Estadio Deportivo via Sport Witness, the Real Betis forward – who has spent this year on loan with CD Mirandes – is a player that Everton are "following" and he's certainly caught the eye of the club ahead of the summer window.
However, it adds that despite this interest from the Premier League outfit, he has yet to actually have a "formal offer" submitted for his services. It doesn't mean that the side won't bid but it does mean that talks and negotiations over a potential move are nowhere near an advanced stage yet.
Who is Raul Garcia?
The Real Betis forward has really lit up the Segunda Division in Spain for CD Mirandes this season, despite having barely featured for his parent club prior to that.
In the 2021/22 season, he managed only one minute of action for the club and was then shipped out on loan into the second tier. Given the chance to show his abilities, he has really moved into the limelight this campaign. Playing 37 times, he has scored 19 goals and produced six assists, praised for his "aware and composed" finishing by journalist Josh Bunting.
It's a rate that blows anything the Everton frontline has managed out of the water – and if the 22-year-old could produce similar in England, it would be an instant fix to their goalscoring woes in the summer.