Everton manager Frank Lampard had admitted Dele Alli is a potential solution to his current striker crisis.
The Blues go into their opening Premier League fixture of the season at home to Lampard’s previous employers Chelsea without a recognised frontman with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured, Salomon Rondon suspended plus Ellis Simms and Lewis Dobbin having been loaned out to Sunderland and Derby County respectively.
Asked if Dele could move further forward, Lampard said: “Potentially. He made his name as a second striker off Harry Kane and had some great years at Tottenham off that.
“He maybe moved back generally at Tottenham as the years went on to generally become more of a number eight or more structured midfield player. I think when you look at our squad at this moment, yeah, if you’re looking and saying have we got solutions, he’s certainly in the running to be a solution for that.”
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The £60million sale of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur leaves Everton looking light up top but Lampard insists that they are far from being the only side short in a particular department.
He said: “The first thing I would say is that I don’t think we’re the only Premier League team of whom you’d look at a certain area of the pitch and say, ‘they’re still looking for a solution there'.
“There are some teams where I hear their manager say, ‘I need to find somebody in the forward area, left-back area, midfield area. When the window goes three weeks into the season, to say everyone should get their business done early, cut and dried, sounds great, but it’s not always the easiest way to do it.
“We have Salomon Rondon as a number nine, who is suspended for one game, and attacking options, but we have a view that we will look in that area of the pitch to possibly strengthen... and in terms of younger players that have gone on loan, they need development to be at a level to play in the Premier League. We’re very aware of the areas we want to improve on and that’s for us to do.”
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