VfB Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovć's clinical 12-minute hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League has highlighted Everton's summer transfer shortcomings, after manager David Moyes missed out on four primary attacking targets. According to reports from TEAMtalk, the Toffees pursued the Bosnian international alongside Folarin Balogun, Tammy Abraham, and Taty Castellanos, but failed to secure a high-profile frontman before the 1 September transfer deadline. Following the late sale of Beto to Fiorentina, Moyes has been left with summer signing Thierno Barry as his only senior centre-forward option.
Stuttgart forward remains in high demand
Demirović's devastating cameo against Viking drew heavy praise from VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß, who told club media that the striker "will play a good role for us this year." The 26-year-old's performance vindicated his decision to remain in Germany despite heavy interest elsewhere. Turkish giants Galatasaray made a formal €20m (£16.8m) offer for the forward, which he rejected in favour of staying with the Bundesliga outfit. Reports from Sky Sports also credit Juventus, Fenerbahçe, and Leeds United with an interest in the player. Although Everton were linked with the striker, there is no official confirmation of a formal offer from the Merseyside club.
Moyes forced to navigate attacking shortage
The failure to land a senior forward on deadline day has left Everton in a delicate position. A proposed loan-to-buy deal for Monaco's Folarin Balogun collapsed at the eleventh hour after the striker had a change of heart, as reported by Sports Mole. With alternative options Abraham and Castellanos proving unobtainable, Moyes must now depend heavily on the inexperienced Barry to lead the line. This lack of depth will likely force the Everton board to actively pursue new attacking options when the transfer window reopens in January, though they must first navigate a challenging autumn schedule with limited resources.
