Everton FC Rumours: Beckford and Yakubu Off, Stracqualursi and One Other In?

As the Transfer Window builds toward an intriguing climax tonight, many deals seem likely to be swiftly ushered through. Everton, dormant for the entirety of the summer, now suddenly seem poised to become involved in all of the final day bedlam.

A couple of hours ago, Phil McNulty broke news that Everton are primed and ready to sign Argentinean striker Denis Stracqualursi. Stracqualursi was the top scorer in Argentina in 2010, a feat achieved in previous years by Mauro Zarate, Fernando Cavenaghi, Lisandro Lopez and Javier Saviola. At 6’3”, on paper he would presumably offer Everton extra aerial prowess in the box, as well as the ability to hold up the ball.

In order to fund this deal, of course, penniless Everton have to offload. Jermaine Beckford had a bid from Leicester City accepted, supposedly in the region of £4.5 million. It seems that money is too good to for Everton to turn down and that it is now left to Sven Goran Eriksson to tempt Beckford away from the Premier League.

The final piece of a transfer deadline day triangle involves Yakubu. Very much on the periphery of proceedings at Goodison Park, the Nigerian has garnered plenty of interest all summer. Everton have been keen to offload the high earner to free up some valuable wage space, but he has frustrated the Toffees’ hierarchy, reportedly rejecting a couple of moves, including Blackburn yesterday. Now, in the final hours of the transfer window, according to various sources, he left Everton's complex earlier this morning and is at Blackburn Rovers, weighing up his options.

For Everton, the addition of a striker is vital. Excluding Beckford and Yakubu, David Moyes only has Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe, setting aside youth and reserve team players. Saha has renowned Premier League quality, but seems only available for half a season and surely at peak fitness for a far smaller portion of campaigns. Victor Anichebe sadly seems destined to never quite achieve his undoubted potential. Extra bodies are certainly needed. 

Jermaine Beckford did well during his debut season in the Premier League, hitting 10 goals, but a fee in excess of £4 million for a player picked up for nothing, is too much to turn down for the cash-strapped Toffees. Yakubu will represent a catastrophic transfer error for David Moyes, bought for £11 million and potentially sold for insignificant figures. However his high wages off the bank balance will help the landscape at Goodsion Park and is important for the club's spiralling debts.

Stracqualursi seems perched, ready to sign, allegedly at Everton's training ground already. His move will surely hinge on one of Yakubu and Beckford leaving. Yakubu seems most likely to depart, but if both go, Everton may even venture into the market again. Andre-Pierre Gignac is currently hovering around English shores, with Everton linked with a loan move for the French international. Watch this space, the countdown until 11 p.m. (GMT) continues…

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