As transfer deadline days go, Tuesday marked a catastrophic one for Everton.
Concluding a near three-month summer window with just one centre forward, one right-back and one left-back at the club is nothing short of inexcusable, and few would be surprised to see the board come under fire when Everton welcome Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Their deadline day pursuit of striker Folarin Balogun came to a calamitous end when the striker walked out of Finch Farm without signing for the club, seemingly angered by the fact that the Toffees had raised medical concerns than he, and Monaco, were unaware of.
Their inability to sign the USA international leaves Thierno Barry as the only traditional centre forward at the club, and they may be forced into the free agent market to add depth in the department.
We take a look at five out-of-contract strikers that Everton could approach following the closure of the transfer window.
Anthony Martial
Reports suggest that Everton are amongst a number of Premier League clubs who have been offered the chance to sign former Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.
Blessed with the talent to become one of the best, Martial never quite fulfilled his potential with the Red Devils, departing as a free agent in 2024 before spells with Greek outfit AEK Athens and Mexican side Monterrey.
Everton wouldn't be signing the same player that Man Utd fans had the pleasure of watching in his earlier seasons at Old Trafford, but he'd be a name through the door who could provide competition for fellow Frenchman Barry.
Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi's quality is supported by the fact that he made a combined 445 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Galatasaray, and he hasn't lost his knack for scoring goals with age.
The Argentine international scored 65 goals in 96 Turkish Super Lig appearances for Galatasaray across four seasons and led the top-flight goalscoring charts in the 2023/24 campaign.
Premier League giants Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with moves to sign Icardi over the years, and now could be the last opportunity for the 33-year-old to secure a switch to the Premier League.
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy has been linked with a number of potential suitors since parting ways with Italian outfit Cremonese at the end of the 2025/26 term, including Sao Paulo and most recently Sheffield Wednesday.
Renowned for his illustrious 13-year spell with Leicester City, the relentless forward's name carries weight -- even at 39 -- due to his unconventional rise from playing non-league football to becoming a Premier League champion with the Foxes.
The striker expressed a desire to continue at the top level when leaving Leicester in 2025. It's yet to be seen as to whether he still craves elite competition, but a return to the Premier League in the form of Everton would mark an extraordinary story.
Andrea Belotti
"Everton consider mega money move for Belotti", read a report in 2020. Six years later, the Toffees may look to revisit their pursuit of the Italian.
It was with Serie A outfit Torino where the centre forward enjoyed the most success, scoring 113 goals in 251 games before making the switch to Roma.
He's failed to re-establish his Torino form across various spells, but he could prove a logical short-term option for Everton before potentially reassessing the market in January or next summer.
Eddie Salcedo
All four options presented so far are 30+ -- which might be what Everton are looking for if they prefer an experienced, temporary centre forward -- but free agent Eddie Salcedo presents a younger alternative.
The Italian has never reach great heights in any of his loan spells in Italy, but he enjoyed a much improved 2024/25 campaign on loan with Greek outfit OFI Crete and made the permanent switch to the club in 2025.
Salcedo won't guarantee goals at Everton, but the 24-year-old is a willing runner off the ball and could prove handy when Barry is fatigued.
