Everton are eyeing a move for highly rated Wigan Athletic forward Callum Lang, sources close to the Premier League club have told ESPN FC.
Lang, 19, started his career with Liverpool’s academy before joining Wigan in 2013 and he has made three first-team appearances for the League One champions.
The forward caught the eye of Everton scouts after impressing on loan at League Two Morecambe this season where he scored 10 goals in 30 appearances for the club and finished second behind Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon as the top-scoring teenager in England.
Lang’s performances saw him win EFL Young Player of the Month in December and, though Wigan are keen to keep hold of Lang, they are bracing themselves for interest in the striker as a result of his impressive form on loan.
Everton’s recent transfer policy has been to target the best young English talent from lower leagues to develop into first-team regulars — such as John Stones and Ademola Lookman — and the Toffees see Lang as a potential star in the making.
Meawnhile, Everton manager Sam Allardyce said on Friday he needs to make three high-quality signings in the summer if they are to challenge for the top six next season with a new goal scorer the priority.
“The next level of recruitment has to be quality players to get into the team and make them better than what they are at this moment in time,” he told a news conference. “There is an area we need to improve and that is goals: Wayne is the leading goal scorer but quite a few of those are penalties so that is the main aim if you are going to finish higher in the league.
“We still, I think, need another goal scorer that gets 15 or more goals in the Premier League next season because the goal tally has to be at a certain level to achieve sixth and we are way below that level at this moment in time.
“You would need at least two players to be at the 15 mark and you need the midfielders and wide players to be in the sevens to 10s.
“Across the board [Everton need] probably a midfield player and another defender and if there were three high-quality players that would be enough for Everton to challenge higher up the table.”
Information from the Press Association was used in this report.
Peter O’Rourke is ESPN FC’s transfer news correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @SportsPeteO.
Be the first to comment