Everton Eye £44m Brazilian Forward: Is He Worth The Gamble?

Everton Eye £44m Brazilian Forward: Is He Worth The Gamble? Everton have settled into a stable rhythm under The Friedkin Group, whose ownership has brought stability off the pitch and carried the club into the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. On it, David Moyes has his side seventh in the Premier League as of November 6, helped by a 1–0 away win at Newcastle United and a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. Much of that progress rests heavily on one man. Thierno Barry, the 23-year-old French striker signed before the summer 2026 window, has started all nine league games and is the team’s top scorer with four Premier League goals and eight in all competitions. He holds a secure contract and works as a classic target man, pinning centre-backs and giving Moyes an indispensable focal point up front. Behind Barry, the central cover is thin. Academy product Braiden Graham is the only other central option of note, and the club signed no major centre-forward over the summer, focusing on permanent midfield and wing additions while losing Iliman Ndiaye. Barry therefore has no senior, high-quality alternative to rotate with or to stretch defences when Moyes’ rigid system needs a different kind of threat, so the club needs reinforcement before the 2027 windows. Sport Witness links the Toffees with a 2027 move for Palmeiras striker Vitor Roque, reporting high interest despite competition from Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United . Palmeiras value the 21-year-old Brazilian at €50 million (£44million). Roque is no conventional number nine. He thrives on explosive acceleration, pressing defenders and chasing direct balls into space from wide left channels. After scoring 20 goals in 2025, left ankle surgery cost him three months this year, and he has nine goals and one assist in 39 appearances (1,984 minutes) in 2026. His work rate suits Moyes’ defensive system, but Moyes wants a physically sturdy focal point, and any deal depends on Roque regaining his explosiveness. Should Everton spend £44 million on Vitor Roque? SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 05: Vitor Roque of Palmeiras celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the 2026 Brasileirao 34th-round match between Palmeiras and Remo at Nubank Parque on November 05, 2026 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images) No. The club should decline a move at that price and pursue a traditional, physical target man. The Friedkin Group has provided financial stability, but committing a fee among the club’s largest to a player who has spent much of 2026 regaining his pace carries an unacceptable level of risk. Moyes’ side sits seventh and relies on Barry’s physical presence to hold the ball up. Roque, an arrow who needs freedom to drift wide, clashes with Moyes’ positional discipline and dislike of forwards abandoning the central box. Spending £44million on that luxury alternative would misallocate capital, because he cannot easily deputise as a lone central reference if Barry suffers an injury. The recruitment team should seek a conventional, durable striker who can rotate with Barry immediately, protect the thin frontline and match the physical profiles Moyes has historically favoured.