McGeady: Everton Need Another Striker, and Fofana Is a Great Coup For Sunderland

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Everton and Sunderland star Aiden McGeady has assessed a disappointing summer at Goodison, and a statement finish to the window at the Stadium of Light .

McGeady believes David Moyes ' hands were tied at Everton and that the team still badly need a striker, while praising Jack Grealish 's influence and weighing up a possible move for Mauro Icardi .

The former winger has also called the deadline-day capture of Malick Fofana a great coup for Sunderland , backed the Premier League as the priority over the Europa League , and assessed the future of manager Regis Le Bris .

Everton

Will Scoring Goals Be the Concern Again For Everton?

That's been the thing with Everton for the last few years, wondering where the goals are coming from. It looks like things have been difficult because the ownership are quite clearly not communicating with the manager, the things that I've read.

Obviously, David Moyes ' hands are tied behind his back a little bit when he's not getting the players in that he wants, and you can quite clearly see Everton need another striker. I know Thierno Barry obviously has done well in the last season, and he started okay as well, but the onus is on him to propel the team to European football.

It's going to be difficult. The squad is pretty light. I think everybody would agree with that. I think that goes without saying. Keeping clean sheets is David Moyes ' mantra. It's been his whole career, hasn't it? Most of his teams have always been difficult to beat. But yeah, that's the problem. Where are the majority of goals going to come from?

Can Jack Grealish Help Propel Everton to Europe?

I think Jack Grealish did well last season at Everton . By all accounts, the fans took to him. I don't think his output was amazing in terms of goals and assists, but he's a top player, and to have that kind of player in the Everton team can only benefit them. They're a little bit light on creativity, and Jack Grealish is one that fits the bill.

So he's really important for the team because I think a lot of the fans were really unhappy with how the transfer window ended. So to get him in is great, though Moyes would have liked a striker in as well, like Folarin Balogun , which never happened. But hopefully come January they'll get some reinforcements in.

Is a Move For Mauro Icardi the Answer?

Mauro Icardi has obviously been a top player, but I was looking at his record, and he's only played around 70 games for Galatasaray in three or four years. So he's coming off the back of being a free agent without having played a lot of football recently.

But listen, he knows where the goal is, he knows how to score, and that's something Everton need. It's a difficult one, isn't it? If they take a chance on him, what are his wages going to be? How fit is he? Is he still the same player he was two or three years ago?

Everton always seem to make those kinds of random signings. Samuel Eto'o was one as well, wasn't he? He came from Chelsea when he was slightly older, but he was probably worth taking a chance on if the wage structure was right.

Every manager always thinks they can get a player firing again, don't they? So maybe there's that aspect to it as well. But yeah, I'd be surprised if it actually happens.

Sunderland

Is Signing Malick Fofana a Massive Statement?

Sunderland surprised us all last season by signing over £100 million worth of players. We've seen that happen before with Fulham and then go straight back down, but Sunderland managed to qualify for Europe.

So it worked last season. Obviously, this season the transfer window was quiet up until the last few days. It's a big statement for Sunderland to get Malick Fofana on the final day of the window, wasn't it? He had two medicals done with private jets going from club to club. From the bits I've seen of him, I think he looks like a really good player.

The onus is on Sunderland to try and progress. I don't think they'll repeat what they did last season, but just to stay in the league again is the biggest thing. You don't want to be one of those clubs that's always yo-yoing between the Championship and the Premier League.

Obviously, the difference this season is that you've got European football to contend with as well. But no, Fofana is a great coup for Sunderland to get that player over the line. I'm looking forward to seeing him play because, from the bits I've seen, I like the way he plays.

Should Sunderland Prioritise the Premier League Over the Europa League?

100%. The most important thing is the Premier League for Sunderland . We've seen certain clubs win the Europa League and the Conference League in recent seasons, like Crystal Palace or West Ham , and there's a real chance there. Imagine winning a European trophy as a Sunderland player when the club hasn't had European football since the 1970s.

So there's definitely that element to it. However, the Premier League remains the priority. You don't want one competition conflicting with the other, and staying strong in the Premier League is key.

The Europa League is almost like a bonus. You don't want to field a weak team, but at the same time, you shouldn't be playing your absolute strongest starting XI every single Thursday and then again on Sunday in the Premier League.

So I totally agree that the Premier League comes first, but Europe is a great bonus to have. Fortunately, I think Sunderland 's squad is big enough to compete on both fronts.

Will Sunderland Need to Replace Regis Le Bris?

Regis Le Bris ' stock is high and obviously was really high at the end of last season. He obviously took some momentum from the Championship to the Premier League and had a fantastic campaign last season. I'd be surprised if there hadn't been other teams inquiring already, but him being French and the owner being French , I think that definitely helps that relationship. I know the owner had a stake in Marseille in the past; maybe that could be his destination.

But by all accounts, I think Le Bris is very happy at Sunderland , very happy with what he's building there, and he's getting a lot of backing from the owner. But again, I agree that there will be other clubs looking at him if he continues to build something and perform the way he's been performing.

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