Everton urged to hijack Neal Maupay transfer to Nottingham Forest to solve goalscoring woes, with Frank Lampard told Brighton striker ‘would be a huge hit’ at Goodison Park

Everton have been urged to beat Nottingham Forest to the signing of Neal Maupay.

The Premier League rivals are battling it out to land the Brighton striker, who has been described as a 'great fit' for the injury-hit Toffees after their need for a No.9 was made clear in a defeat to Aston Villa.

5

Frank Lampard has suffered early blows to his Premier League campaign with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the first-team stars sidelined.

The England international was ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury he picked up in training just days before Everton’s season opener against Chelsea - which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Lampard’s men against his former club.

The boss has since been searching for attacking reinforcements, with Chelsea striker Armando Broja among the players linked with a move to Goodison Park.

Maupay is another reported target for the Toffees, although they now face competition from Nottingham Forest who appear to have taken the lead in the race for the Brighton star.

The report Forest have opened talks over a £15million move for the 25-year-old Frenchman, and the striker will miss the Seagulls’ Premier League clash against Newcastle while discussions take place.

But former Premier League star Trevor Sinclair has suggested Everton should pull their finger out and hijack the deal.

5

Most read in Football

EFL club redesign logo and pay tribute to their city's 'iconic roundabouts'

How to watch Inter vs Barcelona for FREE as giants eye place in Champions League final

Arsenal eye £85m West Ham star, Premier League clubs want Elliott, potential Werner return

Cristiano Ronaldo's son takes big step towards professional career in football

“I like him as a player, I think he’s certainly a Premier League striker,” said the talkSPORT pundit, speaking live from Villa Park as Everton took on Aston Villa on Saturday.

“He operates really well and he’s got a fantastic personality. He’s got character, a little bit of cheek about him.

“The team that I’m looking at now, they need a striker who has quality, and I don’t think he’d be out of place at Everton.

“You can see Everton’s forward players huffing and puffing, so if Maupay is available you couldn’t get that signature signed quick enough.

5

“They are bang in trouble in that No.9 spot at the moment, Everton. They’ve got three wingers playing, with one of them as the central striker, today and the levels are so high in the Premier League that you need that special centre-forward to play in that area.

“And if you’ve got Maupay possibly available, I think Frank Lampard would be wise to try and get him.

“We want to see Maupay play. He’s a personality, he scores goals, he’s an entertainer, he’s shown he’s good enough to play at this level. 

“When you talk about Scousers, they’ve got personality, they’ve got character, and I think he would react in a positive way to being around the people of Liverpool. 

“They’d love him! He’s got a bit about himself, he’s got an edge, and you’ve got to have that to play at either Goodison Park or Anfield, and I think he’d be an absolute hit if he went to Everton.”

5

Everton’s need for a number was made clear as Lampard’s men went on to lose 2-1 to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, making it back-to-back defeats to open their campaign.

The visitors push hard for a point in a frantic closing period, but paid the price for a lack of cutting edge up front - a problem Sinclair believes Maupay would solve.

"Any manager, if you give a group of players a job to do and they do it to the best of their ability, when they come in, whether they’ve won, lost or drawn, you can’t have a go at them," said the former England international after the full-time whistle.

"If they’ve given you everything, that’s the most they can give you, and I think this Everton side gave Lampard everything there.

"They’ve just not got the quality in certain positions which are vital to them winning football matches, and that is the No.9 position.

"Lampard needs to find a solution, and that player could be Neal Maupay."

5

If Everton do miss out and Forest win the battle for Maupay, though, it could be the 16th new arrival at the newly promoted club - taking their summer spending to £125m.

Read More on talkSPORT

Clean-shaven James Harden looks completely unrecognizable without his signature beard

Chris Eubank Jr under investigation after concerning videos before Conor Benn fight

Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis underwent his medical with the club on Friday with a £15m fee agreed for his signature, while former Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is set to arrive in a free transfer and Swiss international Remo Freuler has also joined for £8m in three deals wrapped up this week.

And it’s claimed Forest are not done there, with boss Steve Cooper reportedly planning to sign another winger and left-back before the transfer window closes on September 1.