Player profile – Cenk Tosun

Since Sam Allardyce took over the Goodison hot seat Everton’s defensive troubles have seemingly vanished.

Now the problem appears to goals, or lack of them, and the longstanding issue of a powder puff attack.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been the Toffees’ mainstay striker this season but at 20 the England youth international cannot do it all by himself.

Sandro Ramirez has flopped since his £5 million move from Malaga in the summer, Oumar Niasse doesn’t seem to tickle Big Sam’s fancy and Wayne Rooney has proved his worth in the midfield.

So, if there is one position that needs special attention it would have to be in the striking department, and it looks like Steve Walsh has identified just the man…

Step forward Cenk Tosun.

Tosun is 26 and is six foot tall. He was born in Germany but has since gone on to collect 25 caps for Turkey, scoring eight goals. He started his career at Eintracht Frankfurt but only made one appearance for the Bundesliga side before heading off to Gaziantepspor in the Turkish Super Lig…

In the four seasons Tosun spent at the Falcons he notched 44 goals and made 23 assists in 122 appearances, form that earned the attacker a move to Turkish giants Besiktas for 500,000 euros.

After a slow start to life in Istanbul, it was only when Demba Ba and Mario Gomez departed that Tosun grabbed his opportunity – he managed 24 strikes in 47 games for the Black Eagles in 2016/17.

This term he has found the net 14 times in 24 appearances.

His four goals and two assists in six Champions League group fixtures has seen his side progress to the last 16 as group winners over RB Leipzig, FC Porto and AS Monaco – they will be playing German goliaths Bayern Munich, without Tosun’s help, of course.

All in all for Besiktas, Tosun scored 63 goals and set up 13 for his team mates in his 141 appearances.

Tosun is not the paciest of attackers but his movement to create space for himself is considered second to none.

He has described his ability with both feet to be equal and he possesses a fine first touch, but best of all, he is a clinical finisher.

He is a scorer of all types of goals

If Tosun can replicate his Super Lig form in the Premier League then Everton look to have got a real snip – and a massive boost in their push up the table after a disastrous start to the campaign.

Up the Toffees.