Everton are still weighing up their options in the free-agent market after failing to bring in a new striker on transfer deadline day.
The Toffees attempted to sign USA international Folarin Balogun from Monaco, but the proposed move ultimately fell through. A late effort to secure Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee on loan was also rejected.
However, talkSPORT understands Everton have since been offered the opportunity to sign former Manchester United striker Anthony Martial on a free transfer following his departure from Mexican club Monterrey earlier this year.
Everton’s need for attacking reinforcements has become increasingly clear following Beto’s sale to Fiorentina. Thierno Barry is currently the club’s only senior recognised centre-forward.
That number could soon increase, though, with The Sun reporting that Jamie Vardy is firmly on Everton’s list of potential targets.
Vardy is available as a free agent after leaving Cremonese when his contract expired this summer.
The former England international scored seven goals during his only campaign with the Serie A club, although he was unable to prevent them from suffering relegation.
Vardy joined Cremonese after bringing an incredible 13-year spell with Leicester City to an end in the summer of 2025.
The 39-year-old scored 200 goals for the Foxes and played a central role in one of football’s greatest underdog stories, firing Leicester to the Premier League title in 2015/16.
He also helped the club win the FA Cup in 2020/21 and secure promotion to the Premier League on two occasions.
Vardy won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019/20 and, despite turning 40 in January, appears to have no immediate intention of hanging up his boots.
Cremonese represented the fifth club of a remarkable career that began at eighth-tier side Stocksbridge Park Steels in 2006.
A famous late bloomer, Vardy did not make his top-flight debut until the age of 27. Before reaching Leicester, he worked his way through non-League football with FC Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town.
Leicester paid a then-record £1million fee for a player from English football’s fifth tier when they signed him in 2012.
That record remained intact until last week, when Swedish side Djurgardens paid an initial £1.5m to sign winger Abdul Abdulmalik from National League club Boreham Wood.
An all-time Premier League great
Vardy’s place among the Premier League’s finest goalscorers is already secure.
He scored 145 Premier League goals for Leicester, leaving him 14th on the competition’s all-time scoring list.
The striker reached 20 or more league goals in three different seasons, with his best campaign coming in 2015/16 when he scored 24 times to help Leicester claim the title.
Vardy was capped 26 times by England and scored seven international goals, including one in the victory over Wales at Euro 2016.