Greece World Cup hero is back on Everton’s radar after goal

Everton’s stalled attempts to bring Romelu Lukaku to Goodison Park next term could prompt Roberto Martinez to look to out-of-contract striker Georgios Samaras as a low cost alternative after his exploits for Greece at the World Cup.

The former Celtic hitman is searching for a club after opting against a new contract with the Scottish giants and could be tempted by the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League once again.

Samaras endured a miserable spell with Manchester City earlier in his career, having moved to the Etihad from Heervenveen for £6 million in January of 2006.

A tally of just eight goals in 54 appearances saw him depart for Celtic, where the Heraklion-born forward was able to resurrect his career with 74 goals in 248 games for the Bhoys.

He proved to be a particularly valuable asset in Europe, becoming the first player in the history of the Parkhead club to score in five consecutive away games in continental competition.

Earlier this month Napoli manager Rafa Benitez was rumoured to have rejected the chance to bring the 29-year-old to the Serie A club and the former Liverpool manager could now be left ruing that decision should Samaras sign for Everton.

The turnaround follows the striker’s star showing for Greece against Ivory Coast in which he not only set up the Ethniki’s opening goal but also won and subsequently scored the injury time penalty that sent them through to the second round to play Costa Rica.

Now available at 11/10 to qualify for the quarter finals, the striker could stake a claim for a move to Merseyside with another star turn.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has established himself as a manager with an eye for a bargain and with the Toffees competing in the Europa League and keen to claim a top four finish, Samaras could be the ideal player to draft in as back-up and competition for the key striker roles.

Having resurrected the career of Gareth Barry and got the best out of Lukaku, Samaras could be the next player to reap the benefits of the Spaniard’s football wisdom.

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