Everton’s missed Ayase Ueda opportunity looks costly after striker’s flying Lille start

Everton's decision not to turn their summer interest in Ayase Ueda into a concrete offer is attracting attention after the Japanese striker made an excellent start at Lille.

Ueda was available for just £13million despite scoring 26 goals for Feyenoord last season and twice for Japan at the World Cup. Everton were linked with the 28-year-old but never submitted a firm proposal, allowing Lille to complete a late-window deal.

That decision stands out because Everton sold Beto to Fiorentina for around £14.5m and ultimately failed to sign a replacement after their Deadline Day pursuit of Folarin Balogun collapsed.

There were understandable questions over whether Ueda could translate his Eredivisie performances to the Premier League, but his subsequent form has only increased scrutiny on Everton's decision.

The striker scored in each of his final three Feyenoord appearances before leaving for France and has continued producing since joining Lille.

Ueda has scored three times in his first four appearances for the Ligue 1 club.

His momentum has also carried into international football. Coming off the bench for Japan against Uruguay on Thursday, Ueda found the net in a 3-1 victory in Rifu.

There is no guarantee he would have produced identical numbers at Everton, particularly given the differences between Ligue 1 and the Premier League. However, his £13m transfer fee looks increasingly notable considering the Toffees' need for another striker.

Former Feyenoord teammate Tsuyoshi Watanabe has since revealed that Ueda had actually hoped to secure a Premier League transfer.

“Ideally, a move to the Premier League should have been completed sooner,” Watanabe said.

However, the defender explained there were “no concrete offers” before Lille eventually completed the deal.

Everton's interest therefore appears never to have developed into the type of proposal required to bring Ueda to England.

With Beto gone and the Balogun deal also falling through, Ueda's impressive start in France inevitably leaves Everton wondering whether a relatively inexpensive solution was available to them all along.

Ueda will look to maintain his excellent start at Lille after also finding the net for Japan during the international break.

For Everton, their striker situation will remain under scrutiny after failing to replace Beto. If Ueda continues scoring regularly in France, their decision not to turn summer interest into a concrete bid will become increasingly difficult to ignore.