Aiden McGeady sees Mauro Icardi gamble as one Everton may need to take

Aiden McGeady said on Boyle Sports that he believes Mauro Icardi would represent an unusual signing for Everton but admits the striker possesses exactly what David Moyes’ side currently need: goals.

Icardi is available as a free agent after his time with Galatasaray, making a potential move possible outside the transfer window. However, McGeady has questioned the 33-year-old’s recent playing record, fitness and potential wage demands.

Everton’s limited options at centre-forward make the situation more intriguing, with Thierno Barry currently their only senior recognised striker.

Speaking about the possibility of Icardi arriving at Everton, McGeady compared the potential deal to the Toffees’ surprise signing of Samuel Eto’o in 2014.

“Everton always seem to make those kinds of random signings,” McGeady said. “Samuel Eto’o was one as well.”

The former Everton winger believes taking a calculated gamble could make sense provided the finances are manageable.

Icardi has spent recent years with Galatasaray but has not played consistently enough to remove concerns over whether he could immediately handle Premier League football.

Yet his goalscoring pedigree remains the obvious attraction.

“He knows where the goal is, he knows how to score, and that’s something Everton need,” McGeady added.

The key questions concern what version of Icardi Everton would actually be signing.

McGeady questioned his fitness, salary expectations and whether the Argentine remains capable of reproducing the performances that previously established him as a prolific striker.

There would also be an element of Moyes backing himself to revive an experienced player whose career has lost momentum.

McGeady ultimately admitted he would be surprised if the transfer actually happened, but Everton’s lack of depth in attack explains why the possibility has some appeal.

Much like Eto’o more than a decade ago, Icardi would arrive with considerable pedigree but also enough uncertainty to make any agreement a calculated risk.

Everton would need to determine whether Icardi is physically ready to contribute immediately and whether his wage demands fit their financial structure.

With attacking depth limited, an experienced free agent could provide Moyes with another option, but McGeady believes the potential rewards would have to justify a significant gamble.