Everton have initiated talks with Burnley over a potential transfer for Dutch forward Zian Flemming, according to journalist James Hockery. The discussions are described as early-stage, though Flemming himself is said to be open to making the move to Merseyside. Burnley, however, aren’t rolling over.

The Championship club are holding out for a substantial fee before they consider selling a player who has become absolutely central to Nicky Hayen’s promotion ambitions. Everton’s interest is serious enough that manager David Moyes was personally spotted scouting Flemming at Turf Moor, which tells you everything about where this sits on the priority list at Goodison Park.

T4O take: Why Everton desperately need this signing

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: Zian Flemming of Burnley arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor on April 22, 2026 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Flemming’s numbers from 2025/26 are almost impossible to ignore. Burnley were relegated, their season a slow-motion disaster, yet the 28-year-old still managed 11 Premier League goals across 29 appearances, a goals-per-90 rate of 0.56. Everton’s own forwards, Beto and Thierno Barry, posted nine and eight goals respectively, neither matching that efficiency. That gap isn’t marginal. It’s a problem Moyes has been staring at all summer.

There’s a tactical argument too, and it’s compelling. Flemming isn’t just a goalscorer; he’s physically built to thrive in exactly the kind of system Moyes prefers. Being over six feet tall, he ranks in the 79th percentile for aerial duels won and a staggering 97th percentile for defensive contributions among forwards.

That’s a striker who wins headers, holds up play, presses from the front and drops into midfield pockets when the situation demands it. The word “versatile” gets thrown around too loosely in football, but with Flemming, it’s genuinely earned.

Critics will point to his age, 28, never capped by the Netherlands at any level, and suggest his ceiling is already visible. Fair enough. Everton aren’t shopping for a long-term project, though. They need someone who already knows what it takes to score in the top flight, ideally last season, ideally in a side worse than theirs.

Flemming ticks both boxes. Burnley’s insistence on a premium fee is the one real obstacle. Everton have to decide whether solving a goalscoring problem is worth paying the top price for a player already operating in the Championship.