Enjoying a good debut campaign at Goodison Park, Everton manager Roberto Martinez sought out the addition of another striker heading into the second half of the 2013/14 Premier League season as his side chased a top four finish.
And it was mission accomplished for the Spaniard after managing to land AS Monaco’s Lacina Traore on loan in a deal supporters were delighted with.
— MICHAEL (@mickybluey) January 24, 2014
@Everton YES NOW!!!!!! @omorganefc @JackDonoghue1 @MoshTMSJ @A_Travers211 GET IN LACINAAAAA
— Adam (@Adam__EFC) January 24, 2014
@wazza1305 @Everton now I'm smiling! That's made the derby very interesting now!
— Godders Godders (@paul17godfrey) January 24, 2014
https://twitter.com/chomhachag/status/426788111230574592
“@Everton: BREAKING: Everton have signed striker Lacina Traore on loan from AS Monaco until the end of the season #EFC” boss
— Mark (@Markusthekid) January 24, 2014
@Everton Great move, and the Toffees get sweeter #EFC #COYB
— J Oswald Chokhotho (@jochokhotho) January 24, 2014
@Everton @premierleague he’s a beast.
— Joeeeeeeeeeey (@Sayers3011) January 24, 2014
Standing at 6ft 8in, Traore arrived as a tall and powerful target man who was seen as an ideal alternative up front to Romelu Lukaku for Martinez, which did look to be the case after the Ivorian’s debut for the club.
Traore found the back of the net in his first Everton appearance in a 3-1 FA Cup win over Swansea City, instantly repaying the faith shown in him by his new manager.
Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, though, that was to be the highlight of his Everton career with a hamstring injury ruling him out of action all the way until the Toffees’ last Premier League game of the campaign.
Since then, Traore has gone on to have loan spells at CSKA Moscow, Sporting Gijon and Amiens where he has been unable to replicate the form and goal-scoring exploits he showed earlier in his career.
As for his time at Everton, simply put, it was a failure. Though given his potential at the time, things could have ended up so differently for the Ivory Coast international if he had not picked up that hamstring injury.
