Everton Lead Race for 26-Year-Old Forward Kelvin Yeboah

Everton Lead the Chase for 18-Goal MLS Striker Kelvin Yeboah

Everton are leading the race to sign Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah, with the 26-year-old attracting Premier League and European interest ahead of January. talkSPORT reports the striker is on the radar of English clubs after an 18-goal MLS season, though no formal approach has yet been confirmed.

Player: Kelvin Yeboah, 26-year-old forward
Current club: Minnesota United
Target clubs: Everton, plus other Premier League and European sides
MLS goals this season: 18, fourth in the scoring charts
Contract: Signed in 2024, due to expire December 2027
Timing: January window

Deal details

No fee has been reported for Kelvin Yeboah. According to talkSPORT, he is likely to be on the radar of Premier League clubs and European teams when the January window opens. At this stage there is no clear list of suitors and no indication a deal is advanced.

Yeboah is approaching the final year of his Minnesota contract, signed in 2024 and due to expire in December 2027. That does not put the American side under immediate pressure, but it creates a window for interested clubs to test the landscape.

Everton are mentioned because of their need at centre-forward. Thierno Barry is described as their only natural option after the club missed out on Folarin Balogun on deadline day. Whether Everton move for Yeboah remains unclear, but the logic of exploring a market opportunity is easy to understand.

The numbers

18 — Kelvin Yeboah's goals this MLS season
Fourth — his position in the MLS scoring charts
25 — Lionel Messi's tally, leading the division for Inter Miami
17 in 34 — Yeboah's league goals and appearances at Sturm Graz
24 in 47 — Tony Yeboah's Premier League goals and games for Leeds

Only Lionel Messi (25), Petar Musa and Milan Iloski are ahead of Yeboah in the MLS scoring charts. His profile has risen quickly given the company around him.

The career path behind the interest

Yeboah came through at West Ham as a youth player and left AC London in 2018 before a six-year period in Europe. Spells at WSG Tirol and Sturm Graz built his reputation, with his output at Sturm Graz particularly notable.

Genoa moved for him in 2024, though much of his time there was spent out on loan, including stints with Augsburg and Montpellier, before his move to Minnesota. That route through England, Austria, Italy, Germany and France gives recruitment departments a broad body of work to assess rather than a single purple patch.

What was said

"Growing up, I remember my Dad putting on videos of my uncle playing football, and singing songs about him!"
— Kelvin Yeboah, speaking in 2022 about his family inspiration

"Me and my brothers would watch these goals all the time. I especially remember seeing the goal against Liverpool."
— Kelvin Yeboah, on his uncle's iconic strike

"It was a beautiful image to have in the back of your mind all the time, of my uncle scoring goals in the Premier League."
— Kelvin Yeboah, on following a similar path

"It was a great source of inspiration. To have someone close to you that's already done it, it just makes you believe that maybe you can make it as a professional too."
— Kelvin Yeboah, on the influence of Tony Yeboah

The quotes reveal a personal motivation that goes beyond money. Yeboah grew up watching tapes of his uncle Tony, the former Leeds forward, and clearly views a Premier League move as unfinished family business.

That matters for recruitment departments. A player with a point to prove and a family history in English football can be a useful signing in a squad that needs energy and competition up front.

The Tony Yeboah connection

Kelvin is the nephew of Elland Road hero Tony Yeboah, whose impact in the Premier League remains vividly remembered. Tony scored 24 goals in 47 Premier League games for Leeds between 1995 and 1997, including the famous strike against Liverpool that remains one of the division's iconic goals.

That family link does not determine a transfer, but it adds narrative if English interest intensifies. It also gives Premier League supporters a reference point for the kind of forward Kelvin is trying to become.

Why Everton should move early on Yeboah

Kelvin Yeboah is not a finished article, but he is producing now, he has played in different countries and he has had to fight for each step in his career. That matters for a club like Everton, who cannot always wait for proven strikers in an expensive market.

Thierno Barry is described as Everton's only natural centre-forward option after the deadline-day miss on Folarin Balogun. That leaves the squad short of competition and variety up front. Yeboah offers senior experience, current momentum and a contract situation that could encourage dialogue.

The bigger attraction is timing. With 18 goals and growing attention, the smart clubs move before the market inflates further. Everton need energy up front, competition for places and someone who gives defenders a different problem. This is the type of profile clubs monitor closely before deciding whether to act.

Talking points

Should Everton gamble on an MLS striker with 18 goals, or hold out for a more proven European name in January?
Does the Tony Yeboah family link matter in a transfer decision, or is it just a story for the fans?
With only Thierno Barry as a natural option, how urgently do Everton need attacking reinforcement before the window shuts?
Would other Premier League clubs moving for Yeboah make this a missed opportunity if Everton hesitate?

What happens next

No deal is advanced, but January is drawing closer and Yeboah's name is entering the right conversations. Everton must decide whether to open dialogue with Minnesota before rival Premier League and European clubs test the market. The next few weeks will show whether their interest is serious or merely monitoring.

Frequently asked questions

Is Everton signing Kelvin Yeboah?

No deal is advanced. talkSPORT reports that Everton are one club mentioned because of their need at centre-forward, but whether they move for Yeboah remains unclear.

How many goals has Kelvin Yeboah scored this season?

Yeboah has registered 18 goals in the MLS campaign, placing him fourth in the division's scoring charts behind Lionel Messi, Petar Musa and Milan Iloski.