BBC Sport pundit Noel Whelan has urged Carlo Ancelotti to make a January transfer move and bring Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to Everton.

The Serbian has netted 18 Championship goals already this season and his rapidly building a reputation as the best striker currently opearating outside the Premier League in England.

And Whelan, a former striker himself, believes he is good enough to slot into the Toffee's front-line.

“One thing that they have to do at Everton is get a goalscorer, get someone that’s going to get you 20 goals a season," he said in an interview with Football Insider.

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“Mitrovic would be great, he would have been perfect but it looks like he wants to stay at Fulham.

“They need to look for somebody. You’ve got to have someone who’s hitting 20 a season and being more prolific if they’re going to make that next step."

During Fulham's one season back in the Premier League Mitrovic managed to net 11 times, despite the Whites slumping to a woeful relegation.

If Everton are to make a move for the marksman they can expect to pay a huge fee for him, with Fulham agreeing a new five-year deal with him during the summer transfer window.

The verdict

It is very easy to see where Whelan is coming from here, and I agree, Mitrovic would be the perfect fit at Everton.

He is strong, good in the air, mobile and deadly, which is something Everton have lacked since Lukaku left for Manchester United.

He would also bring a mean side to the club, which is ultimately essential when aiming to break into that next bracket of elite English clubs.

I am certain he would be a firm fan favourite. But it will come down to whether or not the club will be willing to pay the huge fee for a Championship striker.