Everton are distancing themselves from claims that they're looking to sign Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee this month, according to The Liverpool Echo.

There has been plenty of buzz about the transfer link in recent days, with Sky Germany first reporting on a loan bid with an option or obligation to buy and journalist Fabrizio Romano then giving his take on the late window saga.

Zirkzee looks like a real prospect - as well as standing at a towering 6 foot 4, the 19-year-old scored four Bundesliga goals last season. That mix of natural physicality and goalscoring instinct obviously adds up to some intriguing potential. 

The Liverpool Echo have revealed that Everton have watched Zirkzee since Marcel Brands took over as Director of Football in 2018. They even claim he has admirers at Goodison Park and that he took a trial with the Toffees back in 2017, prior to joining Bayern Munich. 

However, while Everton have been offered the chance to sign Zirkzee this month, the club are continuing to distance themselves from such a scenario. 

GIVEMESPORT's Christy Malyan says...

Zirkzee certainly has the hallmarks of a Premier League star in the making. But at the same time, you also can't really blame Everton for not moving for a youngster with only 17 first-team appearances under his belt.

Everton made a similar mistake with Moise Kean back in 2019. They signed him off the back of just 41 first-team outings and the Italy international really struggled at Goodison, managing only four goals before being loaned out to PSG. 

In fairness, Kean has shown his quality this season with eleven goals for the French champions - but it's a reminder that for young players, adapting to new clubs in different countries is a big challenge. With Zirkzee arriving from a top European side midway through the campaign, he'd end up facing similar obstacles. 

And speaking of Kean, there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to Everton's strike options right now, so another explanation for the Toffees' lack of interest could be simply that there's too much to be done before the end of the transfer window to stop the squad becoming inflated.

Cenk Tosun is still at the club while Kean is currently due to return to Goodison for next season. So if Everton were to sign Zirkzee as well, at the start of the summer window they could have four first-team strikers in the squad plus winger-forward Richarlison, despite Carlo Ancelotti usually only playing one up front. 

That one is Dominic Calvert-Lewin who, at least based on this season's return of 11 Premier League goals, won't be losing his place in the team any time soon.