Everton want to “get into the fight” for Johan Bakayoko as the race for the PSV Eindhoven winger gets “tighter”, according to Sacha Tavolieri.
The former RMC Sport journalist reported via Twitter on Sunday evening (27 August) that the Toffees still want to join the race despite a €25million [£21.4m] on the cards from Paris Saint-Germain imminently.
According to Tavolieri, Napoli have withdrawn from the running and have offered Hirving Lozano a new contract instead, but Premier League rivals Crystal Palace remain interested in 20-year-old, who’s asking price is €30m before bonuses [£25.7m].
The Belgian international’s exit is particularly “tight” given the impending transfer deadline on 1 September, when PSV reportedly want to keep him for their Champions League play-off second leg against Rangers on the night before on 30 August – the two sides drew 2-2 at Ibrox last week.
Surely not
This seems like an entirely unrealistic pursuit for Everton to push for in the final days of the window, so even if there is interest in the youngster it is surely an extremely long shot for him to end up at Goodison Park in the next week.
Granted, the Toffees were prepared to put a similar fee into a deal for Willy Gnonto from Leeds United but since that pursuit proved fruitless they have finally turned their attentions to getting Udinese striker Beto in for a similar amount.
His fee is expected to total around £25m but the club appears to have worked out a suitable payment structure to allow them to spend that much money despite the widely reported financial pressures.
With the Portuguese in England for his Toffees medical already it seems highly unlikely that Everton would be capable of stumping up a similar fee again on top, even if they weren’t battling with other interested parties, especially when they have already signed two wingers on loan in Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma.
In a head-to-head transfer race with PSG it would only be the most optimistic of Evertonians who would expect to come out on top at the moment, while Crystal Palace would be a tricky enough proposition on their own.
And if PSV want Bakayoko in their squad to face Rangers the night before the transfer deadline then there have to be major doubts that he ends up going anywhere, especially if the Eredivisie side qualify.
In other Everton news, a Toffees transfer is “suddenly” in “jeopardy” despite the player being ready to travel and having his visa already sorted.
