Everton have taken the first step in their quest to sign a new goalscorer in January as reports from Italy share news of talks this week.
Everton transfer targets
The Blues have found some impressive form in the Premier League of late, but that’s not to say that the idea of making new signings in the January transfer window should be ignored. Sean Dyche would surely love to bring in a number of new faces to bolster his options, and Everton have certainly been linked with plenty of signings in recent weeks.
The Merseysiders have been backed to make a move for Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker, for example, while Juventus defender Federico Gatti is seen as a strong option to replace Jarrad Branthwaite, should the latter leave the club soon, albeit that is an outcome fans would prefer to avoid of course.
Everton begin agent talks for Boulaye Dia
According to a fresh update from Il Mattino [via Sport Witness], Everton are interested in signing Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia, with the Blues one of several teams in the hunt to snap him up, having been keen on him in the summer, too.
Salernitana want to raise funds and see the 27-year-old as someone who can generate them, meaning they could be willing to offload him in the January window. The Blues are believed to have taken the first move by entering talks with his agent, and the player is valued at €22m (£18.9m) currently. In fact, a separate report claims there is a €21m (£18m) clause in his contract that would allow him to join a Premier League side, while Salernitana president Danilo Iervolino recently talked up the idea of certain players leaving:
“It doesn’t seem to me that those we bought have played badly, it’s those who stayed who have disappointed so much. The problems lurk in a torn environment. Unfortunately, we can’t create the right harmony and there are factions. Many players want to leave, they don’t like Salernitana.
“They are here but would like to be elsewhere. If they have no joy, they know that this risks being the grave of many players. I will have a hard time with many of them. In January, I’ll send away those who don’t want to stay. From now on, we’ll only take people who want to stay at Salerno.”
Everton still look a little light in attacking areas, in terms of having numerous consistent providers of end product in the final third, so a January move for Dia could be an inspired piece of business. At 27, the Senegalese is now an experienced player who has proven himself in Serie A, with 20 goals in just 44 appearances in the competition, so he could hit the ground running at Goodison next month.
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This is some positive news.
The rumoured release clause is also far from expensive, so Everton wouldn’t be spending out of their means to sign Dia, and it is a move that makes perfect sense, rather than feeling like a gamble. The fact that Liverpool legend Sadio Mane has also endorsed him recently also speaks volumes, saying he has been “really impressed by his qualities”.
