Everton are now ready to submit a bid for one of Sean Dyche’s targets after working on the deal for months behind the scenes.
The Toffees are looking to replace Amadou Onana after the Belgian’s £50m move to Aston Villa, and Kevin Thelwell – Director of Football at Goodison Park – seems to have identified an exciting option.
So, who are Everton now set to bid for? Let’s take a look…
Everton set to submit Habib Diarra bid
A story from L’Equipe now states that Everton are going to bid for Strasbourg No.19 Habib Diarra.
The French news outlet explain that the Toffees have been working on a deal to sign the 20-year-old for several months, and are now in a position to firm up that groundwork with a bid.
L’Equipe add that Everton are now working behind the scenes to get an agreement finalised – presumably, the hold up was in regards to whether or not Onana’s move
It is also said that Strasbourg have no intention of selling Diarra this summer, and the Senegal international has a contract until July 2028, so an agreement will not be simple for Everton to strike.
The man from Guediawaye made 35 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring four goals while also providing two assists from central midfield.
Diarra also made appearances on the left and right wing.
Toffees could sign a wonderkid
Diarra is a precocious talent, one many in France are talking about.
A separate story from L’Equipe even involved a feature on the Senegalese prospect, in which he was described as a ‘jack of all trades’ – someone who excels at many aspects of the game.
It was also mentioned that Strasbourg rejected €25m (£21m) offers from RC Lens and Wolves for Diarra, which speaks volumes given the size of that fee for a relatively inexperienced 20-yea
Whatever happens in Everton’s pursuit of the Strasbourg wonderkid, it is refreshing to see the Toffees focused on signing a young talent to replace Onana who could also develop into a £50m star, rather than a player already beyond his best years.
