Lukaku Replacement: Everton Prepare £27.5m Bid For Stunning Striker
REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
It appears that Everton’s splurge over the transfer market this summer will continue. This is despite the club bringing in strikers Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez, as well as securing the services of Gylfi Sigurdsson for a club record fee of £40 million, which can go up by £5 million in terms of add-ons.
Portuguese outlet Record reports that Ronald Koeman has his sights set upon SL Benfica striker Raul Jimenez. The same source adds that a potential £27.5 million bid is being prepared by the club for the Mexican international.
However, it is believed that the Portuguese side is holding out for a larger sum, reportedly that of £46m, for the 26-year-old. Benfica have been notorious for overpricing their players even in the past, and making heaps of profits over the sale of such talent. The likes of Angel Di Maria, Nemanja Matic, David Luiz, and Renato Sanches are clear examples of the same.
Jimenez managed to find the net a total of 11 times last season, which is arguably very underwhelming for a player with this massive a price tag. Despite that, the striker features heavily on Everton’s transfer radar, after the Merseyside club missed out on Fiorentina’s Nikola Kalinic.
Reuters / Andrew Yates
Koeman has done some brilliant pieces of business this summer, particularly the sale of Romelu Lukaku for £75 million. This amount seems to have facilitated a majority of the club’s purchases so far this summer.
In an interview with Sky Sports, wherein the Dutchman was asked whether the club’s transfer activity was over, he eagerly replied: “I hope not.”
With the prodigal striker Wayne Rooney having found the net in both his league appearances so far, the most recent one in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City being his 200th Premier League strike, it will be interesting to see whether the team really requires any more attacking talent up front.
Written by Naveen Kelvin 
A writer trying to craft the poetry within football. Purpose in life is to Make Good Art.