Everton have held talks with the inner circle of Strasbourg’s talented 20-year-old midfielder Habib Diarra, sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside.
The highly-rated Senegal international has shone during his time in Ligue 1 and is now open to a transfer to the Premier League this summer, though he will not push to leave as he respects the decisions of his current employers. That is why Everton must first agree a deal with Strasbourg, CaughtOffside understands.
Sources have said that Strasbourg have set a price tag of around €30-35m for Diarra but they are not keen on selling in this summer’s transfer window, so it remains to be seen how far these talks will go.
Everton will likely have to be a bit cautious with their spending this summer after Financial Fair Play issues that saw them docked points last season, though the sale of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa should give them a bit more breathing space.
Everton also have some interest in signing a new striker this summer, with nothing advanced at the moment but sources indicating that there is an interest in Roma’s Tammy Abraham and Juventus’ Arkadiusz Milik.
Roma have set a price tag of about €27-30m for Abraham, who is open to a return to the Premier League after a mixed spell in Italy.
The former Chelsea striker is also understood to remain an option for Tottenham, West Ham and Aston Villa, all of whom are also exploring the market for solutions up front ahead of the new season.
One imagines Abraham would prefer one of those clubs as it could give him the chance to compete for a European place, whereas Everton may well be facing another difficult campaign in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
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