Everton eager to welcome benched midfielder as Dyche decides to do business with ex-Toffees director (original) (raw)

Everton are expected to be willing to meet the asking price for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, according to a reporter.

Sangare should be worth €40million (just over £35m) in the upcoming transfer window. Despite their Premier League status still being up for question, the fee appeals to Everton.

That’s according to ESPN Voetbalpraat broadcaster Kenneth Perez, who has aired the view that Everton would find a €40m deal for Sangare to be good business.

Negotiations might have to go through their former director of football Marcel Brands, who is now the CEO of PSV.

But Everton seem willing to sit down to discuss a deal for Sangare, who recently was dropped to the bench for PSV’s win over Excelsior.

Playing in the Premier League would be a new experience for the Ivory Coast international. Before he joined PSV, he played in France for Toulouse.

Everton’s pursuit of Sangare will likely depend on whether they can avoid relegation or not. It would not make sense to invest €40m in a player after dropping down to the Championship.

With eight games to go, Everton are out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Therefore, Sean Dyche’s side will be working towards finishing 17th or above before drawing up more concrete transfer plans for the summer.

Everton looking at midfield reinforcement

When the time comes, their midfield may well be an area they want to address. They might be bracing themselves for interest in Amadou Onana, while Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies are approaching the ends of their contracts.

Everton tried to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea during the January transfer window. Ultimately, though, no new players arrived to strengthen the squad Dyche had just inherited from Frank Lampard.

In a few months’ time, they will have a new opportunity to add to their ranks. If Sangare continues to be benched by PSV coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, he may become a gettable target.

That said, the Dutch outfit still have him under contract until 2027. Therefore, they will be holding out for their valuation of the midfielder.

Investing €40m in Sangare would make him Everton’s second most expensive signing of all time. With that in mind, they will need to be convinced about how he could strengthen them.

Sangare has made 126 appearances across his PSV career, scoring 12 goals. More than half of those goals have come this season for the defensive midfielder, who has scored seven times in 38 appearances.