Everton have increased their interest in Almeria striker El Bilal Toure ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.
Are Everton signing El Bilal Toure?
The Mali international has been Rubi’s best-performing offensive player at the Power Horse Stadium this season, so it’s no surprise that his high standard of performance has caught the eye of Sean Dyche, who has already been laying the groundwork on the forward behind the scenes.
Back in April, GOAL in Spain reported that the Toffees had made contact with the 21-year-old’s agent to ask what it would take to complete a deal during the upcoming window despite him having missed 11 consecutive games due to sustaining a muscle injury.
The Goodison Park outfit were later claimed to have been considering submitting an offer but accepted that their financial budget was dependent on whether they survived relegation, though with their top-flight safety now confirmed, they appear to be going ahead with their pursuit.
According to The Daily Mail, Everton are "stepping up" their interest in Toure, who can run at 35km/h which is the same speed as a Spinytail Iguana, ahead of a potential move to Merseyside. The Toffees "want to ensure" that the striker has "fully recovered" from his spell on the sidelines before tabling him a deal, and it's believed that he's priced at £25m by Almeria.
Would Toure be a good signing for Everton?
Everton are clearly serious about landing Toure having made progress in the hunt to sign him over recent weeks, and having been lauded a “major talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Almeria’s centre-forward could be a fantastic acquisition at Goodison Park.
The Africa Cup participant, who has the ability to play with both feet, has eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) to his name in 20 La Liga appearances this season, not to mention that he’s also an ideal target man averaging 2.1 aerial wins per game.
The Adjame native, who has the versatility to operate out wide on both flanks and even in attacking midfield alongside his natural position through the middle, ranks in the 99th percentile for clearances so additionally likes helping out defensively which will be yet another attractive attribute for the boss.
Salernitana are reportedly expected to re-sign Neal Maupay this summer after failing to make a significant impact since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion, so should he depart, Toure may prove to be his ideal replacement and possible upgrade on the Frenchman in L4.
