Everton are hoping to finally bring Cenk Tosun to the Premier League from Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas.
Everton would have been hoping that they could announce the signing of their new centre forward within the first few days of the January transfer window.
As it stands, however, Cenk Tosun still has not completed his move from Besiktas to Goodison Park, despite the Guardian reporting in late December that a £25 million deal had been agreed for the two-time Super Lig champion.
It is understood, however, that Besiktas pulled the rug from under the deal at the eleventh hour and suddenly demanded that Everton raise their fee beyond £27 million, as reported by the Daily Mail. But if Everton can manage to finally bring Tosun to Merseyside for less than £30 million, they will still have pulled off an impressive piece of business.
Because Besiktas’ present has said that the Istanbul giants have already rejected a mammoth offer from the Chinese Super League, which perhaps explains why they are keen to hold out for as much as they can for their talismanic centre-forward.
“Before Everton a club from China offered 35 million Euros (£30m) for Cenk Tosun. And we said no. He is very valuable player for us,” Fikret Orman said in quotes reported by The Mirror (live transfer blog, 10.59am).
Everton, then, should be applauded if they can tie up a deal for Tosun for a figure smaller than the one put on the table by the striker’s Chinese suitors.
Nonetheless, Toffees fans will take some convincing that the hitherto unknown 26-year-old is the right man to replace the void left by Romelu Lukaku in attack; especially for such a huge transfer fee.
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