Fulham ‘closing in’ on £20m deal for key Everton player as Dyche scrambles to bring in new winger
Everton star Alex Iwobi celebrates his goal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Reports suggest that Everton star Alex Iwobi is increasingly likely to join Fulham on a permanent deal, with a fee in the region of £20m being discussed.
Fulham boss Marco Silva worked with the 27-year-old during his time at Goodison Park and is keen on a reunion with the versatile player.
Iwobi signed for Everton from Arsenal in 2019 for a fee of £35m (including add-ons.) Originally, he was used as a winger but Frank Lampard opted to use him in midfield, where his impact has been far greater.
Last season, Iwobi featured in all of Everton’s Premier League matches, scoring two goals and making seven assists in the process. Statistically, he is the Toffees’ biggest creator of chances, so he will be a big loss for Sean Dyche.
However, the Nigeria international has left than 12 months remaining on his current contract and is thought to be keen on returning to London.
In a recent interview, Dyche admitted that several of his players might leave before the deadline, including Iwobi.
“There’s a few circlings around a few of our players, but there’s no agreements yet.” He revealed.
“The club have to look at the business side with a year left on [Iwobi’s] deal, money is not free flowing so it has to be looked at.”
Fulham on the verge of Iwobi deal
According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are ‘closing in’ on sealing a deal for Iwobi. The report states that the fee will be £20m, and that the Everton star is happy to make the switch. They claim that talks progressed on Wednesday night over a fee which will involve further add-ons.
Sources close to Everton suggest, however, that the fee is closer to £15m, rather than £20m. Either way, this is a decent return for a player with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Demarai Gray is also thought to be close to leaving the Merseyside club, with several Saudi clubs interested in signing him.
Dyche will be looking to invest the funds generated from the potential sales in new players, and the manager would like to bring in another winger.
Several names are being discussed at the moment. It has been suggested that Everton could make another bid for long-term target Wilfried Gnonto, while another Leeds player, Luis Sinisterra, is also on their shortlist. Southampton’s Kamaldeen Sulemana is another player who has been linked with the Toffees, as well as West Ham’s Maxwel Cornet.
With that in mind, it looks like Everton are in for a very busy end to the transfer window.
READ MORE: Everton ‘make £22m offer’ for Championship winger as Dyche eyes Demarai Gray replacement
