Everton willing to stump up hefty transfer fee for Watford winger as Lampard looks to bolster attack

It has been revealed that Everton could be willing to pay a staggering fee for Watford’s Ismaila Sarr in January, who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park since the summer.

Everton are currently facing another season battling relegation and Frank Lampard is desperate to add more attacking options to his squad.

Having scored the second-least amount of goals in the Premier League, the Senegal international could add some much-needed creativity to the Toffees’ front three, after Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon have scored a combined three goals this season.

Sarr has seemingly been on the brink of a departure from Vicarage Road for a while as he sets his sights on a return to the Premier League.

International teammate and Everton player Idrissa Gueye has allegedly been trying to convince Sarr, along with another Senegal player, to head for Goodison Park in January.

With Brazilian winger Matheus Martins arriving at Watford on a £5m fee last week, it is believed the Hornets could be willing to let Sarr leave the club in the near future, according to the Daily Mirror. Although, they would ideally like to keep him.

The same report also claims that the Toffees are weighing up a staggering £35m move for the 24-year-old – £5m more than what Watford paid Rennes for Sarr in 2019.

The Hornets currently sit in fifth place in the Championship as Slaven Billic eyes a swift return to the topflight, but the sizeable offer from the Toffees may be too good to turn down.

Sarr has scored six times in 17 appearances for Watford this season, along with making four assists.

Considering he has scored more goals than Gray, Calvert-Lewin, Gordon and Neal Maupay combined… the attacker could be a valuable addition for Lampard.

Everton must avoid another costly calamity with Sarr deal

However, if the fee the reported fee is to be believed, there’s no denying that it’s a hefty price tag for a Championship player.

Everton have spent over £500m since Farhad Moshiri bought a 49.9% share in the club in 2016, as they aimed to break into the Champions League.

But, in reality, the Toffees have gone backwards, narrowly avoiding their first relegation since 1951 in the last campaign.

Wasteful purchases on the likes of Fabian Delph (£10m), Davy Klaassen (£24m), Cenk Tosun (£27m) and Yannick Bolasie (£25m) have plunged Everton into financial turmoil as they look to secure the funds to build their new stadium.

Lampard and the Toffees’ new Director of Football Kevin Thelwell will be desperate to avoid the same mistakes, so will have to think carefully before splashing out on Sarr.

Saying that, relegation is a bigger financial threat to Everton than the fee that they are reportedly mulling over, so if he has the quality to keep them up… the risk may be worth it.

Everton have still never really replaced Richarlison who left for Tottenham Hotspur for £60m in the summer, so the Senegalese star may be the answer.

Although, Richarlison arguably was the key reason (along with Jordan Pickford) that Everton managed to survive last season, so Sarr has big shoes to fill.

Sarr scored five goals and made two assists for Watford playing in the Premier League in 2021/22, so he will be looking to improve on that form should he join his Senegal teammate Gueye at Goodison Park in January.

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