Everton told to pay £35m for strike target also wanted by West Ham

Everton are reportedly attempting to sign Michy Batshuayi on a permanent deal from Chelsea, with the Belgium frontman expected to cost around £35m.

The Belgian international spent the first half of this season on loan at Valencia but has not made an appearance since the beginning of January as the Spanish giants attempt to cut short his spell.

Despite interest from West Ham in taking the 25-year-old on loan, Chelsea are believed to prefer a permanent exit for the player – although the Blues are demanding more than the £33m they paid to sign him from Marseille in 2016, as reported by The Guardian.

Batshuayi still has more than two years remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract, but having already signed Kurt Zouma on loan from Chelsea, Marco Silva’s side are only able to pursue a permanent deal for the player.

However, the report goes on to state that they are confident of getting the deal done before the transfer window shuts on Thursday night.

Any deal may also still depend on whether Everton can agree a fee with PSG for Idrissa Gueye.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions had a £21.5m bid rejected last week and now face strong competition from Arsenal for the player.