Everton are set to go head-to-head with London-based Premier League duo Fulham and Crystal Palace in the race for Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan, according to Turkish journalists.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a Premier League move for some time and has been highly praised by his former manager Vitor Ferreira, who once promised that the Turkey international would be “on the level of” former Manchester City great Yaya Toure (Bleacher Report).
Journalist Ekrem Konur confirmed that the Premier League trio are interested, whilst Bayer Leverkeusen from Germany’s Bundesliga are also reportedly keen.
Twitter: From England, Crystal Palace, Everton and Fuham and West Bromwich have interest in Ozan Tufan. Bayer Leverkusen of… https://t.co/XsEpqoJns6 (@Ekremkonur)
However, prying Tufan away from his club midway through the season will mean a deal would only be struck on Fenerbahce’s terms. The Turkish giants reportedly want €20m (£18m) for the versatile midfielder, who can also play as a right-back.
However, Everton may face difficulty in winning the race as another Turkish journalist in Sercan Hamzaoglu has claimed that Crystal Palace have submitted a €10m (£9m) offer to the Turkish outfit.
Twitter: Ozan için en ciddi teklifi Crystal Palace vermeye hazırlanıyor. Ozan ile menajeri dün bir araya geldi. Menajeri tek… https://t.co/vpLpTAtVSL (@sercanhamzaolu)
The player is already said to have met with his manager about the offer and the ‘status of the transfer will become clear soon’. The Eagles may have a first mover advantage over other suitors for Tufan’s signature in a blow to the Toffees.
With Hamzaoglu claiming that the Eagles’ interest is ‘the most serious offer’, Everton will need to move fast if they are truly interested in Tufan’s services. His contract expires in 2023 and he is an experienced Turkish international with 55 senior caps.
Read Everton Verdict
In a sense, the £9m-valued midfielder is a gamble coming from the Turkish league. However, his versatility could be a big boost for Ancelotti’s plans if a Merseyside move were to materialise.
With his contract having two-and-a-half years left to run and an option to extend by a year, it may be that his price tag becomes inflated. If that happened, he would not be worth the risk for Everton.
