Ansu Fati
Everton are reportedly planning to make an ambitious swoop to sign Ansu Fati, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Spaniard had a meteoric rise at Barcelona after coming through their famous La Masia academy. Initially, he showed signs of high potential, and it was thought that he was destined to reach the top.
Following Lionel Messi’s departure, the Blaugrana even handed him the No.10 shirt, which showed how high they rated him. However, injury problems hampered his development completely, and he was struggling to find regular game time when he managed to recover from his issues.
Brighton took a punt by signing him on loan a couple of years ago. However, he struggled to showcase his qualities in the Premier League, and the Seagulls decided to send him back.
The 22-year-old stayed at the Catalan giant last term but remained on the periphery under Hansi Flick. This season, Fati has joined AS Monaco on loan and has enjoyed a stellar start, scoring six goals in five appearances across all competitions.
Now, Fichajes state that having been impressed by the Spaniard’s recent eye-catching performances, Everton have registered their interest in signing him as they are planning to reinforce the flanks with a young forward.
Fati to Everton
However, purchasing the youngster won’t be straightforward for the Merseyside club as Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are also considering making a move for him.
As per the report, Monaco have an option to sign him for a fee of around £10m next year, while Barcelona can buy him back for around £24m, so Everton may have to pay closer to the latter fee if they want to get a deal done.
Everton prioritised reinforcing the wide forward position this summer and signed Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling. Grealish has enjoyed a stellar start this season, having struggled to play regularly at Manchester City over the last few years.
However, he has joined on a loan deal and it would be difficult for the Toffees to sign him permanently by paying his high wage and the Citizens’ transfer fee demand.
So, it appears Everton have started exploring alternative options to strengthen the left flank should they eventually fail to sign Grealish and have earmarked Fati as a serious option.