Everton fighting to hold on to young star

Marcel Brands and Marco Silva set out to trim the Everton roster and increase the pace of play, and if the murmurs going around the transfer market are true, we could be in for a treat this coming season.

For all his trickery, Yannick Bolasie was never as good at advancing the ball as his counterpart on the other wing Theo Walcott. Walcott has proven to be fragile in the past, so the management are looking to hold on to Ademola Lookman and adding Brazilian speedster Malcom to the ranks as well - a plan that we can definitely get behind.

There is however a small problem - RB Leipzig are simply refusing to go away having had a taste of Lookman on loan last season. The Blues have already turned them down once, then once again, and it appears their Director of Football Ralf Rangnick knows a good thing when he sees it.

German daily Bild are reporting that Rangnick is willing to ‘fight like a lion’ to get the player back to the Bundesliga.

“Ademola Lookman is currently a player of Everton. He knows from his time with us and also through the relationships he has built up with us, our appreciation for his quality as a player and as a person. We are in constant contact with his club.”

The two offers made for the player were for €14m and €16m respectively, though the outlet says that Everton have set the pricetag at €20m despite having no need to sell with the player under contract through till 2021.

Brands had said very early on in his tenure that he had no interest in selling any of the young talent, and had planned on making his pitch to Lookman even before Silva was appointed.

More to come on this, but fans will be disappointed if the England youth international were indeed to leave the Blues, especially for such a measly sum.