Everton have £25m offer for forward rejected

Everton fans have been unhappy with the contributions of Theo Walcott this season, and it appears the leadership are making moves to replace the veteran winger during this summer’s transfer window.

Last week we heard that the Blues are looking for a left-footed player who can play on the right wing, and that Lyon’s Bertrand Traore has been linked. This weekend, a report in Italian media outlet TuttoMercatoWeb says that the Blues have already made an exploratory offer for AS Roma winger Cengiz Ünder. Everton’s bid of £25 million has been outright rejected by the Giallorossi, but the Toffees will likely be back.

There has been interest in the Ünder from Champions League runners-up Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, with Roma looking to sell after they failed to qualify for the Champions League last season.

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The 21-year-old scored 6 goals with 11 assists in 33 appearances for the team from the capital, following up on 8 goals and 2 assists from the season before. The youngster’s positioning and decision-making are considered his greatest strengths

His shot map shows a player equally comfortable shooting from inside or outside the box. Ünder led the Serie A this season with 0.5 assists per 90 min played, and also recorded 1.5 shots, 33.4 passes and 2.2 key passes per 90 min. The forward ended the season in the top 15 in the Italian league in goal contributions.

There is no doubting Ünder’s ability, as the radar below shows.

At Everton he would be a direct replacement for Theo Walcott on the right wing, bringing his pace and ability to cut in on his left foot to bear. Ünder is renowned already for his participation in build-up play, and his ability to make penetrating runs and his sparkling shooting means he could be a true gamechanger for Everton spelling Richarlison out on the wing. When chasing games, he can make a big impact as a sub, allowing Marco Silva to push Richarlison upfront to play off the lead striker.

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Earlier rumours have it that Roma is looking for at least £45m for the player, but if the side are determined to sell this summer then a number somewhere around £30m might be enough to prise the forward away. Maybe Cenk Tosun can put in a good word for the Blues.