According to reports in The Sun on Sunday on April 15, West Ham United are lining up a summer move for Nice attacker Alassane Plea, who could cost upwards of £25m.
The Sun on Sunday says that the Irons are keen to bring the in-form Ligue 1 attacker – who has scored more French top flight goals than Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe this term – to the Premier League, but they would likely need to beat their transfer record to complete a deal with Nice in no rush to sell the former France U21 international.
Meanwhile, Everton look set for another busy summer in the transfer market following a disappointing campaign in which they look likely to finish eighth at the very best.
Whether manager Sam Allardyce is still in charge next term or not – the fans certainly don’t want the former to be the case – the Merseyside outfit will want to ensure that they are ready to make a bigger impact and try to challenge the top six clubs, and they will need some new faces through the door in order to do that with a number of their stars underperforming.
Plea could have already grabbed their attention given his impressive displays throughout the current campaign, and he surely needs to be on their radar ahead of what is going to be a crucial transfer window for them.
Here are three reasons Everton must hijack West Ham’s bid to sign the French forward…
While Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott have come in and done well since January, it seems clear that Everton need at least another attacker this summer if they are to push on next season.
Oumar Niasse looks far from certain to stay at Goodison Park and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still considered to be a youngster, the Merseyside outfit will want a slightly more senior player challenging the likes of Tosun, Walcott and Yannick Bolasie, who annoyed Toffees supporters with his comments earlier this month, in attack.
Plea, who can play as an out-and-out centre-forward or on the left wing, would certainly provide that competition and quality in attack, and he could prove to be an inspired addition.
The 25-year-old has shown his ability to get goals and create chances this season with 14 goals (one more than Kylian Mbappe) and five assists in 31 Ligue 1 outings, while he has 19 in total having also netted four more in the Europa League.
As well as making 34 key passes in 39 appearances in the French top flight and in Europe this term, as per WhoScored.com, he has also shown his ability at moving forwards with the ball after successfully completing 71 of the 108 dribbles he has attempted.
£25m would have once seemed like a huge amount of money for Everton, but given their spending last summer and then again during the January transfer window, it is a normal price that they are now willing to pay for players.
In that regard, it should be no different if they decide to splash out that much on Plea, who has proven this season that he can get goals on a regular basis in the French top flight and in the Europa League, and he would undoubtedly boost a Toffees frontline that has struggled to make an impact in the attacking third on more than one occasion this term.
Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.