Everton are the front runners in the race to sign Chelsea ace Baba Rahman, according to a GhanaSoccerNet report.
The football news website, which has been cited by the Liverpool Echo‘s transfer live blog (Friday 12.39), claims Toffees manager Ronald Koeman has identified the 22-year-old left-back as a key summer transfer target.
It is said the Merseysiders have moved ahead of Schalke in the race to sign Rahman in the last 48 hours.
The report also states Schalke have been on the 22-year-old’s trail all summer, after he spent the 2016-17 season on loan at the club.
The pacey left-back made 21 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit, prior to picking up a season-ending leg injury in January.
This comes after a previous GhanaSoccerNet report claimed the Ghanaian’s injury could have been a stumbling block in Everton’s pursuit of him.
Meanwhille, the Daily Mail first reported the Toffees interest in the left-back in May of this year.
He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2015 from German outfit FC Augsburg in a £17million switch, and in his first season with the club he played 23 league and cup games.
Rahman is primarily a left-back, but he is also comfortable on the left-side of midfield as well.
The 22-year-old has been capped by Ghana on 26 occasions, and he featured in one game of their 2017 African Cup of Nations campaign, before an injury ruled him out of the tournament.