Everton have made contact with Premier League giants Chelsea and Arsenal for striker duo Michy Batshuayi and Lucas Perez, according to a report.
The Daily Mail have claimed via their live transfer blog (Thursday, 11.16am) that the Toffees have asked about the Blues hitman, while they have made an enquiry to the Gunners for Perez.
Both Batshuayi and Perez joined the Premier League just last summer with the Belgian moving for a huge £33.2million, while the Spaniard cost the Gunners £17.1million from Deportivo La Coruna.
However, both have dropped down the pecking order at their respective clubs with the signings of Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette.
With Everton themselves looking for a striker to replace the departed Romelu Lukaku, This Is Futbol has weighed up whether signing either of the pair will be a good move for the Toffees and if any moves are likely to happen before the 11.00pm deadline.
Good move for Everton?
Batshuayi, 23, would certainly be the best option for the Toffees out of the two strikers due to his age and previous record in France. That is not saying that Perez, 28, would be a bad signing for the club, but Batshuayi has the potential to lead the Blues’ line for years to come. He also boasts similarities in Lukaku, which is not just the two sharing the Belgium nationality with Batshuayi also known for his pace and power as well as his scoring ability. When Everton took a chance on signing a young Lukaku all those years a go from Chelsea it worked out to be one of the best deals the club has done and this could go similarly.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10.
Likely to happen?
The Mail report claims that Batshuayi’s move may be dependent on whether Chelsea bring in Fernando Llorente from Swansea or not. Therefore, Perez could be seen as a back up option to whether the Toffees can secure a deal for the 10-time capped Belgium international. Now, a signing of Batshuayi may not be guaranteed, but it is very much likely that the club will have at least one striker unveiled at Goodison Park before Thursday’s 11.00pm deadline.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10.