Everton are planning a £50million double raid on Watford for Richarlison and Abdoulaye Doucoure, according to TEAMtalk.
The football site claim the Merseysiders have set their sights on the former club of manager Marco Silva as they look to reinforce the squad that finished eighth last season.
TEAMtalk report that both Brazilian attacker Richarlison and French central midfielder Doucoure would “jump at the chance” to reunite with Silva but Watford are keen to keep the key pair.
Good move for Everton?
The Merseysiders had their fingers badly burned in the transfer market last summer when a succession of big-money signings flopped, from Gylfi Sigurdsson to Davy Klaassen to Michael Keane. But there is now a new director of football in place in Marcel Brands, a new manager in Silva and a more cautious transfer market approach. Doucoure looks a serious talent in central midfield, and a player bursting with energy, skill and goal potential would be a massive upgrade on the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin. Richarlison showed impressive signs in his debut campaign but fizzled out after a strong start, and there are question marks as to whether he can consistently perform at a high level.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Double deals are nice in theory, and, indeed, they were once not uncommon. But in the world of modern transfers, where there is no such thing as a simple deal, double deals are rarer than the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. Everton might very well sign one of Richarlison or Doucoure this summer, but both of them simultaneously? Forget it.
This Is Futbol rating 1/10