OPINION
Everton are playing a smart, strategic game in their pursuit of Stoke City midfielder Badou N’Diaye.
The player is likely to cost well north of £10million after signing from Galatasaray in January for a fee of £14million.
But Everton have the ideal bargaining chip to seal the deal after giving the green light for Ashley Williams to join Stoke on a season-long loan.
Football Insider broke the news earlier today when they revealed that the Wales international will undergo a medical with the Potters in the coming hours.
Intriguingly, it is also stated that the Williams deal was agreed as the two clubs thrashed out a deal for N’Diaye to go the other way.
Certainly, the N’Diaye-Everton transfer is not yet done, and there are no plans for a swap or part-exchange deal, but it is highly likely that Williams was used by the Premier League club to smooth discussions.
It would have been a dereliction of duty from Everton not to have done so.
With Morgan Schneiderlin surplus to requirements, N’Diaye could be the ideal running mate for Idrissa Gueye in the central midfield battleground next season.
His physicality, power and ball-winning abilities would provide the foundation for the attacking players to work their magic in the final third.
With Premier League and World Cup experience under his belt, N’Diaye is hardly a mystery signing.
But he would arrive under the radar and without the fanfare of the captures of new boys Richarlison and Lucas Digne.
Nonetheless, the Stoke man would be a potential outstanding acquisition.