Everton have been persistent in their pursuit of a few key targets in recent years, almost always seemingly ending up with their man.
They do not aim particularly high, but instead outline realistic players who they can afford and would want to join them.
When Arnaut Danjuma first opted against the Toffees, just six months later he was pictured in royal blue.
And this summer has seen the same occur, with Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O’Brien and Jesper Lindstrom all supposedly long-term targets too.
However, they could perhaps be set to make the most roundabout acquisition of the lot, bringing in a player they tried and failed to sign last summer from his new club.
Everton could finally sign El Bilal Toure
Everton’s attempts to sign El Bilal Toure throughout the 2023 summer were well-documented, with a shock £34m bid even being lodged despite their financial restrictions.
In the end, it was Atalanta who snagged his services, and Sean Dyche was forced to look elsewhere, eventually opting for Beto.
However, now according to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, there could be a shock transfer swap about to occur, as the Bergamo-based club are seeking a tall, physical marksman to take the place of the injured Gianluca Scamacca.
In order to tempt Everton to sell Beto, just 12 months after they spent £26m on his services, it seems Atalanta are willing to sacrifice Toure, knowing how badly Kevin Thelwell and Dyche wanted him before they signed the Portuguese finisher.
The report states: ‘As for Beto, they have started the conversation with Everton by perhaps trading El Bilal Touré.
‘For Touré there would be the opportunity to try the Premier League, and for Beto the opportunity to return to the Serie A after his first experience with Udinese. He would also be able to test the Champions League, a first for him, who has never played in the European cups.’
How good actually is Atalanta striker El Bilal Toure?
It’s hard to quantify just how good this 22-year-old marksman really is given how he is still in the infancy of his career, but his spell with Almeria outlines the best thus far.
After all, his seven goals and one assist in 22 La Liga appearances last season marked a solid return for someone so young, with his raw pace and hulking physicality making him a threat to most defences.
In fact, he even scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Barcelona just last year, a result which remains the club’s only ever win against the Catalan giants.
A former coach of his, David Guion, even once noted during his teenage years with Reims: ‘He is a very complete boy. El Bilal has an ability to repeat efforts, he can keep the ball back to the goal and he is able to take the depth, even if he still has to work his technique in small perimeters and his touch of the ball.’
It seems that, by all accounts, Toure has what it takes to succeed at the top level.
After a horror injury-ravaged spell in Italy, perhaps the Premier League might be the perfect place for the Mali international to recapture his form and reach his potential.
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