Sean Dyche has claimed that Everton aren’t in contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a move for Hugo Ekitike.
Speaking in today’s pre-match press conference, the Toffees boss has denied any knowledge of the club’s reported discussions with the French giants.
Sports Zone reported this week that Everton were interested in signing Ekitike, who made his stay at PSG permanent in a £35 million deal this summer.
The Ligue 1 outfit had reportedly made Ekitike surplus to requirements and it was since claimed that Everton had had a €35m plus €5m in bonuses (£34.5m) offer accepted for the youngster.
The 21-year-old was said to have attracted plenty of interest and was being touted by the likes of Frankfurt, Lens and West Ham, though it was Everton that had held initial talks over a move.
However, Dyche’s latest comments suggest that no talks have taken place and the Toffees could be far from landing the forward.
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Sean Dyche’s comments don’t necessarily mean that Everton don’t want Hugo Ekitike
There has been multiple credible reports claiming that Everton were in talks over a season-long loan with the option-to-buy Hugo Ekitike, so it would come as a surprise if Sean Dyche is telling the truth.
However, the former Burnley boss could just be keeping any notable transfer talk on the down low as they look to quietly secure their signings with no bother. The deal is clearly very far from being complete so it wouldn’t make sense for him to openly discuss their advances.
What is interesting is that Dyche didn’t deny talk of the club’s interest in Wilfried Gnonto and instead refused to discuss players outside of Merseyside. The winger could well be on the way to Goodison Park after making himself unavailable to Leeds United.