Everton need to move quickly if they wish to sign Almería forward El Bilal Touré this summer as Atalanta are moving for him also.
That’s according to Cadena SER, who say the player is moving ‘further away’ from the Spanish side and could be on his way to Italy rather than the Premier League.
Earlier this month we covered various reports which stated Everton were pushing for El Bilal Touré, having shown a willingness to match his €40m release clause this summer.
That was followed by comments from Almería CEO Mohamed El Assy, who confirmed Everton were one of the sides in the picture for the forward.
There’s been little on the matter since those comments were made but a report from L’Equipe earlier today stated Everton risked missing out as Atalanta were now keen too, particularly as they could be set to lose Rasmus Hojlund.
Cadena SER now follow that up and say ‘the bid is open’ for El Bilal Touré, who has numerous suitors following his performances last season.
Almería have made it clear they want his €40m release clause met and, while it’s not clear if anyone will do that, Atalanta are one of the sides who have been ‘encouraged in the last few hours’ to make a bid.
They’ve seemingly put an offer of some sort on the table, and while the amount is not disclosed, it is stated that Almería are ‘analysing everything’. That’s Cadena SER’s own information on the matter.
Atalanta’s interest in the player is not a surprise as they have regularly scouted Almería down the years. In fact, it’s claimed that the ‘Italian club always looks to the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneo’ for new signings.
They showed an interest in Darwin Núñez and Umar Sadiq in the past and their attention is now on El Bilal Touré, which could mean trouble for Everton’s hopes of getting him.
