Wilfried Zaha has established himself as one of the best wingers in English football (Getty Images)
Everton have entered the race to sign £70m-rated Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha but face stiff competition from other potential suitors, especially Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur. This will make it tough for the Toffees to sign him as the transfer deadline becomes imminent with every passing day.
The other two clubs will have the added advantage of offering Champions League football. Hence, the Toffees must look at alternatives and before time runs out for Marco Silva’s men.
Let us look at the possible surrogates Everton could sign if they fail to sign Zaha.
The Swiss International has a release clause of £13m and wants to stay in the Premier League despite getting relegated with Stoke City last season. Shaqiri has been a Liverpool target for quite some time now but Everton could still hijack the deal. After all, he will receive more playing time at Goodison Park rather than at Anfield.
The 26-year-old scored 8 goals and supplied 7 assists in 36 appearances for Stoke in the previous campaign. He has the ability and skills to make a difference at Everton, which will also aid him in enhancing his somewhat forgotten reputation in English football.
Neres had a fantastic season with Ajax last year, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 32 appearances for the club. The fact that he narrowly missed out on a World Cup spot with Brazil at the tender age of 21, speaks volumes about him.
Neres has fantastic pace, unreal dribbling skills and quick feet which helps him surge past defenders in the blink of an eye. If Everton manage to snap him, it will be a game-changer not just for them, but also for the player.
Fenerbahce have shown interest in signing Yannick Bolasie from Everton. However, the Toffees should do everything to keep the player. He has had a tough time with injuries since his arrival at Goodison Park and is in need of a proper pre-season to unleash his skills.
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Bolasie is an experienced Premier League player who is physically blessed with stamina and the propensity to run with the ball. He possesses great crossing abilities, which should work wonders for striker Cenk Tosun up front. All in all, the 29-year-old has the potential and talent to become a key part of Everton’s renaissance under Silva.
