Everton have reportedly agreed a fee for Besiktas forward Cenk Tosun according to multiple reports.
The 26-year-old forward is set to cost the club in the region of £25 million according to The Guardian and is expected to join when the window opens on January 1st.
Standing at 6’0”, the forward may not be in the mould that many would expect a stereotypical Sam Allardyce side to sign to lead the line. However, he has been able to find the net on a regular base in the Turkish Super Lig.
Tosun has scored 41 goals in 96 league games for the Turkish side since joining from Gaziantepspor in 2014, with four coming in this year’s Champions League campaign.
The Blues have had their eyes on the forward for a handful of weeks and want to make him the first signing through the door when the transfer window opens on January 1st.
New boss Allardyce has recognised the need to sign a senior forward as the Blues were unable to replace Romelu Lukaku after he departed for Manchester United over the summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has spearheaded the line since Allardyce took over with Oumar Niasse being relegated to substitute appearances despite finding the net six times with a ratio of a goal every 81 minutes.
Summer signing Sandro Ramirez has failed to establish himself on Merseyside and could be set for a January move back to his former club Malaga.
Getting it right
When taking the job, Allardyce stated that he had the ideas of where the Blues needed to sign players but, at the time, didn’t have any specific targets in mind.
The former England boss stated that he also has to make his first signing the “right” one because it sets the tone for a relationship between a manager, the fans and the clubs hierarchy.
The 63-year-old boss also wants his winter recruitment to show that the club is “going in the right direction” and there isn’t a full reset from the summer window where former boss Ronald Koeman signed nine senior players.
Other targets
Everton are expected to be active with incomings during the January window with a number of outgoings also expected to supplement those signings.
The Blues have eyes on a number of defenders with West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans reportedly high on the list of targets. The Northern Ireland international is expected to be in high demand during the window and Allardyce’s side face a battle for signature.
Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw is also believed to be a target if he becomes available.
Midfielder Davy Klaassen could one of the names to leave Goodison Park with his Everton future in jeopardy after failing to make a real impact since joining from Ajax during the summer.