Director of Football Marcel Brands is reportedly stepping up his efforts to bolster Marco Silva’s attacking line up, as Yahoo Sport France have linked the Toffees with Olympique Lyonnais forward Bertrand Traore.
The French variant of Yahoo Sport do not give much information into how advanced our efforts are, with their only claim being that we are accelerating our interest in the 23-year-old.
This could mean nothing, but it could also be seen as Silva and Brands feel the former Chelsea product is someone who can be signed at the right price to supplement Bernard and Richarlison next term, while potentially pushing Theo Walcott or Ademola Lookman closer to the exit door.
Brands recently dismissed rumours that he was making efforts to sign PSV Eindhoven attacker Hirving Lozano, as the Dutchman feels the asking price for the Mexican would make it impossible to move him on if he failed to make the grade in England.
Unlike Lozano, who would be coming from the Eredivisie, Traore also has some experience competing in one of Europe’s premier divisions.
How much Lyon may hold out for when it comes to Traore is also not claimed by Yahoo Sport, however. But TransferMarkt value the Burkina Faso international at £16.2millon, which would be a much more appealing price to pay for someone who has scored seven goals in 32 Ligue 1 outings this season.
Traore has also assisted two goals in the French top-tier so far this term, and is capable of playing anywhere across the front three – which would make him a lot more beneficial to Silva than the likes of Walcott and Lookman, who have failed to offer a great deal to the Portuguese boss in his maiden Goodison campaign.
In terms of wage, Bobo-Dioulasso-born Traore currently earns a gross £59,139-a-week at the Lyon Olympic Stadium, according to Capology, on a deal which runs to the summer of 2022.