RB Leipzig striker Youssef Poulsen has given Director of Football Marcel Brands a huge boost by submitting a transfer request amid interest from Premier League trio Everton, West Ham and Newcastle United, according to Sport Bild.
It is claimed in the German outlet that Poulsen ‘wants to go’ in the summer and that the Denmark international will likely head to England, where he has long been a target for the Magpies.
Toon head coach Steve Bruce is now courting the striker, too, with Leipzig not expected to stand in Poulsen’s way should the Bundesliga side receive an offer of at least €30million (£26.4m) and nothing short.
Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann values what Poulsen has to offer his side at the Red Bull Arena, but has so far only called on the 25-year-old to start 10 of his 20 German top-flight outings this term.
Poulsen began the season strongly with an involvement in seven goals (two scored, five assisted) in his first 10 league appearances, but has only added one strike to his record since.
The 44-cap forward has failed to break the goal line himself in either the Champions League or DFB Pokal, too, but has assisted two goals in Europe and four in the German equivalent of the FA Cup.
West Ham and Everton are more recently on the scene to sound out Poulsen’s situation than Newcastle, though it appears both David Moyes and Carlo Ancelotti could now be ready to pounce on the Lyngby BK product.
Ancelotti does not necessarily need another centre-forward signed in the summer with Dominic Calvert-Lewin a man reborn under the Italian, having struck eight of his 13 Premier League goals for the season since the former Chelsea boss arrived at Goodison Park.
Richarlison has also contributed five of his 10 top-flight strikes when played centrally, though the Brazilian can be moved out wide as well, having scored twice and assisted once from the right-flank and fired home thrice from the left.
The boss also has compatriot Moise Kean on Merseyside, though the former Juventus striker we signed last summer for £27.5m including add-ons has only scored with one of his nine on-target shots in league fixtures.
Poulsen would offer a much more guaranteed attacker than Kean, and is someone Ancelotti can hand minutes to across the frontline like Richarlison.
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While the €40,000-per-week (£35,180-p/w) Leipzig hitman has played exclusively from a centre-forward role this term under Nagelsmann, he is someone who works well at creating space for others to thrive and could forge a potent strike force with Calvert-Lewin like he has in Germany with Timo Werner.
If Ancelotti persists with his often-favoured 4-4-2 next season and moves Theo Walcott on in the summer, like reports have suggested could be the case, a front two of Calvert-Lewin and Poulsen with Richarlison on either wing could be a lethal line-up.
In other Everton news, a 6 ft 1 Toffees regular still has a lot of work to do to clarify his uncertain future despite his recent claims.