Everton have lined up Colombian forward Luis Muriel as the potential replacement for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to leave Goodison Park this summer, according to a report on Sport Witness.
Muriel found the back of the net 11 times in the Serie A last season for Sampdoria which proved his eye for a goal and his goalscoring trait has interested Toffees’ boss Ronald Koeman.
The highly rated striker has a release clause of £28m in his current contract and reports are suggesting that the Merseyside club are prepared to match that figure so they can begin negotiating personal terms with the forward.
The 26-year-old striker was on the verge of joining Sevilla earlier in the week but it has now emerged that Everton are willing to hijack the transfer and lure Muriel to the Premier League.
Fellow Premier League club West Ham were also keen on the forward but they could not manage to persuade him to move to the London club.
Contact between Muriel’s representatives and Everton has already taken place and Sampdoria have told La Liga club Sevilla to speed up their negotiations with the striker if they want to see him in their shirt next season.
The Spanish club have reportedly offered €24m for Muriel but Everton are willing to match his release clause as they look for a replacement for striker Romelu Lukaku, who looks to be making a big-money move this summer.
