As doubts continue to swirl over the future of Cenk Tosun, Everton may be able to leverage a previous relationship to offload the Turkish striker.
Russian Premier League side CSKA Moscow are reportedly showing interest in recruiting the 29-year-old marksman, according to Championat [via Sport Witness].
A source close to the club has supposedly indicated that the Muscovites are interested in attracting the striker to the Russian capital as they are ‘showing interest’ in Tosun.
Championat claimed [via Sport Witness] that ‘a source close to the English club and a source familiar with the situation’ foresee a deal to be done.
It is reporeted that CSKA Moscow ‘may start negotiations with the British’, while it was also added by the source that Everton ‘were unlikely to hinder his departure’. That last statement certainly makes a great deal of sense given that a key objective of the Everton hierarchy is to offload unwanted personnel.
Tosun has previously been identified as one figure who could be on his way out of Goodison Park and it seems the Russian league could be a possible escape route for the striker who has made just five appearances this season and has only managed 11 goals in his time on Merseyside.
However, it is Everton’s previous dealings with CSKA which could prove decisive in materialising a sale. Croatian attacker Nikola Vlasic was sold for approximately £14m to the Russian side in 2019 – evidence that envoys of both clubs have had a previous working relationship.
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It is unclear as to whether Everton would be able to command a large fee for Tosun or whether the striker would even want to go to Russia, but CSKA Moscow could have an advantage.
Leveraging a past relationship could make the sale process smoother and more efficient through familiarity. With the groundwork easier to lay, that could prove to be vital as time runs out to complete transfers in the January window.
