Everton unlikely to land international striker Luis Muriel

Despite Everton putting in an ambitious bid for Sampdoria’s Luis Muriel, his preference is to make a move to La Liga.

Give Everton credit where it’s due. Rather than sitting back and waiting for the Romelu Lukaku situation to resolve itself, they’re being aggressive in their pursuit of other attacking options.

The Toffees have confirmed the addition of Henry Onyekuru (although he was immediately sent out on loan, to Belgian champions Anderlecht). In addition, they are expected to finalize the signing of Sandro Ramirez early next week.

However, manager Ronald Koeman is not stopping there, especially after already losing winger Gerard Deulofeu. Now, he’s turned his attention to Serie A, in his attempts to boost the front line.

As reported by Gareth McKnight of ninetyminutesonline.com, Everton have made an offer to Sampdoria for Luis Muriel. Noted for his similarity in appearance to Brazilian legend Ronaldo, he is coming off a season where he scored 11 goals in 25 starts.

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Already nearing the £100 million mark for both confirmed and likely signings, Everton have apparently made a bid of around £17.6 million for Muriel. With his combination of ball skills and pace, it is certainly understandable why they would offer so much.

Another reason for tabling such an offer, comes down to competition from Sevilla. In fact, Everton’s bid is reportedly more than what the La Liga side are offering.

However, before Evertonians get their hopes up too much, there is one significant issue. As noted by McKnight, Muriel has stated his preference to join Sevilla, if they can agree terms with Sampdoria.

With this in mind, it will be intriguing to see how things play out. While player power often prevails, would Sampordia really be prepared to accept an inferior amount, if Sevilla do not match Everton’s offer?

In addition — for what it’s worth — the Columbian international is under contract until June 2019. Again though, it will be interesting to find out how this impacts any eventual deal.

While Muriel would be an excellent coup for Everton, he is renowned for being more of a creative playmaker, as opposed to an out-and-out scorer. He is also not particularly strong in the air.

Overall, Koeman should be commended for being so aggressive in his pursuit of strengthening the roster. However, whether he gets rewarded by securing the services of Muriel, is another matter entirely.

Next: EFC fans must wait to see Henry Onyekuru up close

How confident are you in Everton’s chances of signing Muriel? Further, do you actually think he’s worth paying £17.6 million for? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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