Everton set to miss out on Nikola Kalinic

As Everton attempt to sign one more striker before August 31, they can reportedly now cross one name off their list of available options.

As we hurtle towards Friday’s apparent deadline for Everton to find out where they stand with Olivier Giroud, thoughts turn to other options for up front. In an ideal world, Ronald Koeman wants to add one more forward before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Towards the end of June, HITC’s Charlie Hayward suggested the Blues make a move for Nikola Kalinic, who was eager to leave Fiorentina. (He even reportedly terminated the lease on his house in Florence.) This made sense, given the Toffees had previously shown an interest in him a year earlier.

Coming off a season where Kalinic scored the second-most goals of his career, it also proved he was getting better with age. (We’ll spare you the fine wine analogy.) The other reason Hayward advised Everton to revive their interest, was due to an apparent break down of talks between Fiorentina and AC Milan, who were hoping to sign the striker.

Well, if the latest news is anything to go by, the Blues can now forget about the 29-year-old as a backup option for Giroud. As per a report from talkSPORT, he has now agreed personal terms with AC Milan.

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The deal is apparently for four years and worth around £50,000 per week. Given that Kalinic previously turned down an extremely lucrative offer from China, it shows that money is not his main motivation.

Of course, the same can’t be said about Fiorentina, who still need to accept what they consider to be a reasonable offer. As talkSPORT writes, the two time Italian champions have already rejected a £20 million bid from AC Milan.

In addition, Fiorentina — theoretically at least — are in a position of strength, with Kalinic still having two years left on his current contract. However, we’re fully aware of the reality that players often hold the power.

In that respect, the Croatian international agreeing personal terms with AC Milan only increases the pressure on Fiorentina to get a deal done. Regardless, from Everton’s point of view, they are best to cross Kalinic’s name off their list of possible striking options.

Next: Is Barkley pricing himself out of a move?

With all this talk about Koeman wanting one more forward to complement his current strike force, how imperative is it to sign someone before the close of the current transfer window? Or do you think the squad is already strong enough, to propel this season’s challenge? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.