Everton striker Cenk Tosun is set to leave Everton at the end of the season. The Turk has endured a difficult time in England and Merseyside and is ready to put the four and a half years behind and start afresh.
Tosun arrived in the winter transfer window of 2018 and was an instant hit under Sam Allardyce but after Big Sam’s departure, Tosun never reached those goal scoring levels again. After underwhelming loan spells to Crystal Palace and Besiktas, multiple long term injuries and failure to establish himself as a regular in the team, Tosun now stares at an exit after four and a half seasons at the club.
With Salomon Rondon serving as a backup to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tosun didn’t even make it to the match day squads in the final stages of the campaign. In the past few transfer windows, the 30 year old has always received attention from Turkey, with Besiktas remaining one of the most interested clubs in Tosun’s services.
However, a move was never agreed and the Kara Kartallar preferred for him to completely recover from his niggling issues and take him on a free transfer rather than pay any sum to the Toffees.
Cenk Tosun to leave Everton and England
The former Besiktas striker gave an interview to Turkish outlet Sabah where he laid down his future plans and his priorities. He is definitely going to leave Everton and possibly England even though he has offers on the table from English teams.
"I’m very fit right now, fitter than I’ve ever been. I feel super. After a good camp period, I aim to have a successful season with my new team. I am a football player with a testimonial. There are offers from Turkey, England, Spain, America and Dubai.I will leave England 100 percent. It does not seem possible for me to play in teams chasing championships in the Premier League. Other offers don’t excite me at all with 30-year-old plans. I’m tidying the house. It’s not about money here, you miss the championship race. That’s why I’m going to a competitive team with goals. For me these conditions do not exist in England."
Tosun has made it very clear that his next club will be outside of England. He has offers from teams from five different countries but it seems that he is tilting towards returning to his homeland. In Turkey, Tosun is regarded as one of the best players that the country has produced and had a reputation for being a ruthless goal scorer during his time at Besiktas and Gaziantepspor.
"However, I want to play in teams that are fighting for the championship and have a European goal. Because I love that competitive excitement. I miss that excitement. Why not Turkey? I am a player who knows the Super League. I’m going to sit down with my manager and my dad and make the best decision. I think I can score at least 15 goals in Turkey."
For Everton, they will be able to save £60,000 per week which equates to over £3 million per year from Tosun’s departure. This money will certainly lighten the wage budget and certainly, give Everton a chance to put it to better use.
How much would you rate Cenk Tosun’s time at Everton?