Everton have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What's the story?

The Toffees were first linked with an audacious swoop for the 30-year-old over the summer before he stayed put at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

However, Insigne now appears closer than ever to the exit door after being offered fresh terms that fall way below his expectations.

With his current contract set to expire next summer, Sky Italia (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO) have stated that the diminutive gem has been offered €3.5m-a-year (£56k-a/w) plus €1.5m (£1m) in hard-to-reach bonuses.

While Insigne is believed to be chasing a deal worth €6m-a-year (£97k-a-week), control of his image rights and a €7m (£6m) signing bonus to renew.

The huge disparity between the player and club could lead to Insigne's exit over the coming months, with Everton well placed to secure his services.

Brands could seal dream Everton transfer

Enticing the European Champion to Goodison Park would be a dream transfer for Everton's director of football Marcel Brands, given his previous exploits for club and country.

After arriving in Naples back in 2010, Insigne has established himself as one of European football's most exciting forwards, bagging a remarkable 114 goals and providing a further 90 assists in 412 appearances.

The 5 foot 4 attacker has claimed two Italian Cups and an Italian Super Cup throughout his time with the Azzurri, and played a pivotal part as Italy enjoyed a victorious Euro 2020 campaign.

In the words of pundit Tony Cascarino, the Napoli star is an “exceptional” player, and when taking a closer look at his underlying numbers, it's easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, Insigne has averaged 3.3 shots per league game in his 12 Serie A outings this term and 2.3 key passes, placing him above all of his teammates for both metrics.

These figures, alongside his eight goal contributions, highlight the top-class ability that the skilful left-winger possesses and attracting him to Merseyside over the winter window would be a significant coup for Everton.

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