Everton haven’t been afraid to splash the cash and get their cheque books out in recent years, and if they qualify for Europe, it’s unlikely they’ll stop at anything to try and buy whoever they want.
After all, this is a team now coached by Carlo Ancelotti, one of the most decorated managers in football.
What’s the word?
We’ve already seen the Toffees linked with the likes Kalidou Koulibaly and Max Aarons in recent weeks, but now Marcel Brands is turning his attention to the attack.
According to Sport 1 (via Liverpool Echo), Everton are considering a move for RB Leipzig forward Hwang Hee-chan. The South Korean only arrived in Germany last summer but the Bundesliga outfit reportedly want around £13.5m for his services. That’s the same fee for which they bought him just a matter of months ago.
Everton will reportedly face competition from West Ham to secure his signature.
Bye-bye Bernard
One of the players linked with an exit from Goodison Park is Bernard. The Brazilian has had an injury-hit spell in Merseyside and has only made nine Premier League appearances this term, scoring one goal in the process.
A dazzling dribbler on his day, the forward has rarely shown signs of his best football while playing in England’s top tier. Since moving from Shakhtar Donetsk, he has scored only eight goals in 81 outings for the Toffees.
Losing him shouldn't come of great sadness to Ancelotti and the Everton hierarchy, particularly if they land Hwang.
The 25-year-old has had a difficult season himself since swapping Red Bull Salzburg for their sister team in Leipzig. He suffered considerably from the ongoing pandemic which caused him to miss ten games in all competitions, and understandably the attacker hasn’t really looked the same player since.
That said, Hwang is a marvellous asset on his day. Last season, the £27,000-per-week earner was truly devastating, racking up a tally of 16 goals and 22 assists for Salzburg. It’s hardly a surprise, therefore, to see he’s earned the respect of some of the best around.
After he caught the eye in the Champions League against Liverpool, his former teammate Erling Haaland said: "Absolutely crazy – he was brilliant today. He's so important to the team."
Former Liefering and Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler added: “He's exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I've rarely seen anything like it.”
Brutal is one word which wouldn’t describe Bernard - at least not a compliment. In a nutshell, that summarises why Everton would be getting a good deal here.
If Ancelotti can extract the very best from him, Hwang would add mouth-watering qualities at Goodison Park.