According to reports in The Mirror, Everton have agreed a £25m deal to sign Swansea City star Gylfi Sigurdsson, but his wage demands could scupper the deal.

What’s the word, then?

Well, with continued doubts over the future of midfielder Ross Barkley who is still yet to sign a new contract with the Toffees, manager Ronald Koeman has already begun his search for a replacement for the England international.

The Dutchman has already confirmed that the England international will be sold this summer if he fails to commit his long-term future to the Merseyside outfit, and there has still been no update despite an ultimatum from Koeman nearly a fortnight ago.

One of his top transfer targets this summer is Sigurdsson – who enjoyed a standout campaign for the Swans – but even though a transfer fee has been agreed with the Welsh club, the player’s £120,000-a-week wage demands could prove to be a problem.

Is he worth those wages?

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Judging by his statistics for a struggling Swansea team this season, he probably is.

The 27-year-old scored nine goals and provided a further 13 assists as Paul Clement’s men narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship, and the Iceland international was one of the main reasons they secured their Premier League status for another year.

The only problem with paying him that amount is that his new teammates could start to question their salaries and whether they should be on a similar wage to the new addition, which could cause unrest in the dressing room.

Will Everton want him if Barkley stays?

They probably would, yes.

Even though Barkley and Sigurdsson often play in the same position – in a central attacking midfield position or behind the striker – the Toffees will have more fixtures next season because of their participation in the Europa League, meaning they need extra squad depth.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, if a fee has been agreed with Swansea and Everton want to continue progressing to move to the next level following a seventh-place finish and Europa League qualification, they are going to have to show some ambition in the transfer market.

If they don’t meet Sigurdsson’s wage demands they could find themselves encountering another frustrating transfer window in which they miss out on some of their top targets.

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