Everton manager Ronald Koeman has claimed that it is up to the board to make the final decision regarding the pursuit of Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, reports the Liverpool Echo.
What's the word?
The Merseyside outfit have been linked to the Iceland international for some time, and it seemed as though something could be on the cards when he was not included in Swansea's pre-season trip to the United States.
However, the midfielder has since returned to training and according to The Independent, the Welsh club have rejected a second bid worth an initial £40m, rising to £45m in add-ons from Everton.
It is believed that Swansea, who managed to avoid relegation to the Championship last season, are demanding £50m for Sigurdsson.
During a press conference, Koeman confirmed interest in the 27-year-old, but said that the matter was firmly in the board's hands.
The Liverpool Echo quotes him as saying:
“The whole business what is difficult is the amount of fee, money you have to pay for players. It is growing and growing and growing and I don’t know where it will stop.
“Okay, it is all about business and the final decision is by the board of the club because they make the final decisions - what I did is to give them the final picture about positions, about what we need to improve and choose options.”
Should Everton fall to Swansea's demands?
The valuations of footballers rise year on year, and this summer in particular has seen some staggering figures being paid.
Sigurdsson is capable of performing at the top level and would be a positive addition to Everton's team, but he is not worth £50m.
The Merseyside outfit have shown that they are not afraid to splash the cash having parted with more than £100m already, but they do not want to get a reputation of being weak in negotiations.
If Koeman is determined to bring Sigurdsson into the fold then the board can ease the pressure by getting a decent amount for Ross Barkley.
Given that Koeman has made it clear that Barkley will be sold, the funds could be used to sign the Icelandic midfielder.
What Everton will get for the England international, though, is a different story.
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