By Daniel Feliciano

15th Aug, 2022 | 4:40pm

Everton refusing to meet £12.6m asking price for Bamba Dieng transfer

Everton are refusing to meet the £12.6m asking price for Marseille striker Bamba Dieng in their pursuit of a striker, according to Foot Mercato.

The Toffees are desperately trying to bolster their attacking options after selling Richarlison to Tottenham and watching Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffer another injury that is likely to keep him out for around six weeks.

After being linked with a host of Ligue 1 forwards such as Ludovic Ajorque and Serhou Guirassy, the club were then reported to have entered talks for Dieng after he was told he could leave Marseille.

But with Everton looking for a loan deal with an option to buy and Marseille looking for €15m (£12.6m), the two clubs are well apart in negotiations.

Now French club Lorient have entered the race for a deal, but Marseille would prefer to seal a permanent sale to a Premier League club for bigger money.

Typical

It’s so typical of Everton right now to find options to replace a real problem position in the team but refuse to do what’s needed to get a deal done.

A loan deal might be ideal for them but it doesn’t suit the selling club and realistically it’s them that need to be satisfied for a deal to be done.

Dieng got seven goals and three assists in Ligue 1 last season despite limited playing time and looked impressive, while also having the style of play that suits Everton.

There is only two weeks remaining of the transfer window and Everton absolutely need to ensure that at least one attacker is brought in between now and then, or there is a real danger of relegation come the end of the season.

If it means spending more money than they initially wanted to spend then so be it, because the future of the club could quite literally be at stake.