Winner named in Bournemouth and Everton race for Dango Ouattara transfer
Everton look to have lost out to relegation rivals Bournemouth in the race to sign FC Lorient attacker Dango Ouattara, according to Alex Crook.
Frank Lampard is in the market for an attacker this window as he looks to bolster his side’s paper-thin reserves, although the Cherries have agreed to a £20million deal ahead of him.
20-year-old Ouattara had previously caught the attentions of the Toffees, who had made numerous bids in an attempt to secure the attackers’ services this January.
However, talkSPORT reported Crook announced on Monday (16 January) that the Cherries – with Bill Foley as new owner – had pipped Everton to the acquisition of the highly-rated youngster.
He tweeted: “BREAKING: Despite strong interest from Everton, AFC Bournemouth have agreed a £20m fee for Ouattara, who all being well will become the first signing of the Bill Foley era.
“A decent start to the week for Cherries’ fans.”
From bad to worse
If Everton fans thought their Monday morning was bad enough as it was, this news will confirm any lingering doubts that their club is in a lot of trouble.
It is evident that the Toffees need a forward this window, and it was thought Ouattara would be a brilliant option to focus their attack on in the years to come.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough campaign this term, netting six goals and five assists in 17 games, and will likely add some quality to Bournemouth once the signing is confirmed.
For the Toffees however, it is more proof that unfortunately Merseyside isn’t the most attractive destination to move to right now. Who would want to move to a club whose players are chased down the streets after a loss and are present for a chorus of boos on a weekly basis?
At the end of the day, that probably wasn’t the environment for Ouattara to thrive in, and he will be better off plying his trade on the south coast.