By George Overhill

15th Feb, 2023 | 9:40pm

Salernitana to consider big profit on summer sale of Everton target Boulaye Dia

Salernitana will consider whether to cash in on Everton target Boulaye Dia immediately after making his deal permanent, Tutto Salernitana reports.

The Senegal international is on loan in Serie A from Villarreal but the Italian side has an option to make the move permanent for €12million [£10.6million] at the end of the campaign.

Having scored eight and assisted four more this season, he is now considered “one of the best strikers in the league” and with clubs interested is valued at more than €20million [£17.8million].

Salernitana were unwilling to play ball when Everton went to Villarreal offering well over the loan agreement price earlier in the season [Tutto Salernitana, 12 October] but at the end of the season they could be minded to make his deal permanent and immediately sell him for a “substantial capital gain”.

The Toffees missed out on numerous other attacking targets in the January window and Sean Dyche started Ellis Simms for the Merseyside derby defeat on Monday (13 February).

Front of the queue?

It is clear for all to see that the club are going to need attacking help in the transfer window sooner or later whatever happens for the rest of the season.

That was true in the summer after Richarlison was sold. It was true for the whole first half of the season with Dominic Calvert-Lewin largely ruled out with never ending fitness issues. And it was true during January, even before Anthony Gordon was sold.

Simms starting the derby was hardly the way he was supposed to be integrated into the first team, but Dyche apparently felt Neal Maupay wasn’t the right choice despite looking improved in the win over Arsenal.

If there is money available for it then multiple additions in forward areas will be required, and unless the outlook has changed entirely since Frank Lampard left Dia could be one, since it sounds like he would be available for money that isn’t extortionate for a goal scorer.

Everton will need to stay up to make it happen, but tempting Salernitana with a reasonable immediate profit might be the route to finally landing a new attacker after a miserable January saw multiple failures on that front.

If Dia ends up having too good of a season though it might convince the Italian side to keep him, or more frustratingly, cause big clubs to come in with massive bids, so it will be a nervous wait for the next few months if the Toffees plan to be in the race.