By George Overhill

15th Mar, 2023 | 8:10pm

Everton: Boulaye Dia can be turned into instant profit for Salernitana with Toffees already in contact, Paulo Sosa hopes not

Paulo Sosa wants to keep major Everton target Boulaye Dia as Salernitana considers making an instant profit on him in the summer, Salernitana News reports.

The Senegal international is currently keeping some esteemed company in the Serie A goalscoring charts, as he sits joint sixth with nine alongside Roma’s Paulo Dybala and Lazio’s Ciro Immobile.

And the Toffees are major admirers of the 26-year-old who netted the equaliser at San Siro against AC Milan on Monday (13 March), having already made contact with his representatives during the World Cup [Otto Pagine, 18 December].

As he is on loan from Villarreal, Salernitana have the option to redeem his permanent option for £10.5million at the end of the season and sell him straight away for an immediate profit, with a number of sides interested.

Everton are prominent in the race as they are the only club named in the Salernitana News report on Wednesday (15 March).

But it would now mean going against Portuguese manager Sosa who is hoping to keep hold of his top scorer and assist-maker.

Offer they can’t refuse

It is easier said than done when it comes to Everton, whose recent record of signing strikers in the transfer market is nothing short of abysmal, but a big-money offer could tempt the club to disregard their manager’s hopes and sell up.

Of course Sosa would hope to have the World Cup goalscorer in his ranks again next year considering his output this season, but the hierarchy at the Italian side will know they could double or triple their money straight away.

Dia seems to be the sort of player who could finally fill the boots of Richarlison, whose absence since last season’s relegation battle have made Everton decidedly goal-shy.

The Senegalese forward’s goal and assist stats mark him out as the man who is carrying Salernitana in the way the Brazilian did at times on Merseyside last season, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues continuing to plague him.

Dia has three times more goals than any other teammate and double the assists in Serie A this year, so if Sean Dyche manages to keep this Toffees side in the top flight there is every reason to make a concerted push to sign the forward in the summer.

There must be money available if a desperate £31million bid went in on deadline day for Udinese’s Beto, and surely the lion’s share of that would give Salernitana chiefs a big decision to make.