Charlton Athletic have reportedly slapped a £5 million price tag on Ezri Konsa, who is a target for Merseyside duo Liverpool and Everton.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool and Everton have both received a shot in their arm in pursuit of Charlton Athletic youngster Ezri Konsa. The Under-20 World Cup winner has been on their radar for a while and a January deal now seems likely to happen, with Charlton easing their stance on the player.
Ezri Konsa has been generating a lot of buzz in England, after the player, along with his fellow countrymen were triumphant in the Under-20 World Cup. The hype surrounding the talent has only intensified after the player became a regular fixture in the Charlton playing eleven.
There have been many rumours afloat surrounding the player’s future, with Konsa linked with almost every top Premier League club. But, only Liverpool and Everton have seemed to remain interested in the race to sign Konsa. And it seems they could land the player in January itself, judging by the report from Mirror.
According to the report, Charlton have now made peace with the fact they are resigned to losing the player and are ready to part with the prospect for a fee of £5 million – an amount that could entice both Liverpool and Everton both into making an offer in January.
Everton and Liverpool are set to battle to sign Charlton Athletic’s Ezri Konsa, who would cost £5m. (Source: Mirror) pic.twitter.com/oFCwb8A3Mw
— Everton Blue Army (@EvertonBlueArmy) January 23, 2018
Indeed, the defensive problems have been suffocating both the halves of Merseyside this season. Liverpool did sign Virgil van Dijk in hopes of the Dutchman’s arrival galvanizing their performances at the back. But, van Dijk was the culprit himself in their shock 1-0 defeat to Swansea on Monday night, which clearly shows there is much work to be done.
At Everton, the defence has been a gray area since the departure of David Moyes. Their poor defensive record saw Ronald Koeman lose his job earlier in the season, thanks to a poor string of results. And while Sam Allardyce’s arrival has seen an improvement in their defensive record, their recent performances still show the defence warrants an addition or two.
Ideally, Everton could be the better of two choices. While Konsa is unlikely to be slotted straight into the lineup at either club, Everton would be able to provide a better shot at gaining Premier League minutes compared to Liverpool.
Also, at Everton the player would be able to learn from the likes of Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka, before ideally forging a long-term partnership with Michael Keane at Goodison. £5 million for a player of Konsa’s calibre in the current climate looks like a steal and either club would be delighted with the capture, should they be successful in their pursuit of the 20-year-old.
And chances are, they will.
