Summary

Everton may miss out on striker target El Bilal Toure due to tight finances according to Paul Brown.

The club had an offer rejected by Almeria, with the Spanish side wanting the player's release clause met.

Will Everton sign El Bilal Toure?

The Toffees are very interested in signing the Mali international, but face competition from top European sides.

According to reports from Spain, Everton's opening bid was rejected by the Andalusian club, with the side holding out for the players €40m (£34.3m) release clause. The Merseyside clubs opening bid was in the region of €30m to €35m (£25.7m to £30m), however, according to The Daily Mail, that deal was structured as a loan with an obligation to buy rather than an outright sale.

It remains to be seen whether the club will push forward with another bid, with reports recently surfacing that the club are interested in Leeds United forward Wilfred Gnonto, and had seen a £15m bid rejected for the young Italian, with Leeds not wanting to sell the forward whose contract doesn't contain a relegation release clause. However, should the Toffees manage to secure a deal for the youngster who was a bright spark in a disappointing Leeds team, any potential move for Toure could be impossible due to budget restrictions.

Everton also face competition from Italian side Atalanta for the Mali international, with a report stating that the club had already submitted a €25m (£21.5m) offer for the 21-year-old who has only spent one season with Almeria. A factor that could swing the direction of this deal is the ongoing talks between the Bergamo side and Manchester United for current striker Rasmus Hojlund. Should the Danish forward join the Red Devils this summer, that could provide the funds Atlanta need to activate Toure's release clause, which Everton may not be able to match.

Speaking to FootballFanCast, journalist Brown suggested that there may not be much "wiggle room" for Everton in terms of submitting an improved offer due to financial constraints, and that should a deal be completed, it would have to be done for below the players release fee.

What did Paul Brown say about El Bilal Toure to Everton?

When asked about the current situation between all parties, Paul Brown stated: "Yeah, I think Toure's club know what Everton are willing to pay for him and how they're willing to pay for it. I'm not sure if there's much wiggle room really because of Everton's finances to go back in with a much better offer, so I don't think it's one that's going to get done anytime soon because I don't think his club are entirely happy with the bid that Everton made. Also, he's he's got a release clause that Everton don't intend to trigger. So it would have to be a deal that's done below that price."

Would El Bilal Toure be a good signing for Everton?

Toure could be the solution to a real problem that is surfacing at Everton.

The club are currently in the midst of a striker crisis. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has spent the last two campaigns hampered by injuries, with the forward missing 30 games due to three separate injuries across the last two seasons. When he has played, he has struggled to reach the heights he managed under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, scoring only seven goals across 36 games in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

Neal Maupay's move from Brighton has been a disappointing one, with £15m striker managing just one league goal last season. The forward could reportedly depart Goodison Park after one campaign, with Italian side Salernitana hoping to reignite their interest in the 26-year-old. Young Ellis Simms, who scored a memorable last-minute equaliser for the Blues last season at Stamford Bridge has already departed, joining Championship side Coventry City in a deal worth potentially £8m.

Toure meanwhile enjoyed a breakout campaign in La Liga last season, managing seven goals and two assists in just 21 matches. He is also proven on the international level despite his young age, managing five goals in 15 games for Mali. Last summer, Everton were interested in the forward when he was still at Reims, with him being labeled as a "major talent" a year ago, and a strong opening campaign in Spain has only strengthened that belief.