Three Premier League clubs in the race to sign Lorient’s Dango Ouattara | OneFootball

According to a report by Ignazio Genuardi, Everton are the third Premier League side to enter the race to sign FC Lorient’s starlet Dango Ouattara. The 20-year-old forward has also been approached by Bournemouth and Leicester.

After a long stint as a mid-table team in the Premier League, recent seasons have looked relatively dire at Everton. A 16th-place finish last season saw them only four points away from relegation. To stem the tide, the team are seeking fresh blood in the transfer window to shore up their attacking options. Lorient’s Dango Ouattara, an exciting 20-year-old forward, is one of their targets, alongside Manchester United’s Anthony Elanga and Villarreal CF’s Arnaut Danjuma.

But the Merseyside team must be ready to enter a bidding war, as both Leicester City and Bournemouth have also pinned hopes on signing Ouattara. The Toffees have submitted a €20m offer for Ouattara, which has been deemed insufficient to convince Lorient to let go of their starlet. The young Burkinabé has six goals and six assists across 17 appearances in Ligue 1, including one of each to put Lorient ahead against AS Monaco on Wednesday.

Bournemouth may enter the fray late to sign Ouattara, who have expressed an interest in signing him. It was also announced earlier today that Bournemouth owner Bill Foley had acquired a 33% minority stake in FC Lorient. The new relationship between the clubs on either side of the English channel may prove instrumental to reaching a deal, which would see the Toffees miss out on an exciting prospect.

In either case, Ouattara must be content with a complete change of environment: while Lorient are in a strong position to challenge for European football next season, both Bournemouth and Everton are flirting with relegation in England’s top flight.