Everton don't seem to be taking no for an answer in their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, as reports claim the Toffees have thrown Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy into the mix in what seems like a desperate bid to pry him away.
Palace have proved near-impossibly tough negotiators over their prized asset this summer, having already chased off Arsenal, who turned their attentions to LOSC Lille's Nicolas Pepe after seeing their £40m approach rejected.
Everton emerged as the main contender shortly after, but even their initial offer of £55m - with the majority paid up front - wasn't enough to convince Palace to part with the Ivorian.
And now, after it was reported over the weekend that Everton were considering offering both Tosun and McCarthy up in addition to a substantial sum, it seems that is exactly what has happened, as Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol details a £55m bid that includes both players.
Everton have made second bid to Crystal Palace for Wilf Zaha. It’s £55m plus Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) July 29, 2019
Neither player looks to have too much of a future at Goodison Park, with McCarthy in particular making just one senior appearance last term and having already been pushed further down the pecking order by the arrival of Fabian Delph.
Tosun, meanwhile, would likely find himself struggling badly for football in the event of Zaha's arrival, so it does make sense that Everton would attempt to use both players in an effort to keep the outright expense down.
Given how Palace have handled themselves in negotiations so far, however, there remains a strong possibility that they will reject the renewed offer, with their valuation of Zaha believed to be somewhere closer to £80m, after a season in which he contributed directly to 20 goals in 36 appearances
Source : 90min