Everton have joined the race for SL Benfica striker Haris Seferovic after Rafael Benitez's seal of approval, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown
Seferovic was directly involved in 29 goals - 22 goals, seven assists - in just 31 league appearances last season.
According to WhoScored, he excels at finishing, creating chances and winning aerial duels.
The 29-year-old was called up to represent Switzerland at the European Championships and bagged three goals, including a memorable double in the Round of 16 as the Swiss knocked out world champions France.
The latest
Seferovic is an option that 'pleases' Benitez, and as such Everton will rival Premier League sides West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for his signature.
The Blues have been made aware that it will take €25million (£21.6million) to persuade the Primeira Liga outfit to part with him.
Intriguingly, while Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves reported on Monday that Everton want to sign a back-up striker, this report says Seferovic is viewed as a potential replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison should they be lured away.
The verdict
Of the two potential departures mooted in the report, Richarlison is probably the more likely. It's already been suggested that Carlo Ancelotti could look to bring him to Real Madrid.
So then you wonder if Seferovic would be an effective back-up to Calvert-Lewin. Ideally, Benitez should want someone with a different set of attributes, but there's some definite overlap there with both players serving as effective target men.
Another reason to question the move would be Seferovic's age, but there's perhaps little prospect of recruiting a young, up-and-coming forward when Calvert-Lewin is only 24 and seems to have the spot locked down for years. A more experienced deputy may be the logical way to go, but one with the pace and agility to offer a different style to Calvert-Lewin.
In other news, Everton are interested in loaning this star from European giants.