Everton are plotting a swoop to sign Juventus forward Edon Zhegrova next summer, according to Ekrem Konur.
Kosovo has been amassing some of the most exciting footballers, and it’s no surprise that the team achieved a historic World Cup playoff berth by finishing second in the group with 11 points, behind Switzerland.
Aside from the veteran Vedat Muriqi, who plays for Mallorca, Napoli’s Amir Rrahmani, Torino’s Mërgim Vojvoda and Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani are other players from Kosovo making waves.
Zhegrova, valued at £17m by Transfermarkt, is another Kosovo international who has caught the eye during his time at Lille, where he scored 26 goals and provided 18 assists in 107 games.
His performances at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy drew significant interest before Juventus won the race to sign him last summer.
However, things have not gone to plan in Turin, as the right winger has fallen down the pecking order under Luciano Spalletti, playing only 286 minutes of Serie A football, largely as cameos.
More worrying is that the 26-year-old has yet to record any goal contribution in any of his 20 appearances in all competitions for the Bianconeri this season.
Zhegrova to Everton
Following his lack of game time and impact, Ekrem Konur reports that Zhegrova’s future with the 36-time Italian champions is uncertain, with Everton now showing interest.
To his credit, he has played only 445 minutes of football this season and has largely been an unused substitute in most games, meaning a run of consistent game time at the Hill Dickinson Stadium could help reignite his form and return him to the attacking threat he is renowned for.
It appears the Toffees are looking to accelerate efforts to sign him, as the journalist adds that the Merseyside club are planning to return next summer with a formal offer.
Everton are pursuing an ambitious push for European football for the first time since the 2017–18 campaign and only the second time under David Moyes, who previously guided the club to a historic place in the UEFA Champions League during the 2005–06 season.
Their hopes of reaching Europe received a boost after defeating Burnley to secure a first home victory in the Premier League in nearly three months.
The Toffees overcame the relegation-threatened Clarets to move within one point of seventh-placed Brentford with qualification to one of the three European competitions in sight.
