- guardian.co.uk, Friday August 29 2008 00.01 BST
- The Guardian, Friday August 29 2008
Everton are to rekindle their interest in the Galatasaray midfielder Mehmet Topal should Sporting Lisbon continue to resist attempts to make Joao Moutinho the club's record signing before the transfer window closes.
Moutinho, a Portugal international, has been a prime target all summer of Everton's manager, David Moyes, but Sporting's £20m valuation of the 21-year-old, and also the structure of the transfer, has thwarted a deal so far.
Everton, however, remain in negotiations with the Portuguese club over their prized midfielder but are also prepared to make a renewed bid for Topal in the event of the stalemate continuing, and with their hopes of signing Stephane M'Bia from Rennes fading.
Galatasaray resisted an inquiry from Everton about their 22-year-old defensive midfielder this summer but the Goodison Park club may test that resolve again following the Turkish side's elimination from the Champions League qualifiers at the hands of Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday.
Topal would cost around £10m and Moyes, who failed to make any signings until this week, does have money for such a deal or to tempt Sporting with £16m for Moutinho. Everton's dry summer in the market has turned into a flood in the final week, with the Danish right-back Lars Jacobsen signed on a free transfer and loan deals agreed for Red Star Belgrade's Ecuadorean midfielder Segundo Castillo and Internazionale's Nigerian winger, Victor Obinna.
The 26-year-old Castillo, a defensive midfielder who played against England in the 2006 World Cup, underwent a medical at Everton's Finch Farm training ground yesterday but is now waiting on a work permit application before commencing his Premier League career. There is an option to buy next summer, if the move works out.
Obinna, who played alongside the Everton forward Victor Anichebe in Nigeria's run to the Olympic final in Beijing, only signed for Jose Mourinho's Inter last Monday - having been previously shared with Chievo - but was immediately sent on loan with a view to a permanent move to Everton next summer.
The 36-year-old Swedish striker Henrik Larsson has also been offered to Everton, as well as two other Premier League sides, and the club has kept most of its transfer budget intact in the hope of acquiring one major Moyes target before Monday.
