High-flying English Premier League side Everton are reported to have their eye on Icelandic hot shot Alfreð Finnbogason, who currently plies his trade with Dutch Eredivisie side Heerenveen.
Reports from England claim that Everton boss Roberto Martinez wants to bolster his squad in the January transfer window and he sees the 24-year-old as the man to help his team push for the top four and the Champions League spot that goes with it.
With the Toffees’ on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku being in fine form so far this season, Martinez is not so much looking for a replacement, but simply a back-up to the young Belgian. However, the Spaniard will be acutely aware that the chances of extending Lukaku’s loan agreement for another year are highly unlikely.
That role had been being filled by Croatian Nikica Jelavic, but the striker has been on a disappointing run of form for some time and it appears Martinez has finally lost faith in him. There are also reports coming from Merseyside stating that Jelavic intends to push for a January move so he can secure a place in Croatia’s World Cup squad next summer.
Alfreð Finnbogason is the top scorer in the Dutch first division this season having netted 14 times in just 13 games. His form has carried on from last season, when he scored an impressive 24 times in 31 matches. His scoring streak has reportedly caught the eye of a number of clubs around Europe, including Italian giants Roma and Lazio and Premier League clubs West Ham United and Newcastle.
The Icelander has a contract with Heerenveen until 2015, and the Dutch side are unlikely to sell him on the cheap. A figure of €10m has already been mentioned although English tabloid The Mirror has suggested a bidding war will start at £2m in January.