Everton are expected to gain momentum in the transfer market in the coming few days and as a result, have been linked with a host of names recently.
Having already signed Gareth Barry, manager Roberto Martinez is looking to further bolster his midfield and recent reports claim that the Toffees are looking to sign Roman Eremenko – the man dubbed as the ‘Finnish Xavi’.
With the signing of Muhamed Besic being delayed, Martinez has already prepared contingency plans if the deal for the young Bosnian international does not go through and has set his sights on the more experienced Eremenko.
Eremenko enjoyed a fine season with Russian side Rubin Kazan last year despite the club struggling throughout the campaign and has consequently attracted the interest of a host of teams across Europe.
The 27-year old is considered a hugely important member of the Rubin side and are certainly not keen on losing the midfielder.
However, it is believed that a fee as little as £5million could be enough to tempt Rubin to part with Eremenko as he is currently entering the final year of his contract at the Kazan Arena and the Russian side will be forced to sell right now in order to avoid losing him for free at the end of the season.
The midfielder is also said to be keen on a new adventure and that a move to the Premier League is one which excites him. Therefore, Everton have been placed as the frontrunners to secure the signature of the talented midfielder.
A player who is an expert at dictating the pace of the game, Eremenko would fit into the style at Everton very well. Although, the Toffees already possess Gareth Barry in the orchestrator role, the former England international is already in the twilight of his career and the addition of Eremenko would certainly be a welcome one.
While there is a risk involved in signing a player who has never experienced the Premier League, at £5million the risks are limited and considering his age, the midfielder will have a good resale value if things do not work out as planned.
Eremenko started his career at Jaro and has since gone on to play for the likes of Udinese, Siena and Dynamo Kiev, before earning a £12million move to Rubin Kazan back in 2011 – making him the most expensive Finnish player ever. The 27-year old is also a fixture for his national team and has earned 60 caps, scoring 4 goals.
