Everton are aiming to beat Chelsea to Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly by slapping in a €45m offer for the player.
Koulibaly has been chased by Chelsea for much of the summer, but the Blues have not been able to reach an agreement with Napoli, who remain keen to keep hold of someone who was one of the side's best players last season as they finished second in Serie A.
Now Everton have joined the race and according to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the Toffees are ready to pay €45m to sign the defender.
A meeting is claimed to be set to be held next week between Everton and Napoli officials, during which the Toffees will present their offer for Koulibaly.
The 25-year-old centre-back, who represents Senegal at international level, has been unhappy of late at his pay packet at Napoli, which he feels does not reflect his status at the club.
relatedNewsStory
Koulibaly threatened to start looking at his options this summer if his situation was not addressed, much to Napoli's annoyance.
It was thought Chelsea were the former Racing Genk defender's most likely destination, but Everton are now flexing their financial muscles in a bid to bolster their own options at the back.
How Napoli will react to a €45m bid remains to be seen.
