Everton are exploring a £35 million move for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr next month – but the Hornets expect to keep their big guns for a promotion charge.
The Senegal winger was set to sign for Aston Villa last August until the plug was pulled on a £25m plus add-ons deal at the last minute. Sarr, 24, has contributed six goals and three assists in Watford's bid to regain Premier League orbit at the first attempt following their dire relegation in May.
If they are prepared to talk terms with Everton, it would renew the Toffees' habit of shopping for players and managers at Vicarage Road.
Since 2018, Everton have shelled out £40m for Richarlison, £22m for Abdoulaye Doucoure and paid the Hornets £4.5 million for poaching head coach Marco Silva. Their contribution to Watford's coffers would have to top £100m to stand a realistic chance of landing Sarr.
But Everton's pursuit of Sarr may not be entirely forlorn if the Hornets can wrap up a £9m deal for 19-year-old Brazilian winger Matheus Martins from Fluminense – the same club where they unearthed Richarlison and Joao Pedro.
Slaven Bilic is planning to parachute Ismaila Sarr straight back into the Championship at freezing Vicarage Road after his World Cup adventure in sweltering Qatar. The Senegal winger was given time off, after their 3-0 defeat against England, to visit his family in Africa.
But Watford boss Bilic wants to unleash him against Hull on Sunday - in temperatures around 30 degrees colder than his last gallop at the Al Bayt stadium.
And the Hornets head coach has no doubts Sarr will relish his mission to tame the Tigers as much as his crusade with the Lions of Teranga. Bilic said: “We are expecting him back today or tomorrow and hopefully he is going to make it for Sunday.
“After the England game, he flew home to Senegal with the whole squad, it was a big success for them to get past the group stage, and we gave him a few days off to see his family.
“There is no fitness issue. Before the World Cup break, he played in every game since I was here, and he played in almost every minute in Qatar, so if anything he needed a little rest.
“But everyone knows what he means to our team – he is one of the best players in the Championship, and we will need him on the pitch if we are going to do what we want to do.
“I can trust him to play at a high level. It's not the first time he has been away with Senegal, he is a good boy, a top professional. Apart from the goalkeeper, he is the only player who has started every game since I've been here apart from the last one, so why question his character?
“The World Cup is so massive, you can't just switch off. This is the time when you want to play, when you feel the best and you want that quality in your performances to continue. No player wants that to stop.”
During the break, Bilic reinforced his squad with the capture of highly-rated Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone, who will join the club on January 1.
And he augmented his coaching staff with a familiar sidekick – West Ham legend Julian Dicks, with whom he worked at the Hammers and West Brom.
Watford resume their campaign in fourth place, with Bilic confident Dicks will add to the club's “Britishness” with his no-nonsense virtues. He said: “My feeling about the last four games of 2022 is positive.”
