Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign Aberdeen star Duk as the forward courts interest from the Premier League.
Burnley, who will immediately return to the English top flight next season after sealing promotion from the Championship, have been mooted as a club thought to be monitoring the 23-year-old, whose real name is Luis Lopes. But now the Blues, who are managed by former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, are said to be in the hunt after sending scouts to watch Duk.
According to the Daily Mail, Everton are monitoring the goal-getter, who has netted 18 times for Aberdeen this season as they battle for European football. However, with three years remaining on his contract and former club Benfica due 50 per cent of any transfer fee, any deal is likely to be a hefty one.
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The Mail report that Everton were in attendance when Duk scored the Dons' winner in their 1-0 Scottish Premier League victory at Ross County on Friday. They also claim that the Blues were also watching County's teenager defender Dylan Smith. The 16-year-old right-back was making the eighth senior appearance of his career.
Aberdeen boss Barry Robson has admitted that the Cape Verde international Duk was always going to attract interest following his rich vein of form.
Speaking earlier this month, via Football Scotland, Robson said: "Any player in the team, if you perform and win matches – if you’re a keeper it’s clean sheets, a midfielder it’s playing well or scoring as a striker – people take notice. If you’re doing your job, no matter what position you’re playing, then the more you do it the more people will look at you.
"But we are not thinking about that right now, he’s a humble kid who wants to do well and we have to keep feeding him.
"It suits Duk, the way we play. He’s on a good run of form, he’s got great pace and is enjoying his football. We just need to keep him up to speed with it and keep him going.
"He’s going to help us win games because he’s a good, humble kid who wants to do well and wants to learn."
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