Everton and Newcastle United are reportedly readying an offer to secure the signing of Malian striker Moussa Marega from Al-Hilal Riyadh.
According to a report from Foot Mercato, Everton and Newcastle United have set their sights on a January move for Al-Hilal striker Moussa Marega in the ongoing transfer window and are preparing an offer for the 30-year-old.
Marega is a proven quantity in European football, having spent most of his senior career in Portugal with clubs like Maritimo, FC Porto and Vitoria Guimaraes (loan). The 30-year-old was with Porto for over five years, having signed in January 2016 before leaving the club last summer to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
During his time with the Portuguese giants, Marega made 190 appearances, posting a decent tally of 72 goals and 33 assists. Since moving to the Middle East, he has made 13 appearances, finding the back of the net on three occasions.
Just six months into his stint at Al-Hilal, Marega could now be offered a way back to Europe in January as both Everton and Newcastle United are considering signing him in the ongoing transfer window.
Everton have toiled for goals this season as both Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have struggled with injury problems. Manager Rafael Benitez does not have any other reliable goalscoring option at his disposal, given that Salomon Rondon has struggled since arriving in the summer. Meanwhile, Cenk Tosun is out of favour and expected to leave the club before the end of the month.
It becomes imperative that the Toffees bring in a new forward, leading to links with several options such as Francis Amuzu and Brazilian international Everton Cebolinha. Marega, too, has emerged as a viable target for the Merseysiders, who are preparing an offer for the Malian international.
However, Everton will face competition from Newcastle United, who are also desperate to add more ammunition to their attack. The Magpies are second from bottom in the Premier League table and are staring at the possibility of relegation to the Championship.
Defence remains a major issue, but Eddie Howe will also need a new striker after their main No. 9 Callum Wilson recently picked up an injury against Manchester United and could be sidelined for months. With Dwight Gayle not favoured, a new striker becomes necessary for the Tyneside outfit.
Rumours of a £50 million offer for SL Benfica’s Darwin Nunez have been doing the rounds, but someone like Marega can be a much more realistic option for Newcastle United. The report states that the Magpies, along with Everton, are preparing a transfer offer to lure the former Porto striker away from Al-Hilal in January. With his contract running until 2024, they might need to make a substantial bid for the forward.
