Everton 'ready to rival' Crystal Palace's £15m move for Fiorentina's Khouma Babacar
Roma have apparently made an approach to Fiorentina for the striker, who has scored five times this season.
Everton are reportedly eyeing up Fiorentina forward and reported Crystal Palace target Khouma Babacar despite having already signed attackers Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott this month.
Babacar has had to make do with a peripheral role in Florence this season. The Senegal international, who was considered by the Toffees last year as they attempted to find a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, has made 18 appearances for La Viola this season, but only three of those have been starts.
The arrival of Giovanni Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego, has consigned Babacar to little more than a watching brief this season, but he may not have to warm the bench at the Stadio Artemio Franchi for much longer.
Crystal Palace were apparently pressing on with a £15m deal for the 24-year-old, but according to La Nazionale, relayed by the Liverpool Echo, Everton are 'ready to scupper' Roy Hodgson's side's move for the former Modena loanee.
Everton manager Sam Allardyce has already drafted in Walcott and Tosun, a player that was once on Palace's radar, for around £45m this month, but the Toffees are keen to add another centre-forward to their roster having failed to strengthen sufficiently in the summer transfer window.
Palace are very much in need of a new centre-forward with little in the way of cover for first-choice striker Christian Benteke, who has scored just once this season. But both they and Everton may now be gazumped by Serie A outfit Roma, who are said to have approached Fiorentina for their secondary forward with Edin Dzeko seemingly on his way to Chelsea.
It remains to be seen if Everton's apparent interest is followed up with a firm offer for Babacar, but Allardyce, who recently dismissed talk linking Oumar Niasse with a move away from Goodison Park, is more focused on trimming his bloated squad. Ross Barkley, Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon have all been let go this month, while Sandro Ramirez is a loan target for Newcastle United.
