Everton have started a bid to sign Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi before Thursday’s transfer deadline. The Toffees have been after Wilfried Zaha in recent weeks, but have had at least two bids rejected by Crystal Palace for the Ivory Coast international. And, with manager Marco Silva looking to add another winger to his squad, he has turned his focus to Iwobi, with Everton making their first attempt to sign the 23-year-old. The Goodison Park club has made an opening bid of roughly £30 million ($36 million), including add-ons, for the Gunners youth graduate.
However, Arsenal has turned down the deal. Everton must now decide whether to boost their offer for a player who appeared in 51 games in all competitions for Unai Emery’s team last season, scoring six goals. Iwobi was an important player for Emery during his first season in charge of the Emirates, with no player appearing in more games than the teenage forward. However, he is not a definite starter, and the signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille, as well as the return of Reiss Nelson from his loan spell with Hoffenheim, may limit his possibilities even further.
Speaking at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this summer, where he helped Nigeria finish third, Iwobi confessed that he would have to contemplate quitting his boyhood club if he thought he would struggle to gain consistent playing time.
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