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EXCLUSIVE: Andre Ayew set to fly to the UK in the next 24 hours with Everton looking to complete a free transfer… but NO guarantee he’ll join the Toffees, with club under fire after failed deadline day
- Everton look to seal a free transfer for Andre Ayew after leaving Al Sadd
- He is ready to land in the UK, but there are no guarantees that he will sign for Everton.
- The toffees are under fire because they missed out on Arnaut Danjuma and other signings
Andre Ayew is expected to arrive in England in the next 24 hours after receiving a £2.5m golden handshake that clears him for a return to the Premier League.
However, there are no guarantees that the former Swansea and West Ham star will, as expected, join Everton with top-flight rival clubs showing interest. Ayew’s expected move to Everton is currently rated at 50/50.
The Toffees are under fire from supporters after a botched transfer deadline day that saw them miss out on a number of targets as the relegation-threatened club ended up without any new signings during the January window.
Former Swansea striker Andre Ayew will travel to the UK as Everton look to seal a free transfer.
New boss Sean Dyche missed a number of targets during a tough deadline day
In fact, owner Farhad Moshiri promised to sign a striker in an interview last month.
But Everton could still make good on that promise as Ayew prepares to arrive in England for formal discussions on a move to Goodison Park, but they face a fight over his services.
The versatile striker is understood to have held preliminary talks with Toffee bosses, including sporting director Kevin Thelwell, about a possible move to Goodison Park.
Everton have considered offering Ayew, whose brother Jordan plays for Crystal Palace, a contract until the end of the season.
Ayew is a free agent, meaning he can still join Everton despite the transfer window closing.
He can still sign Ayew to a Bosman after leaving Al Sadd, but there’s no guarantee he’ll join.
The Ghanaian legend joined Qatari side Al Sadd in July 2021, signing a two-year contract with an option for a further 12 months that could have seen him until the end of next season.
The 33-year-old has played a key role for Al Sadd since his arrival scoring 22 goals in just 38 games since his arrival, helping the club win the league and cup in his first season.
Ayew, who has scored four goals in his last five games for the Qatari champions, needed to play just five more games to activate the 12-month extension to his contract.
However, the striker is keen to explore a return to European football and has reached an agreement with Al Sadd to pay him out of the remainder of his current contract.
Ayew’s contract at Al Sadd was worth £5 million per season after tax.
Everton made a late attempt to sign Kamaldeen Sulemana before joining Southampton
The Toffees also suffered a major blow this month when Arnaut Danjuma agreed to join before Tottenham hijacked the deal at the last minute.
The striker is currently in the Middle East but is expected to arrive in England soon to discuss a possible return to the Premier League.
Ayew shares a close relationship with Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper following their time together at Swansea. Cooper may be tempted to meet with Ayew.
Everton fired off blanks in their attempts to sign a new striker during the last days of the January window.
They attempted to hijack the Southampton move for Rennes attacker Kamaldeen Sulemana despite the 20-year-old having already agreed a move to St Mary’s.
They were unable to sign Ismaila Sarr from Watford. They saw late inquiries for Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta rejected.
Last week, Arnaut Danjuma reneged on an agreement to join Everton and decided to sign for Tottenham.
The prospect of landing Ayew on a free transfer gave Everton renewed hope of bolstering their attacking options for the relegation leg, but his signing is no longer a foregone conclusion.