Everton surge ahead in race to sign £25m Villarreal’s Cedric Bakambu as Besiktas cool interest

Everton are now leading the race to sign Villarreal star striker Cedric Bakambu.

Besiktas were thought to be in contention to sign the in-demand DR Congo international. The player was keen on reuniting with Senol Gunes and playing in the UEFA Champions League.

However, Turkish-Football has learned that Besiktas are unwilling to match Villarreal’s £25 million valuation.

Despite Bakambu topping manager Gunes’ shopping list, shelling out £25 million for a player goes against the Istanbul based club’s transfer policy.

With interest from the Premier League – notably Everton – Villarreal are unlikely to drop their asking price.

See More: For Besiktas news and everything you want to know about the club

Everton have already held talks with the La Liga club over the transfer of Bakambu according to Özgür Sancar.

Sancar – who also writes for the Spanish outlet AS – stated that there are several clubs across Europe interested in Bakambu but that Everton have made significant head way.

Bakambu lit up the Turkish Super League during his spell with Bursaspor under Senol Gunes. His form under the former Turkey national team boss earned him a move to Villarreal in 2015.