Everton have reportedly submitted a formal offer to PSV Eindhoven for 21-year-old winger Esmir Bajraktarević, with Dutch outlet fcupdate.nl reporting that the Toffees are now the most concrete suitor for the player.
Everton scouts have been tracking the 21-year-old for a considerable period, with scouts sent to watch him during recent World Cup qualifiers, and the Blues were also present at PSV’s recent Eredivisie matches. The scouting mission culminated in a standout performance against PEC Zwolle last week, where he scored twice and provided two assists in a 6-1 league win – seemingly enough to convince Everton they’d seen enough.
Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Bajraktarević is an American-raised Bosnian international who earned the nickname “the Milwaukee Messi” coming through the MLS ranks with New England Revolution. He helped Bosnia-Herzegovina qualify for the World Cup – delivering a Man of the Match display in their penalty shootout victory over Italy at the end of March, scoring the winning spot-kick to send his country to the tournament.
Bournemouth, AC Milan and Werder Bremen are also said to be interested. The added wrinkle is the World Cup: a strong tournament this summer could significantly inflate his price tag, making the case for getting the deal done now all the more urgent.
