Everton are interested in the France international Dimitri Payet as Roberto Martínez looks to improve his attacking midfield options for next season.
The Everton manager has earmarked a new No10 plus a left-sided midfielder as transfer priorities for this summer and Marseille’s Payet has emerged as a potential target. The 28-year-old, who scored in France’s 4-3 home defeat by Belgium on Sunday, has been monitored several times by Everton scouts and impressed last season at Marseille, where he scored seven goals in 36 appearances.
Payet moved to Stade Velodrome from Lille in 2013 for €11m (£8m) and was previously at St Etienne, where he attracted attention from Chelsea and Liverpool and once refused to show up for training having been denied a move to Paris Saint Germain.
Everton have already agreed to sign Tom Cleverley on a free transfer when his contract expires with Manchester United but, with Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman both suffering injury problems last season, Martínez wants to improve his options in the final third.
