Everton manager Marco Silva has admitted that the Toffees may have to move onto other targets soon should they not make any progress in negotiations with Chelsea over the future of Kurt Zouma.
The defender impressed on loan at Goodison Park last season playing 32 Premier League games, and the club are keen to take him back on a permanent basis during this summer's transfer window.
However, as revealed by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard earlier in the week, the Blues are keen to keep the 24-year-old at Stamford Bridge. Zouma has joined the first team squad in their pre-season tour of Japan and was named in the starting lineup in the 1-0 defeat against Kawasaki Frontale.
Speaking about Everton's pursuit of the defender, the Toffees' manager Marco Silva has admitted that the club can only chase their primary target for so long.
“You are right, you are right," he answered when asked if there will have to be a cut off point in negotiations, as reported by the Liverpool Echo .
“Of course, one of the most important things for me, since we finished the season, is to keep our level.
“It is very, very good for us that we could do that with Andre [Gomes] and our most important players until now, because it was not just Andre and Kurt.
“The most important players in our squad are still here at our club, the 15 or 16 players who played the most are still here until this moment, other than Kurt.
“Let's see what we can do in this situation.”
While Everton would like to see the French international back at Goodison Park next season, the Portuguese manager has said that he is ready to move onto other targets should a move not materialise.
“It is not an easy situation, we are working on the other solutions because we cannot wait until the last week or the last day to take one player,” he said.
“We will see in the next days and next week to see if it will be possible or not, if not we have to go to the other solutions I have in my mind.”
