Everton are pushing to try to sign Lazio forward Joaquin Correa, according to Il Messaggero via Sport Witness.
What's the latest transfer news involving Correa?
Correa is attracting plenty of interest from Premier League clubs, with Everton, Tottenham, Wolves and Leicester all tracking the 26-year-old.
The former two have reportedly made the most "significant advances", although they are both unwilling to pay more than €20m (£17.1m).
Lazio are yet to receive an offer which they are willing to accept, and Correa is due to return from holiday soon after helping Argentina win the Copa America earlier this month.
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What were Correa's stats in 2020/21?
The six-cap international featured regularly for Lazio last season, as he appeared in 28 league matches. He registered 11 goal involvements in these matches - only Ciro Immobile (26) and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (17) contributed to more goals for the side (via WhoScored).
Correa also featured in the top four for Lazio when it came to dribbles completed (35) and key passes made (29).
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What has been said about Correa?
The attacker had a strong campaign overall in 2020/21, and his former manager, Simone Inzaghi, reserved special praise for him in April after he bagged a brace against AC Milan in a 3-0 victory.
Inzaghi was quoted by the club's official website as saying: "Correa is a formidable player, he is very intelligent tactically, he sacrifices a lot for the team. I am happy with his double, when he has no problems and can train continuously he always proves to be able to play at the highest levels."
Could Correa be the perfect replacement for James Rodriguez?
It was reported earlier this month that Everton could be willing to listen to offers for James Rodriguez, despite only signing the Colombian playmaker a year ago.
If they do opt to let him move on, Correa could be the perfect replacement. The Argentine has been a consistent performer over recent years, having racked up 48 goal contributions in 117 appearances for Lazio in total.
As his statistics show, Correa is a well-rounded No. 10 who can take on opponents at will and create chances for his teammates. He has formed a fine partnership with Ciro Immobile in the Italian capital, and he could do the same with Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Merseyside.
Everton were accused of playing too slowly at times last year, but by bringing in Correa they would add dynamism to the team. He is also four years younger than Rodriguez, so it could be smart business for the Toffees to allow the older player to leave, and then move for Correa who appears to be in the early stages of his prime.