Arch-Rivals Brighton and Palace Set to Fight it Out for In-Form Everton Striker's Signature

Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion will reportedly fight it out in the January transfer window for the signature of Everton forward, Oumar Niasse.

Niasse hasn’t had an easy time on Merseyside since his £13.5m move in 2016. After just 152 minutes of football in his first season, he wasn’t even handed a squad number for the following term. 

He was deemed surplus to requirements by Koeman, who revealed that: “If Niasse likes football, he needs to leave Everton.”

Before his successful loan-spell at Hull City in 2017, Niasse was forced to train with Everton’s under 23 side.

It seemed as though the 27-year old’s Everton career had come at a standstill, but thanks to a recent return to form - scoring in Everton’s 1-0 League Cup victory over Sunderland, as well as bagging a late brace against Bournemouth at the weekend to cap off a 2-1 win from behind - Niasse is certainly back in Ronald Koeman’s intentions.

As a result of Niasse’s recent flurry, africanfootball.com has reported that arch-rivals Brighton and Palace will go back into the January transfer window for the striker, after both failed to sign the Senegalese forward over the summer.

After his goal-scoring heroics however, along with Everton’s alternative striking options misfiring so far this season, will the Toffees really want to sell?