Sam Allardyce Reveals Tosun Everton Integration Plan With Striker on Cusp of £27m Transfer

Everton are facing a race against time to register Cenk Tosun in time for the £27m signing to be selected for the Merseyside derby FA Cup tie against Liverpool.

The departing Besiktas star is on Merseyside after he underwent a medical and reportedly agreed terms on a four and a half year deal to join the Toffees after a breakthrough in negotiations between both clubs on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the third round clash with their rivals (via the Mirror) Blues boss Sam Allardyce revealed that he planned to stick Tosun on the bench for the trip to Anfield.

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That would only occur, however, if Everton finalised all the paperwork and managed to send it over to the Football Association ahead of midday on Friday - the cut off point to register players for weekend matches.

Allardyce said: “I think probably if he is available for the bench I think that is the best I’m going to get to.

“The situation has dragged on for a period of time, they’ve finished just before Christmas so there has been a period where he has not done any training...we would be cautious but it is not impossible to get him in the squad on the bench.”

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(You may also be interested in 7 Things to Know About Everton's Potential £25m Arrival Cenk Tosun)

Tosun's impending arrival has piqued the interest of Evertonians thanks to his unknown quantity and goalscoring record in Turkey - his record standing at 64 goals in 142 games for Besiktas.

Allardyce, though, has urged caution over expecting too much from the 26-year-old striker just yet as he looked to manage expectations over Tosun moving to Goodison Park.

The 63-year-old added: “Look, there is going to be a massive pressure on him if we do clinch the signing that he is successful straight away which I’m cautious about.

“We can’t have researched any more and can’t have looked at the qualities of the player, in terms of talent and goalscoring, and also from a resilience and mentality point of view.

“You can’t look at more than we have done and think that this is, for what is available at the price we are paying, the best in Europe at the moment.

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“This lad looks like he’s got a huge, strong mentality and a good pedigree. He is a player who is desperate to come to play in the Premier League and I like what he has done in the past as a footballer, particularly recently as he is Turkey’s No 1 striker.

“He has scored goals in the Champions League, he has scored goals in the league. He’s a bit of an all rounder. He has got some good movement, two footed.

“We will try to break him in gently but I don’t think you break anyone in gently in January transfer windows. It is more sleeves rolled up and get on with it.”