Wood linked to $26m deal with Everton

All Whites star Chris Wood is being linked to a £14.6 million (NZ$26M) move to English Premier League club Everton.

While Wood has been in camp with the New Zealand team for the World Cup qualifiers against Fiji, speculation has been swirling in England that the Leeds United striker could be on the move next season.

The Football Insider website reported Wood was on Everton manager Ronald Koeman’s radar if Leeds failed to win promotion to the EPL next season.

The Daily Express picked up the story and speculated Everton ranked seventh in the EPL - might have to pay Leeds £14.6m (NZ$26M) for Wood, who cost £2.5m (NZ$4.4M) when signed from Leicester City in 2015.

Wood is the leading goal scorer in the Championship second-tier with 24 goals in 33 games.

The Waikato product has scored 27 times in all competitions for Leeds and netted from the penalty spot in the All Whites’ 2-0 win over Fiji in Lautoka last Saturday.

Wood has been instrumental in Leeds’ rise to fourth place in the table - in sight of a place in the Premier League playoffs.

Football Insider said the New Zealand international ‘‘has made known his desire to score goals in the Premier League and should [Leeds] fail to secure promotion this season, he will be keen to leave’’.

It said Everton would be looking to add new attacking players with a number of their current strikers including Belgian star Romelu Lukaku - linked with moves away from Merseyside in the off-season.

Former Leeds manager Neil Redfearn said Wood was ‘‘more than capable of playing in the Premier League, and hopefully it’s with Leeds’’. Wood will captain the All Whites in the return leg against Fiji in Wellington tonight.