TOSUN AFTER DERBY DEBUT
New-boy Cenk to sink Reds
CENK TOSUN could get a Merseyside derby debut if Everton sign him in time to face Liverpool tonight.
Manager Sam Allardyce believes Turkey’s top striker has what it takes to be a hit in England, after he agreed to join the Toffees.
Allardyce is wary of the pressure Tosun will come under to deliver goals instantly when his £27m move from Besiktas is completed – but is confident he can handle it.
“There is going to be massive pressure on him if we do clinch the ® signing that he is successful straight away, which I’m cautious about,” said Allardyce.
“We can’t have researched any more and looked at the qualities of the player any more, not just from a talent or a goalscoring point of view, but also a resilience and mentality point of view.
“This lad looks like he’s got a huge, strong mentality and a good pedigree.
“He is desperate to play in the Premier League so I like the sound of what he is saying and what he has done, particularly recently as he is Turkey’s No.1 striker.
“I think this is – for what is available at the price we are paying – the best in Europe at the moment.”
Everton were last night finalising Tosun’s four-year contract. They need to register him by midday to give him a place on the bench at Anfield in the FA Cup third round. Allardyce said: “We would be cautious but it is not impossible to get him in the squad on the bench.”
Everton are chasing their first Anfield win since Kevin Campbell scored in a 1-0 victory in 1999.
The Toffees grabbed a draw there in December, with Wayne Rooney scoring a penalty to cancel out Mohamed Salah’s opener.
Allardyce insists he will go for the win tonight with a strong team.
He said: “You can’t go to Anfield with anything other than your strongest side. We want to pick the best team we can to compete against Liverpool and give it our best shot.
“We can’t let them get their noses in front, so we can’t allow their attacking play to lift the whole stadium because the players then excite the fans and the atmosphere gets electric, which it is every derby.” FOOTBALL Premier League Tottenham (0) ............ 1 West Ham (0) ............ 1
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