Everton boss Sean Dyche has confirmed that a number of clubs are chasing the signature of Preston North End target Tom Cannon.
Dyche has been speaking to Sky Sports this afternoon ahead of Everton taking on Sheffield United in the Premier League this weekend.
The Toffees are looking to wheel and deal in the final hours of the window having splashed out for Udinese striker Beto this week.
Midfielder Alex Iwobi is wanted at Fulham whilst rumours continue to surround the future of striker Cannon.
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PNE have been desperate to bring Cannon back to Deepdale this summer after a successful loan spell in the second half of last season.
This has been rumbling for weeks now and yet there is still no firm update on whether Cannon will actually be a PNE player come Friday’s deadline.
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Dyche has now admitted that Everton have to look into selling both Iwobi and Cannon in an attempt to bring money into the club.
Dyche noted that Cannon’s situation is slightly different to that of Iwobi given the former Arsenal midfielder’s contract situation.
The Everton boss did admit that a number of clubs are looking at both Iwobi and Cannon with the Toffees exploring potential deals.
“There’s a few circling a few of our players, he’s one of them,” said Dyche on Iwobi. “There’s nothing in agreement yet but there’s him and Tom Cannon in similar sort of situations, a number of clubs circling their situations.”
“The obvious thing that has been apparent is that the club have to look at the business side of it, and there is a business side of it, quite obviously, a player with a year left – Tom slightly differently. Money is not free-flowing, so it has to be looked at,” he added.
The Tom Cannon chaos timeline
22nd July: Cannon attends PNE’s pre-season friendly win over Aberdeen at Deepdale with supporters taking photos alongside the Everton striker, sparking hopes of a return.
1st August: The Sun’s Alan Nixon reports that PNE are closing in on a £1million loan deal to bring Cannon back to Deepdale.
9th August: Reports from the Liverpool Echo suggested that Cannon was scheduled to complete a move to PNE but Everton pulled the plug and forced a delay.
26th August: BBC Radio Lancashire’s Andy Bayes claims noises that Cannon would be leaving Everton in a deal worth around £5million to £7million.
30th August: The Sun’s Alan Nixon reports that Championship rivals Middlesbrough have submitted a bid to purchase Cannon after selling Chuba Akpom to Ajax.
30th August: Sky Sports report that Norwich City have offered £7million to sign Cannon whilst The Athletic add that Everton have received offers worth up to £7.5million.
30th August: Reliable Everton source El Bobble claims on Twitter that Cannon has asked to leave Goodison Park for first-team football elsewhere.
31st August: Nixon claims that PNE aren’t giving up and are trying to come up with a package to sign Cannon permanently, rivalling Middlesbrough’s alleged £4million offer.
31st August: The Northern Echo’s Dominic Shaw reports that Cannon is ‘unlikely’ to be signing for Middlesbrough.
31st August: Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider claims that Leicester City and Southampton are both looking to sign Cannon before the transfer deadline.