Neal Maupay wants Marseille move before transfer deadline after Everton receive offer

Neal Maupay and his entourage are interested in the option to leave Everton for Marseille, according to L’Equipe.

The French outlet reported on their website on 20 August that the Ligue 1 side are looking at the Toffees striker and want to secure favourable loan conditions to sign him amid an “urgent” need for liquidity

Everton are not in favour of such a deal with David Ornstein reporting in The Athletic on 20 August that the club have rejected a loan offer from Marseille.

Maupay’s contract expires next summer so he would have to sign an extension and the Toffees want a permanent deal, either now or as an obligation after a loan.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could also leave Everton

Maupay’s struggles since arriving from Brighton mean an exit would not come as a major blow in itself to the Toffees, having scored just once for the club before spending last season on loan at Brentford.

But in the financial circumstances at Goodison Park it is far from ideal to let him essentially go for nothing when there is a year left on his deal, having spent £15million two years ago [BBC Sport].

Selling him now probably makes sense for both player and club but if he wants Marseille it doesn’t look like they have the finances to do a permanent deal now, after spending heavily on the likes of Mason Greenwood from Manchester United and Elye Wahi from Lens.

They clearly have backing so working out a deal that brings in a fee next summer could be possible, but would require Maupay to play ball and sign an extension first.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s future also remains up in the air as he has entered the final 12 months of his own contract and is resisting the offer of a new one [Liverpool Echo, 14 August].

As things stand there aren’t any viable routes to sell him [i News, 12 August] but that could quickly change before the deadline.

That may complicate Maupay’s situation slightly if the club were obliged to accept a Calvert-Lewin bid without time to replace him.

Youssef Chermiti is also currently out injured so the Toffees will need a suitable offer for Maupay or else risk leaving themselves short of forwards for little benefit