Everton Table An Offer For €40m Teenage Sensation: Should They Pay That Price? | OneFootball

Everton have stolen a march on Europe’s elite. According to reports from Africa Foot, via Sport Witness, the Toffees have tabled a formal opening bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s teenage sensation Christian Kofane. It is an unexpected, aggressive twist to the summer window.

Everton launch audacious bid for Leverkusen starlet Christian Kofane

The Merseysiders are long-term admirers. They tracked the 19-year-old Cameroon international well before his five million euro move from Albacete Balompié to Germany last July. Now, David Moyes has authorised a massive gamble to bring him to Goodison Park.

It is a crowded race. Arsenal previously led the queue, with Barcelona, Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich all sniffing around. The hype is real, stoked by agent Eric Depolo, who publicly branded his client a future hundred-million-euro asset. Leverkusen are playing hardball, too, demanding that exact nine-figure sum. Moyes, however, needs a reliable frontman right now to replace underperforming attackers, and the Goodison board are waiting on a response.

The madness of a nine-figure price tag

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: Christian Kofane of Bayer 04 Leverkusen runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Arsenal Stadium on March 17, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Fiscally, Everton are on a tightrope. Paying anything near Leverkusen’s public valuation is an absurd, unjustifiable risk for a player with so little top-flight experience.

Kofane looks the part. He is tall, has a brute physical presence with a crisp technical baseline developed at the AS Nylon youth academy. His record-breaking Champions League strike against PSV Eindhoven offered a glimpse of a staggering ceiling. Yet, five league goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances tell a different story.

The raw numbers require a reality check. Totalling seven goals and nine assists across 44 total outings last term proves he was a rotation option, starting just 20 times. For a player currently valued at €40m on Transfermarkt, the gap between his actual output and Leverkusen’s asking price is cavernous.

Moyes needs immediate, battle-tested productivity. Not an expensive project. Blowing the entire summer budget on potential could completely cripple the club’s rebuilding plans. If the German club reject a sensible, structured offer closer to that €40m mark, Everton must simply walk away.

Alternative options exist. The recruitment team should pivot toward more sensible, cost-effective targets in the French or Portuguese markets. Dropping a teenager into a high-pressure Premier League dogfight under a massive price tag often ruins young careers before they start. Let Arsenal or Newcastle overpay for potential. Everton need guaranteed efficiency.