Yannick Bolasie travelled to Merseyside on Sunday to undergo a medical at Everton before a £25m transfer, which could potentially rise to a club record £30m, having bid farewell to his team-mates at Crystal Palace.
The Democratic Republic of Congo winger, who came off the bench in Palace’s 1-0 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, had made clear his desire for a fresh start after four years at Selhurst Park.
Bristol City, who sold Bolasie to Palace in 2012 for only £350,000, are due a substantial windfall having inserted a sizeable sell-on fee into the original move.
Alan Pardew, who is already seeking to add two strikers to his squad before the closure of the transfer window later this month, will also want a like-for-like replacement for the departing 27-year-old, but an enquiry lodged with Manchester United to take Ashley Young on loan has been knocked back. United would prefer to sell the former England international.
The Palace manager was a reluctant seller but accepted Bolasie’s “heart and soul may be elsewhere” after Everton formally lodged their interest last week.
Steve Walsh, the Merseysiders’ newly appointed director of football, is a longstanding admirer of the forward and had been interested in taking him to Leicester earlier this summer. “We know there is a big offer and a big club in for him,” said Pardew on Saturday. “The deal is close and he will go with my best wishes.”
Palace also expect Mile Jedinak to depart the club this week with the Australia international, who lost the captaincy to Scott Dann this summer, due to drop into the Championship with Aston Villa. Jedinak, 32, has entered the final year of his contract in south London and will leave after five years as a mainstay of the team who rose from the second tier to establish themselves in the top flight. He threw his shirt into the crowd at the end of Saturday’s game at Selhurst Park.
Pardew spoke last week of this being a season of “transition” at Palace but will also expect a replacement to be purchased for Jedinak. Of the forward options being pursued, the club now face competition from West Brom for Liverpool’s Christian Benteke after a month of talks with the Merseyside club failed to yield agreement over a fee.