Everton manager hails RB Leipzig target as future of the club

Everton manager Marco Silva is desperate to keep RB Leipzig target Ademola Lookman but concedes the club have work to do to convince the youngster to be patient.

Lookman spent the second half of last season on loan at Leipzig and the Bundesliga side are willing to break the bank in order to re-sign him on a permanent deal.

The German side have already had a series of bids turned down from the Toffees and Everton are reportedly demanding at least £28m for the 20-year-old.

Everton signed Brazilian duo Richarlison and Bernard this summer to bolster their wide areas but Silva has hailed Lookman as the future of the club.

"He is our player. You know what my technical opinion of the player is and the player knows. For me it is not an issue," The Independent quote Silva as saying.

"I understand some clubs are interested in him but at the end I told you last week, I told you two weeks ago, [in] my opinion he is the present and the future of the club and we have to try to convince him to go in this way as well."

Lookman was named in Everton's matchday squad against Wolves last weekend for the first time this season but was not called upon by Silva.

The England U21 international made 11 league appearances for Leipzig last season and played a direct hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in that time.