Everton Boss Sam Allardyce Responds to Leipzig Interest in Permanent Ademola Lookman Deal

Sam Allardyce has admitted that Everton could be open to offers for Ademola Lookman - but only if any bids are too good to realistically turn down.

The Blues boss spoke to the press on Thursday (via ​Liverpool Echo) and opened up about the youngster's future at Goodison Park after RB Leipzig expressed an interest in signing him permanently.

Lookman is nearing the end of a six-month loan deal that took him to the ​Bundesliga club in the January transfer window, and he has netted two goals in seven appearance so far for the German outfit as he sought regular first-team football.

Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick revealed on Thursday that Leipzig would look to sign the 20-year-old permanently in the summer if the opportunity arose to do so.

And Allardyce, who has had to bat away concerns about his own future on Merseyside recently, explained why a huge offer for Lookman's signature could end up forcing ​Everton's hand and making them sell him on.

He said: “It depends what we think as a board of directors and as a football department. Where are we going to go if we let him go? What are we going to do with the money that we’re going to accumulate from him? How much money are they going to offer?

“Everybody has a price so if the price goes to where we think we should accept it then I would recommend it but if the price doesn’t get anywhere near then we’ll have him back here and see how he goes on next season.”

Allardyce had tried to send the ex-Charlton wonderkid out on loan to ​Derby County three months ago, but Lookman dug his heels in and pressed to move to the German top flight instead.

That move hasn't exactly worked out for the England Under-20 World Cup winner with less minutes than he had anticipated, and Allardyce appeared to aim a sly dig at the winger over the Leipzig switch.

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He added: “He hasn’t played as much as he wanted to. His gripe with me was he wasn’t getting picked but in all fairness he’s had very limited experience on their pitch as well, hasn’t he.

“So if he wants to go there he may say he’s not played enough football so may say he’s not sure about going there, but if he does we would have to listen to what the offer is and that’s to be done between the board and the director of football.

“When it comes to me and they say ‘it’s this much’ I’ll have my say, they’ll have their say, everyone has a say, we make a decision and move on.”