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Everton are hopeful Henry Onyekuru will be able to obtain a work permit this summer.

The Nigerian forward joined the Blues in June, 2017 from little known Belgium outfit KAS Eupen in a deal worth over £7m – but has yet to play for the Blues.

Onyekuru hit 22 goals and registered nine assists during the 2016-17 campaign to finish as joint top scorer in Belgium's top flight and spark a race for his signature.

Everton fended off the interest off clubs including Arsenal and Celtic, but have not been able to play him due to eligibility issues.

But the ECHO has learnt that the Blues are growing increasingly hopeful they will have a robust case to present to the Football Association in order to get the green light to to use a player who will have been on the books at Goodison for over two years by the start of next season.

Read more about Onyekuru's season at Galatasaray HERE

The 21-year-old, a graduate of the Qatar-based Aspire Academy, was immediately sent on loan to Anderlecht after joining Everton in the hope that a campaign of Champions League football, and in a World Cup year, would improve his chances of being able to play in the Premier League.

Everton agreed two-year deal with the Belgian club, but had the ability to recall him after one season, yet a promising start was cut short by a knee injury – which required surgery and then rehab at Finch Farm - and, then, a broken relationship with Anderlecht boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck.

(Image: Activate Digital)

Onyekuru only played once more that season after suffering medial ligament damage and accused Vanhaezebrouck of not selecting him on purpose, thus ruining his chances of playing for Nigeria in Russia and, therefore, his hopes of getting a work permit to launch his career at Goodison.

Anderlecht would release a statement to the ECHO denying the player's claims.

A second season on loan was essential for Onyekuru but with the player having no intention of returning to Brussels a deal was struck with Galatasaray to take him for the 2018-19 term.

Everton keeping a close eye on Onyekuru

Everton's director of football Marcel Brands has yet to watch Onyekuru, who played in the Europa League against Benfica last night, in the flesh but members of his new-look scouting team have done so.

Follow all the latest Everton news and transfer gossip HERE

And in total, the Blues' transfer chief and his recruitment department have cast an eye over the young forward live and on television, 12 times this season.

Marco Silva, too, has been keeping tabs on Onyekuru and has watched a number of his performances on TV although the young forward was not part of the squad that returned to Finch Farm last summer for pre-season training with the Portuguese coach.

“Yes, we are doing our work and are aware of everything he is doing,” Silva said.

“It is the same with all of our loan players and at the end of the season we will take a decision.

(Image: MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images)

“We are following him like we are all the loan players and, as you know, we have a big number of loan players and we have to do that work and take the right decisions for us.”

It remains unclear if Onyekuru, work permit permitting, will feature in Silva's plans over the long-term but after scoring 19 goals in 56 appearances for Anderlecht and, so far, Galatasaray he is sure to be given a chance to impress.

Everton, who are understood to have pocketed a £1m loan fee from the Turkish club, will also be mindful that they could make a tidy profit on the player should they choose to sell.

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Work permit hope but player sounds unsure

Speaking with the Turkish media last week, the Nigeria international hinted he would like to remain at the club if his Premier League “dream” cannot happen.

Everton, however, are growing hopeful that Onyekuru can meet the complicated work permit criteria based on playing in the Champions League and Europa League for the Turkish giants as well as his national team.

Onyekuru, who turns 22 in early June, has made seven appearances for his country and featured in all four of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that have taken place this year.

Injury put paid to his hopes of playing in the other eight internationals in 2018, including the three group games Nigeria played in at the World Cup in Russia, but the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in June is another chance for him to strengthen his work permit claims.

Henry Onyekuru in numbers Eupen 2015/16 Appearances 19 Goals 6 Eupen 2016/17 Appearances 38 Goals 22 Anderlecht 17/18 Appearances 19 Goals 9 Galatasaray 19/20 Appearances 19 Goals 9

Transfer tales

Official Football Association documents confirm that the player and registering intermediary in the deal which brought Onyekuru to Everton from Eupen was William Abraham D'Avila Dit Dabela of the Mitem SPRL agency.

Unconfirmed reports, however, have emerged to say another agent has challenged that with the governing body.

An FA spokesperson would only tell the ECHO: “The FA cannot comment on the existence of Rule K proceedings as it is a confidential legal process”.

At the other end of the Onyekuru deal was Iranian-born Mogi Bayat, a big mover in the Belgian and French markets.

Bayat was given an official mandate by Eupen to negotiate, on their behalf, the sale of the Nigerian although in tune with a summer of record spending, but one that lacked a defined strategy, it is not clear who, at Everton, pushed for Onyekuru's signing.