Stoke and West Ham ready to swoop in on Everton’s Napoli target

Three of the Premier League’s established mid-table outfits look set for a January transfer battle, with Stoke and West Ham joining Everton in the chase for Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini.

Though the Potters and Toffees sit in the top-half of the table, all three sides sit in the bottom ten when it comes to goals scored this season.

Gabbiadini has struggled for first team football at Gli Azzurri this season, averaging just 44 minutes of action in 11 appearances.

Valued at just over £14m by transfermarkt.co.uk, the 25-year-old could be one of the best signings of next month’s window, if he can replicate previous form.

The 6ft 1in striker fired in 15 goals from just 33 Serie A appearances in the 2013-14 campaign, and it’s that level of finishing Premier League outfits will be hoping to rediscover.

While Stoke have plenty of creative players in Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan and Marko Arnautovic, they seek a replacement for 35-year-old target man Peter Crouch.

For West Ham, they’re odds-on to sign at least three players in January, as Slaven Bilic desperately seeks to save the east Londoners’ season, and Gabbiadini could be the man to help with Andy Carroll a continued injury doubt.

And for Everton, some see the pursuit of the Napoli hitman as the latest indication that the Goodison Park outfit will be forced to sell Romelu Lukaku in the summer.

So all three sides have varying reasons for landing the Italian international, but who will win the race for his signature?

The trio all have away fixtures to contend with this weekend, starting with Everton’s trip to Watford.

The Toffees are 7/5 to win at Vicarage Road in Saturday’s lunch-time game, before Stoke look to spring a 15/2 surprise on Arsenal.

And on Sunday, Bilic’s beleaguered Hammers head to Anfield at 9/1 shots to defeat Liverpool.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing