Everton make £8.5m Johnson offer

Johnson scored 21 goals in Palace's 2004/5 Premiership season

Everton have joined Bolton and Wigan in making an offer of £8.5m with Crystal Palace for striker Andy Johnson.

In a statement on the club's website, Everton said Palace had accepted the bid for the England striker, 25, who is on standby for the World Cup squad.

The offer includes performance-related clauses, as Everton do not want to pay the price in a straightforward deal.

Johnson met with Wigan boss Paul Jewell and chairman Dave Whelan on Friday, with Bolton also waiting to hold talks.

The former Birmingham striker is understood to favour a move to Everton, who were interested in him last summer.

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Johnson is expected to travel to Merseyside within the next 24 hours, the Everton website added.

Palace have conceded they can no longer keep Johnson at Selhurst Park after missing out on promotion to the Premiership.

Wigan were the first team to have an offer accepted while Bolton also want to recruit the striker who netted 21 goals in the 2004-05 Premiership season.