Although most recent stories said West Ham were battling Flamengo for the signing of Gabriel Barbosa from Inter Milan, maybe it’s Everton who were close to getting the player.
Reliable Brazilian journalist Paulo Vinícius Coelho has published an article on his blog saying the Toffees wanted to sign the striker on a permanent deal.
That would have given the Merseyside club an advantage as, according to reports, West Ham wanted him on a loan, just like Flamengo, who ended up landing the player.
It’s said that Everton were offering €15m for the transfer, while Inter Milan demanded €20m. The Italian side gave up because of this money difference, and the Toffees didn’t try hard due to the work permit issue.
Had Everton really wanted they could have tried to get a permit through the points system based on transfer fee and wages, but it’s clear they didn’t.
