Carlo Ancelotti has asked Everton to sign Allan from Napoli, but a deal is unlikely to happen before Friday’s transfer deadline.
The Blues need a central midfielder this month, with the position having been a problem for the Italian and his predecessor Marco Silva.
Finding one has not been easy, though, and with three days left of the window, they remain on the hunt for their first signing of this window.
Reports in Italy had suggested that Allan, who Ancelotti worked with at Napoli, was the Italian’s ‘dream’ signing but Everton knew a deal was unlikely so were instead looking at players in the same mould as the Brazilian.
The midfielder is aware of the interest but does not yet know that Everton haven’t made a ‘real’ offer for his services.
Napoli want at least €80m to sanction a sale, but Il Mattino say there is ‘no time’ to get a deal done and instead, this ‘enquiry’ from Everton may be with a view to a move in the summer.
However, there’s every chance the player and his entourage are using Everton’s name, and the apparent interest, to push forward a new contract.
Napoli are set to offer the midfielder a four-year deal in February, but the Toffees and Ancelotti’s desire could be useful for them to not only get a better offer but also get it sooner.
To be clear, that’s not Il Mattino’s view, but it’s the sort of thing we’ve seen plenty of times before now when it comes to agents getting the best deals for their clients.
