Everton fans may well remember when Gerard Deulofeu first moved to AC Milan, and, after a couple of good performances, he was held aloft as Goodison Park’s neglected Messi and a sure thing to be a Rossoneri legend.
As we repeatedly pointed out, Deulofeu has been good, but not quite as good as some of the gushing would have suggested. The Everton owned player’s excellent cameo for Spain against France hyped things up further, but it’s gone a lot quieter since.
In Spain there’s an acceptance Deulofeu won’t return to play a bit-part at Barcelona, and that’s pretty much the only role he could be offered. And in Italy it’s been slowly accepted that, whilst Deulofeu is a good footballer, he’s not the second coming of Kaka.
Now comes the time for Milan to think seriously about signing Deulofeu permanently, and it seems their tactic will be to spread stories they’re not that fussed unless Everton put forward a good price.
Gazzetta dello Sport say the word coming out of Milan is that Deulofeu is not indispensable, will only be signed from Everton on ‘reasonable terms’, ‘the issue will be carefully evaluated’, and, anyway, ‘other names are ready for that role’.
It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
