Sporting Club de Portugal will ‘open talks’ with Everton next week over a new loan deal for goalkeeper Joao Virginia.
That’s according to Record, who say the Portuguese club believe that the €5m purchase clause included in his current deal is ‘excessive’.
Virginia has been on loan with them from Everton since the summer and, while he has not featured regularly, has made enough of an impression with those in charge.
They are keen to keep him around, as manager Ruben Amorim announced last week, but they don’t want to pay the figure they agreed last year for a permanent deal.
Instead, the plan is to sit down with Everton after their final game of the season against Arsenal tomorrow and try to discuss a new loan deal for the 22-year-old.
How receptive Everton will be to this idea isn’t mentioned, but they recently extended Asmir Begovic’s contract for another year, so there is no need for them to bring Virginia back this summer.
Indeed his deal at Goodison Park doesn’t expire until 2024, so they are likely to be more open to another loan deal because there is no risk of losing him on a free.
Having negotiated a purchase clause last year, though, it seems they would like to secure a sale at some point, and we’re sure that’ll be a part of the new negotiations with Sporting.
