Despite reports of a fee agreed for the Belgian midfielder over the summer, Everton’s attempts to sign Axel Witsel from Zenit Saint-Petersburg proved futile as the player ended up rejecting their advances.
Also coming extremely close to signing for Juventus on transfer deadline day (he passed a medical and everything), the 27-year-old has had to wait a bit longer for his transfer, but light appears to be appearing at the end of the tunnel.
The Italian website say that €15m were offered to Zenit by Everton for their midfielder, as well as a ‘pharaonic’ salary, but, like in the summer, the player has dismissed a move to the Premier League.
China are also getting involved, with André Villas-Boas doing his utmost to try and convince him to join him at Shanghai SIPG, but all the player wants is Juventus.
Even Barcelona are said to be interested, with the La Liga champions also ready to offer him better wages than Juventus, yet they would only do so if he could move on a free transfer.
With a contract running out in June 2017, this would mean delaying his move until the summer, something the player appears reluctant to do, wanting to leave Russia as soon as possible.
It appears it’s Juventus in January or nobody for the Belgian, and it’s a no to Ronald Koeman and Everton, it would seem.
