Of all the deals Everton do this summer, getting rid of Morgan Schneiderlin is likely to be up there with their best.
The Frenchman had fallen far down the pecking order at Goodison Park and, alongside a questionable attitude and a huge wage packet, was a problem that needed solving.
Selling him to Nice did just that, even if there were some questions about the price Everton eventually accepted for the deal.
Nice’s interest came out of nowhere for most, with a deal wrapped in a relatively quick manner given the Blues history of dragging out deals to the point of exhaustion in the past.
The fact anyone was willing to take the midfielder from Everton was a surprise to most on Merseyside but, it seems there was more interest in him than first thought.
Le 10 Sport report today that Nice weren’t the only side keen on signing him this summer, with Saint-Etienne also having shown an interest.
The website explains that ASSE were ‘not able’ to complete a deal, and it was all because of how much Schneiderlin was asking for.
Claude Puel is keen to ‘surround himself’ with more experienced players this summer and, as well as contacting Nampalys Mendy at Leicester, looked at Schneiderlin.
They were aware he was available at ‘low prices’ in the current market and thus ‘worked’ on him for ‘several weeks’ trying to find an agreement over a deal.
That, though, never happened as, because the club are facing financial difficulties, they were unable to reach Schneiderlin’s wage demands.
What those demands were aren’t mentioned, but given it was reported he was earning over £100k a week at Everton, it’s hardly surprising.
He instead opted to join Patrick Vieira at Nice, who had a ‘greater financial capacity’ and so were able to give him the money he was after.
