Axel Witsel is headache inducing. It may not be his fault but every transfer window there are claims he’s inches away from signing for an Italian club, and it always falls to pieces.
Usually, an English club or two are thrown into the mix to make things more interesting, with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea enjoying that honour in the past.
Previously everything has broken down because of money. Both the transfer fee Witsel’s current club Zenit want, and the player’s wages.
Despite it being earlier assumed in Italy that he’d have signed for the club by Friday, Gazzetta dello Sport now say the Napoli option is dead.
‘Rich proposals’ from Liverpool and Everton mean that Witsel knows his value, and although he’s attracted by Italy, he obviously wants good terms too.
Witsel’s new Italian club is Inter Milan. The king is dead, long live the king.
Thursday’s copy of the Italian newspaper has an Il Mercato feature on page 4 explaining the situation. The Inter Milan ‘sirens’ are growing for Witsel, and he’s been seduced by Italy whilst on holiday.
Many of us go away on our summer holidays and wish we could up sticks and move there, and that’s what Gazzetta think has happened with Witsel. He’s travelled to Sardinia and is staying at Santa Margherita di Pula, happy to chat to other holidaymakers and dish out autographs.
The Italian newspaper say Witsel can escape the ‘harsh’ climate of St Petersburg and ‘icy’ Russia. He’s intrigued by Inter interest and they reckon a deal could be done within 7 days.
So what of Liverpool and Everton? Well, it looks like Liverpool’s name has been dragged in because a Merseyside battle makes everything a bit sexier.
Everton are repeatedly linked in Italy, Belgium and Russia. There seems to be something there, but it’d be no surprise if the Goodison Park club have got a little fed up with Witsel, and the transfer circus that follows him constantly, even when he’s holiday.
