Italian newspaper Tuttosport claim on Tuesday that Gerard Deulofeu could reject a move from Everton to Barcelona, because of the 2018 World Cup. After a three year absence, Deulofeu has found his way back into the Spanish set-up, and doesn’t want to be out of it again.
The 23 year old isn’t keen to leave Everton in the summer for Barcelona, only to be glued to the bench and see his national team hopes fade. It was one of the reasons Deulofeu left Everton on loan in the first place, so a lack of game time is clearly not something the player wants.
Tuttosport say ‘Deulofeu prefers the World Cup to Barcelona’ and will makes his choices accordingly. That would be good news for AC Milan, who have hopes of negotiating a deal with Everton.
The 2018 World Cup is likely to impact on many transfers in the next window. Players settled in national squads won’t want to rock the boat too much, and those who need to move clubs to impress will be looking at potential destinations.
It’s a situation Ronald Koeman and Everton will be keeping an eye on, and not just restricted to Deulofeu’s future.
