‘Suitcases in hand’ – Everton only club named for player, €14m will do the trick

Everton could be presented with an opportunity to sign Samu Chukwueze in the January transfer window, as AC Milan look at a potential sale.

That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that Milan may be planning changes in January and moving on players who have ‘too often betrayed expectations’.

Chukwueze is one of them after failing to impress so far this season despite putting in a series of good displays ahead of the new campaign.

He’s far from the most expensive purchase in recent years but his performances have been ‘decidedly below expectations’ and he could be moved on because of that.

Milan believe that he still has admirers in Europe thanks to his performances in Spain with Villarreal and Gazzetta name Everton specifically. There could also be potential buyers from Saudi Arabia if they put him on the market.

Any deal would have to be for at least €14m to help the Italian side’s balance sheet, but that is not a prohibitive figure by any means and there is a belief the forward has his ‘suitcases in hand’.

What would be a problem, and Gazzetta say as much, is the player’s €4m a year wages. The alternative solution to that would be a loan with a right of redemption included.

Everton could not engage in such a deal given they filled their loan slots with the signings of Orel Mangala and Jesper Lindstrom in the summer. One of them would have to leave in January before Chukwueze could arrive on loan from Milan.