Since joining Sporting on a loan spell at the start of the season, it never seemed certain that Everton goalkeeper João Virgínia would make a permanent move to the Lions.
It was claimed many times that the player wasn’t getting enough minutes in Lisbon, and that not only affected the decision from the club, who didn’t test him enough, but also his personal will, as he was looking for more playing time.
So despite the buying option Sporting have, it was reported that the Lions would negotiate a new loan with the Toffees. At the weekend, two Portuguese newspapers said the talks for a second spell were ongoing.
However, in a surprising and very short story from Correio da Manhã today, it’s now claimed that the Lisbon side will buy the player this summer.
The newspaper only needed a couple of sentences to say the Lions will trigger the buying option to hold the goalkeeper, and will pay Everton €5m for the move.
With other outlets still quiet about it, we should probably wait for confirmation before we buy this story. Still, that could also be a first sign that the move is happening, and Virgínia could be leaving Everton for good after four years at the club.
