Everton submit ‘dry loan offer’ for player – Exit door has been opened for him

Everton have made an offer to loan Lyon midfielder Orel Mangala until the end of the season, while covering his wages.

That’s according to L’Equipe, who report that the midfielder could be set to make a quick return to the Premier League.

The newspaper explains that Lyon are happy to move Mangala on this summer, despite him only arriving from Nottingham Forest in January and his loan move being made official this summer.

The French club are currently finalising a deal for Inter Milan’s Tanner Tessmann and that will open the door for Mangala to depart.

He’s now convinced in Ligue 1 and his managers are looking for a way out. That could be at Everton, who have just made a ‘dry loan offer’ for the 26-year-old until the end of the season. They would cover his wages entirely for the campaign.

The Blues are in need of a midfield reinforcement after selling Amadou Onana and it seems they may see his Belgium teammate as an option.

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri adds to this, reporting that Mangala is ‘close’ to being sent to Everton on loan. According to his information, Lyon are ‘very confident’ the deal can be done and the player is very much not in their plans.

He adds that John Textor, who owns Lyon but is trying to buy Everton, is doing ‘his first club to club business’ with the deal.

We doubt he’s involved deeply but it does add an interesting sub-text to the matter, which appears to be progressing before deadline day.