Everton are ‘willing to put up’ €15m to sign Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao in the January transfer window.
That’s according to Tutto Udinese, who cover ‘what is happening’ with the player today amid his failure to sign a new deal with the Italian side.
They explain that Becao has been absent from the side for some time and ‘historical precedents’ hint at that being over his refusal to sign a new deal.
The club have put players in the stands until they’ve signed renewals in the past and most around the club believe this is the reason Becao has also not been seen.
However, Tutto Udinese say otherwise, saying there is nothing ‘mysterious’ in his absence and it is down to a ‘nagging flexor problem’ that the club’s staff have decided not to risk.
He will be available again after the international break but that does not mean his contract situation is any closer to being dealt with.
In fact, his renewal has become a ‘thorny question’ at the club, who have already put forward a proposal to extend his stay beyond it’s current expiry in June 2024.
An agreement has not been found because the defender wants a higher salary as recognition for the leading role he has played in the side in recent years.
There is a distance between the two parties, who have ‘stopped talking to each other’ and decided to postpone everything until the New Year.
In the meantime, there is ‘no shortage of offers’ from the Premier League, where Everton are one of the clubs ‘willing to put up €15m’ to sign him.
They were interested in the summer but decided not to push forward after the arrivals of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski at Goodison Park.
They remain in the picture, though, and Udinese owner Gino Pozzo knows that he will have to sanction a sale if contract talks don’t reach a positive conclusion, something Everton might be hoping for.
