If Everton were feeling a little bit hurt at the recent rejection from Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, then the news he has also turned down Saudi Arabia may help matters.
O Jogo cover the striker today following an interview in his native Iran, where he revealed he had turned down the chance to join Everton this summer.
They explain that a few days before turning 31, Taremi spoke openly on the transfer market and the ambitions that guide him in this regard, a conversation which naturally saw him bringing up proposals that he’d already turned down.
Among the ‘main interested parties’ are Everton, who remain desperate to sign a striker this summer after struggling in that department last season while Dominic Calvert-Lewin again struggled with injuries.
“I have now received an offer from Everton, but I do not consider it interesting for me,” the striker is quoted as saying.
That denial is the second he has given to the Premier League in the last year, having also turned down Newcastle last summer as he preferred to stay at Porto and play in the Champions League.
Aside from Everton he has also received an offer from Al Hilal this summer, who were willing to offer him €35m in an annual salary, a figure that didn’t tempt him as he wants to continue playing at the highest level in Europe.
That is something neither the Al Hilal or Everton can offer him and so he is remaining where he is for the time being, perhaps waiting to see if better offers arrive.
Whether that helps to soothe the wounds at Goodison Park is up for debate, but we’re sure it’ll help somewhat to know they weren’t the only ones being rejected by Taremi in recent weeks.