Everton reportedly wanted to bring Marseille winger Lucas Ocampos to the Premier League before he moved to La Liga with Sevilla.
£13 million is all it would have taken to bring Lucas Ocampos to Everton.
As reported by Goal, that is the fee Sevilla paid to bring the Argentine winger to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan during yet another summer of wholesale changes in Andalusia.
But shortly before Ocampos became the latest in a series of eye-catching additions for Julen Lopetegui’s new-look side, he was being heavily linked with a move to Goodison Park.
According to Calciomercato, Everton too were interested in a player who has represented Monaco, Marseille, AC Milan and River Plate before the age of 25.
Now, Toffees fans won’t need reminding that Marco Silva’s squad is heavy on wingers and short on number tens but, unlike Bernard, Theo Walcott and even Richarlison, Ocampos has enjoyed a dazzling start to the new season.
Two goals and one assist in six games are not exactly mind-blowing statistics but a skilful left-winger who can leave full-backs for dead is in the form of his life in La Liga. He was dazzling once again during Sevilla’s dramatic 3-2 win against Real Sociedad on Sunday, scoring a brilliant individual effort to seal a result which moves his new club just two points adrift of Real Madrid at the top of the early La Liga table.
Already, Ocampos looks like another Monchi masterstroke. Sevilla’s esteemed sporting director brought Ivan Rakitic, Dani Alves, Carlos Bacca and Geoffrey Kondogbia to Andalusia before selling them on for a major profit and Ocampos looks destined to follow in their footsteps.
Not bad for £13 million.
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