Atletico sold Nico Gaitan for fraction of £18m Everton were quoted

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Everton were reportedly willing to offer Nico Gaitan an escape route from La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

Nico Gaitan struggled to make any sort of impression after swapping Benfica for Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2016, but that did not stop a number of Premier League clubs aiming to offer the Argentine winger a fresh start.

According to Marca, Everton, West Ham and Southampton were all keen and were told they could sign Gaitan as long as they ensured Atleti would recoup the £18 million they invested in the one-time wonder-kid 18 months ago.

But that fee was obviously a little too steep for Everton and co, because Gaitan did not get his long-awaited move to the Premier League. Instead, he has headed halfway around the world to China, joining his fellow Atleti outcast Yannick Carrasco at newly promoted Dalian Yifang.

Although according to Football Italia, Diego Simeone’s side were happy to see Gaitan leave for far less. It is understood that he cost Dalian Yifang only £5 million, which is a real coup for the Chinese Super League outfit as local rules stipulate that a club must pay 100 per cent tax on any transfer fee above that amount.

And Atletico will not have been too worried about being short changed considering that Yifang, who lost 8-0 in the league opener to Shanghai SIPG, paid around £63 million for Carrasco.

But have Everton and West Ham really missed out? Gaitan is an old school winger renowned for his pinpoint delivery and penchant for the unpredictable; attributes a Toffees side that has lacked natural width all season could have done with.

West Ham, meanwhile, looked short on attacking inspiration during successive 4-1 defeats to Liverpool and Swansea City but both they and Everton ultimately missed out on a potential bargain.