Premier League outfit Everton reportedly offered £26m for Dinamo Zagreb’s Spain U21 star Dani Olmo before signing Iwobi from Arsenal.
Everton failed with a £26 million bid for Spanish U21 star Dani Olmo before the transfer window slammed shut, according to Sportske Novosti, and this certainly raises questions about the eventual signing of Alex Iwobi.
Just before Thursday’s 5:00pm deadline brought an end to the wheeling and dealing throughout the Premier League, the Toffees confirmed a shock £30 million deal for Arsenal winger Iwobi.
Iwobi might have made great strides under Unai Emery at the Emirates last season but the general consensus appears to be that the Nigeria international was not Everton’s first choice.
It is no coincidence, after all, that Everton turned to Iwobi once it became clear that a deal for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha wasn’t going to happen. But maybe the Gunners academy graduate was even further down the list of targets than we realised.
According to reports in Europe, Everton failed with a £26 million offer for Dinamo Zagreb star Olmo recently. The reigning champions of Croatia decided to hang on to their undisputed talisman despite interest from across the continent.
A versatile and technically gifted winger, Olmo netted 12 goals and provided nine assists last season before shining as Spain won the U21 European Championships in Italy. He even scored against Germany in the final with an impudent chip.
So the pressure is on Iwobi to perform and fast. Everton had shown absolutely no interest in the 23-year-old until the final 48 hours in the transfer window so, after bids for Zaha and Olmo failed, you have to wonder whether he was little more than a last resort.
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