Everton are aiming to raid the Serie A heavyweights for their Italy U21 right-back Davide Calabria – but he’s not leaving San Siro.
Everton might have more funds than ever before thanks to majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri but all the money in the world might not tempt AC Milan to part company with Davide Calabria.
Calciomercato report that the Toffees have been watching the 21-year-old academy graduate for some time, even before he became a first-team regular following the appointment of club legend Gennaro Gattuso as manager before Christmas.
Though it is understood that Milan will issue a firm hands off approach and that should come as no surprise. Calabria has been one of the first names on the team-sheet under Gattuso, starting eight Serie A games under the new boss and capping his recent rise with a brilliantly taken goal in Sunday’s 2-0 away win at Roma, his first in Italy’s top flight.
So even though Calciomercato are reporting that Everton will continue to keep tabs on the Italy U21 defender, it seems that the Toffees have left it far too late to actually make their move.
Maybe if Everton had launched a concrete bid in last summer’s transfer window, they would have stood a much better chance.
After all, Calabria started the season as Milan’s third choice right back behind the experienced Ignazio Abate and the rampaging Andrea Conti, who signed from Atalanta for £21 million during the club’s eye-catching recruitment drive.
Conti suffered a knee injury in September however and has been sidelined ever since while Abate has barely had a look in under Gattuso. In that time, Calabria has established himself and surely ruined Everton’s hopes of seeing him at Goodison Park.
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