Everton were reportedly set to bring Mendes to the Premier League in January when Idrissa Gana Gueye looked set to leave for Ligue 1 champions PSG.
Everton had agreed a £20 million deal to sign Lille midfielder Thiago Mendes in the January transfer window, according to La Voix Du Nord.
The Brazilian enforcer has been in fine form this season, helping transform Lille into a side capable of challenging for the Champions League places after they narrowly avoided relegation in the 2017/18 campaign.
And the report claims that Everton had identified Mendes as their first choice target last month, with Idrissa Gana Gueye pushing for a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
It is understood that Everton had agreed a fee of £20 million, plus bonuses, that would see Mendes leave France for Goodison Park. But, when they decided to block Gueye’s move to the Parc des Princes, the 26-year-old was forced to stay with Lille.
How did he feel when his big-money move to Merseyside fell through? Well, La Voix Du Nord reports that he was understandably a little disappointed.
There is still a chances that Mendes, who won gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, could move to China before the end of February but it seems likely that he will stay at the Stade Pierre Mauroy until the summer instead.
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