Everton are set to allow Sporting Lisbon to sign Joao Virginia on loan with an option to buy the promising Portuguese goalkeeper next summer, according to Record.
Virginia moved to Goodison Park from Arsenal’s academy in 2018 in the hopes of kicking on in his career. The 21-year-old helped David Unsworth’s U23s win the Premier League 2 title in his debut season, before joining Reading on loan.
Virginia struggled to establish himself in the Championship and saw Everton terminate his Royals stay in January 2020. He returned to his reserve team duties on Merseyside, but finally broke into the senior fold under Carlo Ancelotti last season.
Ancelotti handed Virginia his Everton bow in the EFL Cup against Salford City in September. Injuries to Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen later forced Ancelotti to then trust Virginia in the Premier League and FA Cup, yet saw the U21 international thrive under the pressure.
But Rafa Benitez does not seem as keen on Virginia since replacing Ancelotti at Everton. The Toffees are now willing to loan the shot-stopper to Sporting, who will only cover half of his £10,000-per-week contract.
Sporting will also obtain an option to purchase Virginia from Everton for just €3.5m (£3m) next summer. His move could even be finalised by the end of the week, with a medical scheduled for Thursday.
Virginia will undergo the necessary checks once he has completed his self-isolation period in line with current Coronavirus restrictions. He replaces Luis Maximiliano at Sporting after the 22-year-old finalised a permanent move to Granada for €5m (£4m) on Tuesday.
Will Everton regret allowing Sporting to sign Virginia on loan-to-buy?
Everton could live to regret allowing Sporting to sign Virginia on loan with an option to buy. Especially if the Portuguese side can purchase the Faro-born stopper for £3m, even though his Toffees contract runs to 2024.
The fee will be an absolute steal if Virginia can replicate what he showed for Everton under Ancelotti. He produced saves he had no right to make after settling into his new – and sudden – first-team role. Particularly against Manchester City in the FA Cup, Virginia kept Everton in the game, and Sporting will hope for more.
Virginia was a star in Everton’s U23s before stepping up to the senior fold as an emergency solution, too. Tottenham’s U23s boss Wayne Burnett hailed Virginia, via the Spurs website, for ‘fantastic’ saves that denied his side last term. Holding his unbeaten side to a 0-0 draw.
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