Premier League rivals Everton and West Ham United have made loan bids for Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone but FIFA red tape looks set to scupper their hopes of a January swoop, as reported by TEAMtalk.
Simeone, you see, has already played for two different clubs this season.
Before joining Hellas Verona on a loan-to-buy deal at the end of August, the Argentina international made a brief substitute appearance during Cagliari’s 2-2 draw with Spezia.
And it seems that six-minute cameo is all that stands between Simeone and mid-season switch to the Premier League.
TEAMtalk claim that the striker’s camp have attempted to appeal the situation only to be told that the rules are ‘set in stone’.
That’s that, then.
Simeone will not be heading to Merseyside or East London when the transfer window opens in a fortnight’s time.
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Everton and West Ham are understood to have made loan bids for the £14 million-rated frontman.
This is not the first time David Moyes’ Hammers have expressed their interest either. The high-flying Londoners failed with a bid for Simeone over the summer too.
Their loss has undoubtedly been Hellas’ gain.
With 12 goals in just 16 games, this is shaping up to be the best season of Simeone’s career. He netted a match-winning brace against Juventus and scored all four goals in an October thrashing of Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.
Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, came close to joining Leeds United in the summer of 2020. Cagliari’s president confirmed Leeds’ interest but blocked the move as the Sardinians did not have enough time left in the window to secure a replacement.
Everton, meanwhile, have seen lack of firepower has been brutally exposed by the injury-enforced absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. West Ham are also expected to prioritise a new centre-forward in the January market.
The Hammers have reportedly made a bid for Basel hitman Arthur Cabral.
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