Premier League trio Wolves, Everton and Crystal Palace have all joined the race to sign Torino’s £17 million-rated Serie A centre-forward Antonio ‘Toni’ Sanabria.
What do Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers have in common? Well, both clubs scored fewer league goals than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland last term.
Crystal Palace managed to avoid such humiliation – thanks in part to a flurry of activity following Roy Hodgson’s return to the Selhurst Park dugout in the spring – but they too only managed 40 across 38 matches.
It will come as no surprise to anyone, then, to learn that all three clubs are hot on the heels of attacking reinforcements. Everton need a forward to ease the burden on an injury-stricken Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Wolves look set to lose Raul Jimenez as well as Diego Costa. And Palace are yet to find a number nine capable of taking advantage of Michael Olise and Ebere Eze creative talents.
Is this where Toni Sanabria comes in, perhaps?
Toni Sanabria may be on his way to the Premier League
Torino Granata report Everton, Wolves and Crystal Palace are interested in the Paraguay poacher. Torino president Urbano Cairo is willing to listen to offers in the region of £17 million, and Palace appear to have an ace up their sleeve too.
Eagles frontman Jean-Philippe Mateta, the report adds, is in talks over a move to the Granata. Sanabria could potentially move in the other direction, the latter replacing the former and vice versa.
A physical, instinctive penalty area who comes alive inside the six-yard box; Sanabria scored 12 goals in Serie A last season. He once scored a La Liga hat-trick at the age of just 19 when at Sporting Gijon, and spent time in the academies of Barcelona and Roma.
“Sanabria is an extraordinary player for me,” Cairo tells Gazzetta dello Sport. “I remember very well when he arrived in 2021, in January, when we weren’t in a very good position. And he scored some very important goals for us.
“He has incredible quality. An extraordinary boy, with an incredible character, always available, always ready to accept advice and improve.
“He’s a guy I’m very fond of. He’s also a silent guy, who doesn’t boast about anything. He has incredible qualities.”
Both Everton and Wolves are likely to keep their powder relatively dry this summer; the Toffees and the Wanderers not exactly in a position where they can throw their weight around in the window.
Sanabria’s relatively-affordable £17 million asking price, however, could still put him within the reach of Sean Dyche and Julen Lopetegui.
Arsenal have also been linked.
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