Rogerio has told Sassuolo that he will not be signing a new contract with Everton looking to bring the one-time Newcastle United target to the Premier League at last.
While Ashley Young could yet prove to be an inspired piece of business – his performances at Aston Villa last term suggesting plenty of life left in this old dog – the sight of a 38-year-old free-agent arriving at Goodison Park as Everton’s first summer signing is a reminder of the limitations Sean Dyche is working under.
As journalist Paul Brown tells Give Me Sport, The Toffees are currently operating on an ‘extremely limited’ budget, despite a couple of big-money sales in recent windows.
Whether there is enough money on the bank to bring in Brazilian left-back Rogerio, then, only time will tell.
Everton want former Newcastle target Rogerio
Rogerio will be a free-agent in 2024. What’s more, the former Juventus man has reportedly told his Sassuolo bosses that he won’t be signing a new deal (Gianluca di Marzio). As such, the Serie A outfit must sell now, or risk losing Rogerio for free in 12 months’ time.
This, then, may be Sassuolo’s final chance to extract maximum value out of the long-serving 25-year-old. And they are keen to do just that. The Neroverdi want in excess of £8.5 million.
That is around £4 million less than Newcastle were prepared to pay during the summer of 2020, Rogerio lined up by the Magpies at the time as a potential solution to their long-running left-back problem.
“Newcastle called us some time ago, it’s true,” said Sassuolo chief Giovanni Carnevali.
“The conditions weren’t there (for a transfer). We give Rogerio a certain type of value and, if the conditions aren’t there, you can’t do it (the deal).”
Three years on, it is Everton who are in desperate need of a new left-back these days. Vitaliy Mykolenko is currently the only one at Dyche’s disposal; Ruben Vinagre’s loan deal expiring and Niels Nkounkou returning to France with St Etienne.
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