Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton were reportedly hoping to bring the young, talented midfielder to Goodison Park this month.
A player reportedly sought after by Everton head coach Carlo Ancelotti this January has made a decision on his future.
Earlier this month, Alicante Plaza reported that the Toffees had made contact about a deal to sign Elche midfielder Gonzalo Villar, with Atalanta, Juventus and Roma also keen.
Villar, 21, started out with Elche before a three-year spell at Valencia, and then headed back to the Spanish second division side, where he settled down and impressed.
The Spain Under-21 international has scored once in 22 games this season (Transfermarkt), and his all-round game, namely his passing and technical ability, is particularly impressive.
Everton seemingly wanted Villar as a talent for the future, but Marcel Brands and co have been pipped to his signature by Roma, who have announced his signing.
The Serie A side has signed the player for an initial fee of €4million (£3.4million) while various performance-related clauses, worth up to a maximum of €1million (£840,000), are also included in the deal.
Villar has penned a four-and-a-half year contract with Roma that runs until the summer of 2024.
Roma club chief executive Guido Fienga said: “Gonzalo is exactly the sort of central midfielder we have been looking to add to our squad: he’s young, he’s talented and has great ambition to succeed.”
Everton have been having issues in midfield – Andre Gomes is only just back in training after a serious ankle injury, the likes of Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Fabian Delph have also spent lengthy periods on the treatment table, and Morgan Schneiderlin and Gylfi Sigurdsson have blown hot and cold for much of the season.
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