Everton reportedly want to bring Gabigol to the Premier League from Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo.
Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham are all circling around a £30 million centre-forward – and Diego Costa could hold the key to a big-money January deal.
That is according to Goal, anyway, who claim that the misfiring Atletico Madrid striker has been lined up to replace the coveted Gabriel Barbosa at Brazilian giants Flamengo.
With Flamengo’s season set to come to an end within the next four weeks, the future of so-called ‘Gabigol’ is up in the air. As it stands, he is due to return to parent club Inter Milan when his loan deal expires and a move to the Premier League appears to be on the cards.
The Chronicle reports that shot-shy Newcastle United have been keeping tabs on the 23-year-old, as are Everton and West Ham, via The Mail. Crystal Palace, according to FC Inter News, are planning a £20 million bid – though that is likely to fall about £10 million short of the Nerazzuri’s valuation.
And while Flamengo would love to keep hold of the man who scored twice to inspire their first Copa Libertadores victory since the heady days of Zico in 1981, the Samba powerhouses are reluctantly preparing for Gabigol’s departure with Diego Costa lined up as his successor.
Negotiations are underway already and Goal reports that Filipe Luis, a former team-mate of Costa at Chelsea and Atletico, has been tasked with brokering a deal between the two parties.
Could Everton, Newcastle, West Ham and Palace be given a helping hand by a very unlikely source?
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