Everton reportedly wanted to lure ex-Liverpool starlet Luis Alberto back to the Premier League – but he’s staying in Serie A with title-chasing Lazio.
Luis Alberto has seemingly ruled out a move away from Lazio in the near future with the Everton target telling Onda Cero in an Instagram Q&A that a summer departure is ‘practically impossible’.
Philippe Coutinho is not the only former Liverpool playmaker who has been linked with a shock move to the club on the other side of Stanley Park.
Corriere dello sera claimed that Carlo Ancelotti was keen to lure Alberto back to Merseyside having been impressed by a Spanish schemer during his time in Serie A with Napoli. The Lazio star has been arguably the best midfielder in Italian football all season with 2006 World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi even rating him higher than Paul Pogba (TMW).
But despite Everton’s best efforts, it always felt that Alberto was likely to commit his future to the Stadio Olimpico instead. Contract talks are underway and, as the man himself suggests, no one should be putting any money on an imminent departure from Scudetto-chasing Lazio.
“My future is at Lazio, so (a summer switch) is practically impossible,” says Alberto, who has 14 assists in all competitions in 2019/20.
“Talks are at an advanced stage for a contract extension and I think it’ll come soon.”
Reports from Calciomercato suggested that Everton would have to part with £70 million for a genuine match-winner who looked every inch an upgrade on the inconsistent Gylfi Sigurdsson at Goodison Park.
But even if Alberto was up for the idea of turning his back on a Lazio side chasing their first Serie A title in two decades, it feels unlikely that Everton would be willing to pay £70 million for a single player in an era beset by unprecedented financial uncertainty.
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