Reported Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton target Thomas Lemar has his heart set on the Premier League and has turned down the chance to join Porto, according to FootMercato.
With bitter rivals Benfica spending big in an attempt to reclaim the Portuguese crown – investing over £70 million on new signings including Jan Vertonghen and Brazil international Everton Soares – Porto are trying to make a statement signing of their own.
Reports in France claim that the 2020 Primeira Liga champions have made a move to lure £53 million Atletico Madrid misfit Lemar to the Estadio do Dragao.
But, after two miserable years under Diego Simeone, the World Cup winning play-maker is planning to rebuild his reputation in the most high-profile division in European football – the English top flight.
Le10 Sport in July reported that Everton are interested, with Lemar the latest in a long line of wingers linked with a summer switch to Goodison Park.
The same publication claims that Wolves are working on a deal of their own.
The Midland giants have a Jorge Mendes-shaped ace up their sleeve too.
Monaco’s 2017 Ligue 1 champion shares an agent with the likes of Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Daniel Podence, after all.
Lemar is not the first and probably not the last big-name forward to toil under Simeone and, with just ten La Liga starts, no goals and no assists to his name across 2019/20, the 24-year-old has little choice but to leave the Spanish side if he wants to secure a place in France’s Euro 2021 squad.
He has recently fallen behind Jonathan Ikone, Anthony Martial, Nabil Fekir and co in Didier Deschamps’ plans.
Everton’s opening fixtures of the 2020/21 season
- Tottenham (A)
September 12
- West Brom (H)
September 19
- Crystal Palace (A)
September 26
- Brighton (H)
October 3
- Liverpool (H)
October 17
- Southampton (A)
October 26
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