Everton have offered Sporting Lisbon midfielder Wendel a five-year deal at Goodison Park after he held talks with Carlo Ancelotti regarding a potential move to the Premier League, according to Brazilian publication EMN.
If the Toffees are serious about bringing this coveted 22-year-old to Merseyside, they should prepare themselves for a long and frustrating summer.
Negotiating with Sporting Lisbon can feel like pulling teeth at times, as Manchester United will tell you. Then again, with one of Portugal’s biggest clubs embroiled in something of a financial nightmare, maybe Everton will find a deal for Wendel a little more straightforward than they might have expected.
The report claims that Ancelotti personally phoned the Brazil U23 ace to enquire about whether he would be keen to join compatriots Richarlison and Bernard at Goodison Park. Wendel would sign a five-year deal at Everton, with the option of a sixth season.
As it stands, however, Ancelotti looks set to miss out on Wendel’s signature to his former employers.
Serie A giants Napoli have identified the ex-Fluminense starlet as a potential replacement for the much-admired anke-biter Allan. The Partenopei have apparently made an offer which dwarves that of Everton, financially speaking at least.
“He is very fast to move the ball and this system favours him. He has very good characteristics for this system,” Sporting coach Ruben Amorim told A Bola recently, making it clear that he was desperate for Wendel to stay put.
But with Sporting desperate for cash, Amorim’s pleas may go unanswered.
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