Everton will have to pay £18 million to seize Brazilian midfielder Wendel from a cash-strapped Sporting Lisbon this summer, according to A Bola.
One of the giants of Portuguese football can be almost impossible to negotiate with at times. But, with the global health crisis thrusting Sporting ever deeper into a financial nightmare, the Lisbon giants may have no choice but to listen to offers for their star players when the transfer window creaks open.
Los Leones sold talisman Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United in January, admittedly after weeks of drawn-out talks. And there appears to be a very real chance that another talented midfielder could be on his way to England’s north west.
According to EMN, Carlo Ancelotti has phoned Wendel personally in an attempt to lure the 22-year-old to Goodison Park. The Brazil U23 international has also been offered a five-season deal on Merseyside.
An old-school, box-to-box midfielder, Wendel looks every inch the all-action enforcer that Ancelotti’s Everton are missing. A trio of him, Andre Gomes and a fully-fit Jean-Philippe Gbamin would perhaps represent the Toffees’ finest central column since the Marouane Fellaini-Tim Cahill-Mikel Arteta heyday.
Wendel has a £50 milllion release clause in his contract but A Bola suggests that Sporting may be wiling to accept offers of just £18 million.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already admitted that Manchester United are planning to ‘exploit’ a transfer market in which many a club will be forced to raise funds and sell players. Expect Everton to do the same.
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