Everton reportedly put their money where their mouth was for Rafael Leao but were turned down by the player.
Italian giants Milan paid about £22million for Leao who has shown glimpses of what he is capable of. The Portuguese under-21 international has scored one and assisted another in three starts for the Rossoneri but the club are in a spot of bother.
Marco Giampaolo’s side have lost four of their opening six games and are stuck in 16th position, just three points above bottom-placed Sampdoria. Leao could well have been in a different club and according to the report, his former side Lille could have made more money if the 20-year-old hadn’t made up his mind.
Marco Silva’s Everton reportedly offered a fee in excess of £26.5million for Leao but he turned them down for a move to Italy. The Toffees signed Juventus’s Moise Kean instead who hasn’t yet opened his account in a Blue shirt which has been an issue for the club.
Everton, like Milan, are struggling in the Premier League having lost three games on the bounce. Silva’s side are stuck in 15th place after winning just two of their opening seven games. A player of Leao’s calibre could well have brought goals to this Toffees side had they convinced him but the Portuguese attacker has made his bed and he now has to lie in it.
Kean is an exceptional talent who is certain to come good but with the way things are going for the Toffees, he might well find himself playing second fiddle to Dominic Calvert-Lewin for most parts of this season.
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