Everton reportedly wanted Thiago Mendes in January.
Lille midfielder Thiago Mendes has told Mercato 365 that he always wanted to stay at the club in January despite a reported agreement with Everton.
Mendes, 26, was one of a number of signings lured to Lille by Marcelo Bielsa in the summer of 2017, and he has become a key figure with the French club.
The Brazilian midfielder scored four times in 35 games last season, whilst he has recorded two assists in 26 outings this term.
Primarily a holding midfield player, is an athletic, tough-tackling anchor man who also possesses quality on the ball, and he seemingly attracted interest in January.
La Voix Du Nord claimed just last week that Lille struck agreements with two clubs – Everton and Paris Saint-Germain – for Mendes to move on in January, but neither went through.
It’s stated that PSG wanted Mendes if they didn’t sign Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, and the Toffees had lined up Mendes as a replacement for Gueye if he joined PSG.
In the end, none of those deals went through, and Mendes has now discussed his future and what happened in January.
Mendes admitted that he always wanted to stay with Lille, feeling he owes the club his service as they gave him a real platform to build from, meaning Everton may face a real battle to land him if they try again this summer.
“I owe something to LOSC because this club has opened doors for me.” said Mendes. “I have not finished my job here and I want to help the club go as far as possible. My wish was to stay. For my part, I must stay grounded and continue to do my job well because I think I can do better,” he added.
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