Everton have won race for Gabriel
Well after an exhausting run through of my best ten, (actually it turned out to be eleven!), Everton players since WW2, I’m returning to the ever fruitful transfer rumour mill for this article.
Reports in the Guardian newspaper claim Everton are increasingly confident they have won the battle to sign Lille’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes in the summer.
Negotiations have supposedly been going on behind the scenes and the rumour is that the Toffees have in fact got their man.
Obviously in this current situation, football hardly seems to be that important in the big scheme of things but planning for whenever the game returns, has been ongoing.
We’ve heard constant stories about this player and a possible transfer to Everton for several weeks and months now, and so again, as always, it’s important to recognise the environment we’re in and the media’s desperation for stories to keep readers interested.
However although there’s no guarantee that a piece in a paper like the Guardian is true, it’s probably a bit more reliable than some of the other outlets we see reports from.
And another local paper and media outlet, ‘echos’ this saying that several reports have the Blues closing in on securing the Brazilians signature despite the interest if other clubs.
One of those clubs is Chelsea. The lure of a London side, always a strong factor, and the prospect of Champions League football, if the current season is completed and Chelsea qualify, might persuade him to opt for Frank Lampard’s side.
As we’ve said before, Gabriel has all the qualities that the Toffees are looking for in a central defender. He’s got pace, is excellent at intercepting and winning the ball. And being left-footed is also a major plus for manager Carlo Ancelotti.
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His arrival in addition to current incumbents Mason Holgate, Micheal Keane and Yerry Mina, would give the Blues a really strong group of centre-backs to pick from. And with Gabriel and Holgate, the Toffees could naturally play three at the back if Ancelotti wanted to.
The original fee being quoted for the Brazilian, was around £30 million. It’s not clear whether the current crisis will mean the fee might be reduced, we’ll see.
And getting this player would represent a big statement.
Although he’s not a headline-grabbing star, it would indicate that the pull Ancelotti can exert is real and can help Everton at last build a truly competitive and successful team in the near future.