Diaz new price seems too much for Everton
There are further stories about a player who was very much on the radar of Everton during the recent summer transfer window: Porto’s Luis Diaz.
Just before the window shut Everton were apparently trying to get a deal done for the Colombian winger perhaps in a swap deal for his fellow countryman James Rodriguez.
That didn’t happen and no agreement could apparently be sorted out with Rodriguez apparently reluctant to go back to Porto and issues around his wages and he has since of course moved on to a middle eastern club.
Anyway, now there is further developments in the Diaz story. Previously rumours emerged that Barcelona are looking at the Colombian international with a view to moving for him.
And now these further reports claim that Porto have set a new price for their prized attacking asset and supposedly want around £40 million for him.
Diaz is certainly a considerable talent who could seriously improve further the Blues forward options with his pace and goalscoring ability.
Other players like Dwight McNeil have also been mentioned as possible alternatives as Rafa Benitez seeks to ultimately strengthen his attacking options.
If Porto are asking for a fee of this sort it would surely price the Toffees out of a further move for the player in next summer’s transfer window.
It’s possible this fee might be reduced by then depnding on whether there are more than one or two potential suitors and whether a club like Barcelona’s interest is real or not.
Unless something radically changes in terms of their finances, the only other way Everton will be able to do a deal for Diaz is if they sell a significant asset in order to finance it.
This would be a controversial decision but unless the board can find a way out of the club’s current financial impasse, it might be the only way to provide Benitez with any decent amount of funds.
The only players likely to generate enough money if the Blues were to sell would be forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison.
It’s very hard to see Benitez sactioning either sale but of the two it’s probably more realistic to imagine the Brazilian being the one to leave given his past comments and recent rumorus.
Further stories claim PSG are still interested in the Everton man after they had been keen on a deal for him in the summer if Kylian Mabappe had left Paris for Real Madrid.
It would be a big decision to cash in on an existing player but with Newcastle’s takeover having finally gone through there will be another club with a huge pot of cash to splash in the Premier League now and the Toffees may have to find a new way to compete as their big spending days seem over.