Everton target to renew contract at current club after rejecting an £7.6m Everton offer on deadline day

Everton were desperate to sign at least one striker in the winter transfer window. The Toffees were linked to a number of strikers on the transfer deadline day as Kevin Thelwell scrambled to deliver at least one forward to aid Sean Dyche’s case. AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud was also a striker that Everton contacted in the final hours of the deadline day.

Everton’s winter transfer window can be adjudged as a major failure as they failed to sign a single player during the entire month. Everton did sell Anthony Gordon for £45 million but were not able to reinvest that money into the market.

On transfer deadline day, EFC were strongly linked to Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana, with a bid accepted for the latter, but both of them chose to go to Southampton. The Merseysiders also saw their bids rejected for Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye. There was no mention of long time targets Viktor Gykorers and Che Adams.

Since the transfer deadline is passed, Everton can only sign players from the free agent market. Ghana international Andre Ayew was touted as a target, with the player flying to London to hold talks but it was Nottingham Forest who won the race and would sign him as a free agent.

Olivier Giroud to renew Milan contract after rejecting Everton

The Merseysiders also enquired about French striker Giroud on deadline day. As per reports from France, Everton tried to sign Giroud on loan for the remainder of the season. The club was willing to pay €3.5 million in salary until the end of the season and a lucrative bonus of another €2 million if the Toffees managed to stay up in the English Top Flight.

For the next season, they would offer him yearly wages of €8.5 million, provided they survive the relegation battle. However, Giroud rejected the offer as he was not interested in leaving Milan. According to Sports Mediaset (via Sport Witness), Giroud is close to agreeing to a renewal with Milan.

He rejected the lucrative offer from Everton as he is in favour of staying at Milan, even though he will be earning less than half of what he would have at Everton should they escape relegation. His new AC Milan deal is worth €3.5 million.

Trying to sign Giroud was always a long shot, given that EFC have little to offer. He is playing for a UCL playing club and wouldn’t possibly swap that for a team battling relegation. It looked like a desperate attempt from the Toffees to lure a striker before the deadline day ended.

Did EFC have a chance of signing Olivier Giroud?