Everton Circling Back to Portuguese Midfielder After Failed Bid in January
By Marley Pope
After a failed bid in the January transfer window, Everton are again looking to bring in 24-year-old midfielder Florentino Luis, according to Portuguese newspaper OJOGO.
Benfica did not let Luis leave in January because of his importance to the team as he played in 45 games this season totaling close to 2500 minutes. Everton are in the market for a young midfielder, with Andre Gomes set to leave the club and rumors of Amadou Onana being available to be sold.
The other midfield options are Idrissa Gana Gueye and James Garner, two solid and important players who will command top minutes next season.
However, Gueye is 34 years old, and it won't hurt to not overplay him. Luis has experience in top leagues while on loan at Monaco and Getafe in his young career. He played in seven matches in Europe this season with Benfica.
Luis profiles as a central defensive midfielder where he played in a double pivot at Benfica. He offers accurate passing and possession while providing quality defensive cover with high tackle and interception rates.
Luis averages 4.29 tackles and 2.71 interceptions per 90, both elite metrics among midfielders. As a former partner to Enzo Fernandez, big clubs are sure to be entering the race to sign him.
The question here is if Everton have the funds to bring in a talent like this. It seems pretty clear Everton will not be going out and signing players at top dollar, which Luis will require given his 120 million euro release clause and current value of 20 million euros.
The likelihood of Everton signing Luis is slim even for a loan. This summer will be about cost-cutting and finding cheap options to fill out the squad. Unfortunately, Luis does not fit that model unless Everton can pull something off.
Once again, the scouting department may be doing a solid job finding quality players, but if Everton does not have the capability to sign them, it is a lost cause. This reminds me of when Everton was interested in Luis Diaz or Mohamed Kudus, two quality players but in reality too quality for the Toffees to sign in the end.