Everton ready to give up on Witsel chase

Lyndon Lloyd | Thursday, 21 July 2016

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Everton will reportedly give up on trying to sign Axel Witsel's due to frustration over the midfielder's contract demands.

The Liverpool Echo suggest that while there is a general agreement with Zenit St Petersburg over a fee for Witsel, the player's own terms have been proving a sticking point.

Both Napoli and Inter Milan are said to be interested in the 27-year-old but have offered the Russian club less and are also having the same issues with meeting personal demands have yet to get a deal over the line.

Witsel has a year remaining on his contract with Zenit who risk losing him on a free transfer next summer unless he is sold or signs a new deal.

The Echo report propagates the story elsewhere that the Blues are eyeing Newcastle's Moussa Sissoko, also a target of Juventus, for an eye-watering £35m and restates the interest in Kevin Strootman but it pours cold water on speculation linking Everton with William Carvalho.