Seasons2019-20Rumour Mill
Gabriel waiting on Lille
Everton appeared at one stage to be very close to signing the Brazilian for next season around the time the Premier League was suspended but the move stalled amid uncertainty over what the financial landscape might look like for football in the midsts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the interim, Carlo Ancelotti's former club Napoli have emerged as suitors for Gabriel and it seems, for the moment based on his representative's comments, that it is a two-horse race for his signature if he is to leave France this summer, although Chelsea are also said to be interested.
Fernando Garcia is quoted by Area Napoli as saying: “Everton made a proposal to Lille at first, while Napoli made it later.
“We are waiting for Lille to let us know if they intend to continue [with Gabriel]. [The decision could come] in a few days, but in reality, I can't say when exactly."
Gabriel, 23, is expected to cost around €30m.
Original Source: Area Napoli via Sport Witness
Reader Comments (40)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
2 Posted 18/06/2020 at 13:55:49
again.
3 Posted 18/06/2020 at 14:05:24
However, I want someone who speaks English, knows the premier league, has leadership qualities and inspires confidence, can organise the back line, and is good in the air. That aint Gabriel.
4 Posted 18/06/2020 at 15:15:19
5 Posted 18/06/2020 at 15:19:53
6 Posted 18/06/2020 at 16:45:14
7 Posted 18/06/2020 at 17:36:20
8 Posted 18/06/2020 at 20:16:08
9 Posted 18/06/2020 at 20:39:01
I imagine the only way he comes to us over Napoli is if we pay either him or Lille a significant amount more than Napoli. He looks like a good fit but there are other options (just hopefully not Thiago Silva).
10 Posted 18/06/2020 at 22:54:05
11 Posted 19/06/2020 at 03:11:06
Surely if we miss out on the Korean, we can get another quality Asian centre-back in the mold of Li Weifeng.
12 Posted 19/06/2020 at 08:17:54
Anyway, I'm less downbeat than you, Colin, about our prospects. I think we will get a centre-half in. Probably one of Zouma or Todibo if the Gabriel ship has definitely sailed. If not, and we just get a veteran as a stop-gap, it might mean Gibson is earmarked to step up in a year or two.
13 Posted 19/06/2020 at 08:51:04
Centre-back is a position where experience really does count. While I support the club's long-term strategy of buying young for potential, developing the player and gaining resale value, I think we should consider bringing someone with more experience who has played regularly in a Champions League club. Sure there will be those who say "We could never sign someone of that profile for Everton," but they said the same about signing a top manager before Don Carlo joined us.
14 Posted 19/06/2020 at 09:12:15
Leicester, Wolves, Dortmund and Leipzig all have a fairly simple strategy and it works very well. We just need to copy it.
15 Posted 19/06/2020 at 09:30:23
We have been signing players who are simply coming here for the money, and not necessarily because they want to prove something. Do we honestly think the likes of Mina, Digne, Bernard etc would be here if we didn't offer them a fortune? They're naturally not going to give everything for the club.
Similarly, players like Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson, who have got big contracts in their late 20s.
Compare them to players who we've bought with a point to prove in recent times and some of the younger players, they give a lot more for the club and either offer years of service or a decent profit. Even the likes of Lukaku had a point to prove and we made £50million on him.
Moyes had it right at times with Cahill, Arteta, Lescott, Jagielka, Baines etc. They all came because they had a point to prove and not for the money.
16 Posted 19/06/2020 at 21:08:58
17 Posted 19/06/2020 at 23:19:14
We need a big, strong, pacey central defender that's consistent and doesn't make silly mistakes.
If they can also be a leader and comfortable on the ball, great as we lack leadership and most managers want central defenders to play out as long as it's not at the expense of sloppy, risk-taking play.
18 Posted 20/06/2020 at 10:49:35
Feels very likely that we'll get a centre-half in now. Probably a bit of game playing to keep the fee respectable. One of Gabriel, Salisu, Zouma or Todibo. All good players – albeit I could see Todibo in the role earmarked for Gbamin until he matures enough to be relied on at centre-half.
19 Posted 26/06/2020 at 09:33:06
20 Posted 26/06/2020 at 10:19:20
21 Posted 26/06/2020 at 10:38:25
Tough ask though with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs above us and with easier run-ins.
22 Posted 09/07/2020 at 10:34:35
23 Posted 25/07/2020 at 06:51:51
Just sign for someone, lad, I'm over it already.
24 Posted 01/08/2020 at 09:02:23
£30M seems a lot for someone who's had basically one good season after struggling on loan at Troyes and Zagreb. But he does seem to have some qualities that we lack, ie pace and very solid left-footed distribution.
Strange that we reportedly had a £22M deal almost wrapped up before Covid but, since then (despite not playing), his price has gone up!
25 Posted 05/08/2020 at 10:36:07
The saga continues.
26 Posted 07/08/2020 at 18:55:59
27 Posted 07/08/2020 at 19:17:09
28 Posted 07/08/2020 at 19:31:36
29 Posted 07/08/2020 at 19:34:50
I am convinced we are going to play with wing-backs and a midfield 3. If we do that and have both wing-back spots with good cover, then do we need the highly coveted right-midfielder? Gordon, Walcott and Richarlison can all fill in there if we switch formation.
I wonder if a wing-back and a centre-midfielder are now Carlo's priority signings? All speculation but I'm bored out of my tits with it all.
30 Posted 07/08/2020 at 19:35:59
31 Posted 07/08/2020 at 19:52:09
32 Posted 07/08/2020 at 20:01:46
"However, I want someone who speaks English, knows the Premier League, has leadership qualities and inspires confidence, can organise the back line, and is good in the air."
I remember it was exactly those qualities that made us splash out £12 million on Williams. That was largely hailed as a coup. Then it turned out to be shit.
Those again were the qualities that took us to sign Keane. What a player... oh yeah, that hasn't exactly worked out how we hoped.
If we go for 'knows the Premier League', we are gonna get below average. We are gonna get has-been in the Premier League but isn't good enough for the top teams.
We've tried 'knows the Premier League' and it's failed (Sigurdsson, Bolasie, Delph, Iwobi, Walcott... endless list).
I remember when we were linked with Van Dijk and many on here exclaimed 'fuckin SPL ain't shit'.
I hope we sign players that are good enough, don't give a hoot of their current club. Championship? Scotland? France? If they have quality and come, great.
But 'Premier League proven players' that are good enough either won't come or will cost double their value.
33 Posted 21/08/2020 at 10:21:08
34 Posted 21/08/2020 at 11:11:10
It's like arguing over fucking unicorns!
35 Posted 21/08/2020 at 11:47:07
Why not go out and get Dunk or Mee, or look at the stats for headed clearances (last season) top is Tarkowski, Fernandez (Newcastle) 2nd, Basham 3rd, Maguire 4th... oh, and a certain Keane 5th!
36 Posted 21/08/2020 at 12:05:25
What we really need is a tall, fast and agile partner for Holgate that allows us to play higher up the pitch which in turn allows the midfield a greater grip on possession and the chance to run in behind.
37 Posted 21/08/2020 at 12:11:51
Even test the water with if they want Pickford ??? We get Zouma and £10 to 20 mill; they get Pickford.
38 Posted 21/08/2020 at 12:40:52
39 Posted 21/08/2020 at 13:24:14
40 Posted 21/08/2020 at 13:59:30
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.
1 Posted 18/06/2020 at 07:48:19