View: Everton should avoid paying over the top for Bruno Guimaraes
Everton should take a step back from their reported interest in Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes after Fabrizio Romano claimed he won’t be allowed to leave for less than £37.6million.
The Toffees had been linked with the Brazilian midfielder [Evening Standard] recently, along with Arsenal and Newcastle.
The box-to-box Brazil international has been key to the Ligue 1 side’s good form this season so it’s no surprise that a huge asking price has been slapped on his head.
According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the French side are unwilling to do business for anything less than £37.6m and are also offering him a new contract until 2026.
While there is no agreement yet, and no contact yet for the January window, it seems as though Everton will likely need to let this one go.
That’s a huge outlay of money for a player who has had a good time in France but is largely unproven at the highest level.
He is combative and a great passer of the ball, but the central midfield position isn’t something that Everton need to desperately add to and especially not at that price.
There are several other players that would likely be available for far less than that amount who could do a job of improving the Toffees midfield, so Everton should look to them instead.
If the asking price is negotiable, then Guimaraes would be a terrific signing but the current price is over the top and Everton should avoid it.
In other Everton news, Everton player reveals January transfer window intentions after interest reported