Salernitana to make new attempt to sign Everton striker Neal Maupay, could offer Boulaye Dia in potential swap deal
Serie A outfit Salernitana could make a “new attempt” to sign Everton flop Neal Maupay this summer, according to TV Oggi Salerno.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano tweeted on 21 March that Maupay could leave the club at the end of the season, with the Frenchman’s agent disclosing that he would be open to a move to Serie A.
The Frenchman has struggled to hit the ground running at Goodison Park since his summer transfer from Brighton, scoring just one goal from 20 Premier League and his agent Federico Pastorello admitted that Salernitana previously wanted to sign the Toffees striker, and he was expecting further offers from Italy in the summer.
And according to Italian outlet TV Oggi Salerno [24 March], the Serie A side will make a new attempt to sign Maupay and could use Boulaye Dia to help them get their man.
The Toffees have been tracking the on-loan forward for months and already tried to buy him from parent club Villarreal for €16million [£14.1m] according to Tutto Salernitana on 12 October.
“A new attempt will be made for Neal Maupay, the French-Argentine striker now playing at Everton where he didn’t shine, at least from a scoring point of view, as in his previous experience at Brighton.
“The Liverpool team has long been interested in Dia, for which Salernitana will pay twelve million to Villarreal in June, thus exercising the right of redemption and reserving the right to evaluate any offers for the Senegalese”, as quoted by TV Oggi Salerno.
Makes sense
Maupay won’t be worth anything like the fee the Toffees paid Brighton in the summer, but if the Italians wanted him that much he is sure to be an attractive proposition that could give Everton what they want themselves this summer.
Dia has 10 Serie A goals and four assists this season, leading the club in both categories and could finally be the man to replace the all-round output of Richarlison.
It is certain to take Maupay plus a reasonable fee to get it done, but if Salernitana can make a profit on their £10.6million outlay and land a player they like, while Everton finally get a target they’ve been scouting for while without breaking the bank, it is a potential deal which makes ideal sense for all parties involved.
A huge summer ahead for the Toffees, and the much-maligned board need to get these key recruitment decisions right. Selling Maupay who’s been a considerable flop for a reasonable fee represents a good step forward.