Orel Mangala and Fiorentina expected to revive talks, future hinges on Everton after collapse
Orel Mangala’s future will depend on Everton but negotiations with Fiorentina are likely to be revived at the end of his loan, says Giovanni Bia.
In an interview TuttoMercatoWeb on 19 September the intermediary, who worked on the deal which was in place to send the midfielder to the Italian side before he ended up at Goodison, stressed that the 26-year-old himself had already given the green light to La Viola before the deal collapsed.
President Laurent Prud’homme blocked a £25.2million loan-to-buy exit to Fiorentina and to allow the Toffees to sign Mangala but Bia believes there is a will on both the player’s and the Serie A club’s side to revisit the move.
He said: “Given the great appreciation of the player and Fiorentina, I think so, but it depends on Everton and the path they will take. But I repeat, the player had given his yes to the Viola”.
John Textor shadow cast across Lyon to Everton move
Mangala’s start to life on Merseyside hasn’t been wildly successful as the side has begun the season dreadfully so it may prove not to matter if he and Fiorentina resume talks in the summer.
Sean Dyche has a relatively thin squad and was disappointed in his long pursuit of Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City as the replacement for Amadou Onana.
So an extra body in central midfield, and one who has Premier League experience with Nottingham Forest, could prove to be vital down the line.
John Textor owns Lyon and is looking to buy Everton from Farhad Moshiri so his influence on the decision to send Mangala to the Toffees seems logical.
So the Belgian’s future may also depend on how the American gets on in his attempts to sell up at Crystal Palace and complete a takeover at Goodison, although there is not thought to be a permanent option in the loan [Fabrizio Romano, 29 August].
He is said to believe he can complete a deal by mid-October [Guardian, 10 September] but may or may not be under renewed pressure from predecessor in the takeover race Dan Friedkin.
Bloomberg reported on 16 September that the Roma boss had reignited his interest in a deal, but Friedkin Group insiders reportedly told i News (17 September) he in fact isn’t back at the negotiating table.
In other Everton news, Textor plans to expedite his sale at Palace and step up his Toffees move amid threat from Friedkin.
For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.