Everton Plans to Chase January Target Again

The last few Premier League seasons have left a lot to be desired for Everton FC and its faithful fans. Even though apps for sports betting consistently feature Everton in their listings thanks to its popularity, the club has finished in 16th, 17th, and 15th place since 2021. Outside of letting its followers down with the latest Everton standings, the club has also dealt with points deductions for breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations and even worked its way through a brief relegation scare.

Things could finally start trending in the right direction for Everton soon, though. Earlier this year, the club put in a €30 million bid in an attempt to acquire Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis to strengthen its lineup. Benfica ultimately rejected this bid, and because Luis still has three years remaining on his current contract and a €120 million release clause, it didn’t appear as though Everton would be able to secure the services of the blossoming 24-year-old star.

But now, it sounds like seeing Florentino Luis in Everton could once again be a possibility. New reports suggest Everton could be back in the running for Luis, as the club is considering putting in a new bid to Benfica during the next winter transfer window. The club is reportedly mulling this over despite its ownership uncertainties, as 777 Partners is in the process of trying to finalize a deal to take over the team but is facing a series of difficulties at the 11th hour.

Both the time left on Luis’ current contract and his large release clause could stand in the way of Everton being able to land the talented Portuguese player. Luis came up through Benfica’s renowned youth academy and routinely starts for the club, so it won’t be in a huge hurry to part ways with him anytime soon. However, Everton clearly needs to make moves if it wants to avoid another potentially disastrous Premier League season, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see the club make Benfica a much stronger offer that it simply can’t refuse.

That being said, Everton isn’t the only Premier League club interested in trying to iron out a deal with Benfica for Luis. All indications are that Benfica would be willing to entertain offers for him, which has led to some speculation about Nottingham Forest and Leicester City having an interest in pursuing him. But this could put all three of these Premier League clubs in a position where they see the price for his services skyrocket.

For now, Everton fans have more important things to worry about than just Luis possibly joining their club. The Everton ownership situation will need to be worked out soon to stabilize the club and allow its followers to feel hopeful about its future. But even still, it must be nice for Everton’s followers to know that the club continues to try to improve its roster in an effort to put forward a much better showing in the Premier League next season.