New Sevilla boss Vincenzo Montella has revealed he will hold transfer talks with midfielder Steven Nzonzi amid heavy interest from Everton.
As previously reported by the Daily Mail, Sam Allardyce is looking to make headway on a £25million deal for the midfielder in the coming days, with Nzonzi said to be keen on a move to Goodison Park.
Arsenal and Liverpool have also been linked with a January swoop for the France international, who has spoken of his desire to leave the La Liga outfit after falling out with old boss Eduardo Berizzo.
But it now looks as though Nzonzi could be set to stay at Sevilla after Montella’s comments regarding the 6ft 5in midfield colossus.
As quoted by Goal, Montella said: “Nzonzi is a great player for me, so one of my goals is to talk to him and see what his ambition is. For me he is a very important player of Sevilla.”
The club’s stance was reiterated by president Jose Castro, who said: “Nzonzi is just another player in the squad. He is not playing because of a technical decision, and now he can play again by technical decision. There has been no offer for him.
“The club is clear that it wants to have good players to achieve the sporting objectives. The player had friction with the previous coach, but Montella will speak with Nzonzi and we’ll see about his willingness to count on him [Nzonzi].”
Good move for Everton?
Nzonzi is a quality midfielder, and has Premier League experience with Blackburn and Stoke.
He has also played under Allardyce before at Rovers, and would be brilliant fit in midfield for them.
However, there are already too many central midfielders in the Toffees squad, and someone will have to make way if they want to complete this deal.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Well, it did look likely to happen, but Montella’s comments suggest the door is still open for Nzonzi to stay in Andalusia.
However, previous reports suggest that the 29-year-old is keen on a move away, and that could be the deciding factor.
It now comes down to who makes the best offer, and it is yet to be seen if Everton will stump up the cash.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10