Inter Milan have reportedly joined Everton and Barcelona in the race to sign Portugal and Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva.
According to TEAMtalk, Granada director Fran Sanchez confirmed last week that Silva had rejected a new deal with the La Liga outfit and will be available on a free transfer in the summer.
Barcelona have been previously linked along with Everton, with the Blaugrana eyeing Silva as a natural replacement for Norberto Neto, who was previously rumoured to be increasingly restless at a lack of senior opportunities at Camp Nou and could seek fresh pastures in search of regular game-time.
Both Barcelona and Inter view Silva as representing excellent value for money amid financial turbulence for both clubs, with Passione Inter reporting [via TEAMtalk] that Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta is hoping to bring the 27-year-old to the San Siro. Silva has reportedly been identified as the long-term replacement for 36-year-old veteran Samir Handanovic.
Both clubs could severely dent the Toffees’ hopes of bolstering their goalkeeping options, with Silva previously linked in Spanish reports as a summer target for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Despite the on-loan Robin Olsen expressing a fervent interest in making his stay at Goodison Park permanent, the Toffees are reportedly eyeing up other goalkeeping options as a means of future-proofing their squad.
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The news comes as further damage to Everton, with both of their main goalkeepers struggling to impress.
In four Premier League appearances, Olsen has managed just one clean sheet and conceded six goals. By comparison, Pickford’s 17 appearances have yielded only three clean sheets and seen him ship 22 goals – an average of 1.29 goals per game, which is still better than the Swede’s 1.5.
Silva’s record this season is far more impressive – while he has shipped 34 goals in 21 appearances, he has also managed seven clean sheets. He could therefore be good value for money for whichever clubs ends up luring him from Granada.
