Everton look set to miss out on a move to sign Benfica’s Gedson Fernandes, with West Ham agreeing on a deal in principle to bring the Portuguese midfielder to the London Stadium, according to reports.
Fernandes is set to move to the Hammers on an 18-month loan deal according to Sky Sports, meaning that the midfielder will be swapping Lisbon for London.
However, there is no option or obligation to buy the midfielder in the deal, meaning that Everton could still potentially sign the player in 18 months time.
Everton had been linked with a late swoop to sign the midfielder, who had also been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Read Everton’s verdict
This is obviously a blow for Everton, with Fernandes filling a vital need in central midfield that Everton will surely try to recruit in this month, as per Sky Sports.
It won’t be what Everton and Carlo Ancelotti wanted, but the fact that there is no obligation or right to buy could mean that a deal may happen further down the line.
However, Everton have other targets, such as Nabil Bentaleb and Steven Nzonzi, so this isn’t the end of the world for Ancelotti and Brands in their hunt for a new midfielder.
