Everton join Newcastle in heated pursuit of £53m wonderkid formerly chased by Nottingham Forest
Everton are considering a summer offer for Newcastle United target Giovani, who plays as a winger for Brazilian giants Palmeiras.
The 19-year-old is widely considered to be one of the most exciting young talents in South America, with Nottingham Forest seeing a loan approach turned down for him in January.
Sean Dyche’s squad are certainly in need of some attacking spark at the moment, so Giovani could prove to be an excellent addition for the Toffees.
Everton currently find themselves in the midst of yet another relegation battle after winning just six of their 28 league matches so far – the worst return in their entire history at this point in the season.
The lack of goals has been the key issue for Dyche’s team, too, scoring the joint-least of any Premier League this season.
They lost one of their most creative forces in January when they sold Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for £40m, someone who they failed to replace.
In fact, Everton didn’t make a single signing in the winter window, despite Dyche being promised a new centre-forward by the club’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
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Everton set to battle Newcastle for Giovani
However, Everton are reportedly looking to bolster their squad this summer and have made Palmeiras winger Giovani one of their top targets, according to ESPN Brazil.
The youngster has played 30 times for the Brazilian side this season, scoring two goals and making three assists in total.
A versatile, confident player, Giovani has the ability to play as a winger on either flank or as a central striker on occasion, so he could potentially provide cover in a number of key areas for Dyche.
Giovani could also prove to be an excellent long-term investment for the Toffees, with South American media outlets raving about his sky-high potential.
The attacker is also a former teammate of Gustavo Scarpa and Danilo, who both made the move to the Premier League this season after signing for Nottingham Forest.
As per ESPN’s report, Giovani is believed to have a €60m (£53m) release clause in his current contract, which will be valid until 2026.
However, the Brazilian club would allegedly be willing to sell for less, with a fee of approximately £13m thought to be enough to secure his services.
But, as mentioned, Everton will have to compete with high-flying Newcastle for Giovani this summer, who are probably a much more attractive outfit than the Merseysiders at the moment.
With that in mind, any potential deal with the Toffees would firstly be reliant on whether or not they avoid the drop to the Championship and if they can submit a better offer than the Magpies, if they do indeed go in for Giovani this summer.
