Leandro Barreiro has arrived in Lisbon ahead of a move to Benfica despite Everton making a bid to sign him, according to O Jogo.
The Portuguese publication stated on page 21 of their print edition on July 1st that Benfica, who were the first to approach and present conditions to the Luxembourg midfield player, is about to sign with the team following Mainz.
The Toffees had made a bid, but they weren’t the only team interested in signing Barreiro this summer for free: Nottingham Forest, Galatasaray, Marseille, Borussia Monchengladbach, RB Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Bayer Leverkusen were also interested.
Barreiro had already made a deal with them, however some of these offers were larger than Benfica’s. Fabrizio Romano claims that the Portuguese team might make an announcement as early as Monday, July 1.
Transfer setback could be a blessing in disguise for Everton
Barreiro is undoubtedly a highly regarded player who has been in high demand throughout Europe this summer, but the Toffees may be grateful that they avoided getting sucked into a bidding war to get him.
It wouldn’t be ideal for the Blues to pay outrageous compensation demands because they have very little financial wriggle space this summer as they want to avoid having another season beset by financial fair play difficulties [Kieran Maguire, 30 May].
Barreiro’s early choice to select Benfica has averted a drawn-out free transfer saga from occurring, even though eight other teams were vying for the midfield player’s services [Record, 6 June].
Additionally, Benfica may be more inclined to sell fellow pivot Florentino Luis, with whom the Toffees have been strongly associated, if they add Barreiro to their own team [A Bola, 28 May].
Barreiro’s choice to reject the Blues’ advances could open the door for another intriguing transfer development as the midfield options at Goodison Park see a significant turnover this summer, with Andre Gomes and Dele Alli already leaving and Amadou Onana probably following.
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