Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands could add around £8.14million to the Toffees’ accounts should the Dutchman sell Kevin Mirallas to Standard Liege, after Voetbal 24 suggested the Belgian winger’s future resides in the Jupiler Pro League with Les Rouges.
It is suggested Marco Silva informed the 31-year-old that he would not have a part to play in his plans next season, having returned from a middle of the road loan spell with Fiorentina, where he scored two goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.
Standard Liege head coach Michel Preud’homme is understood to have already decided where he would like Mirallas to fit into his plans, as well, potentially marking the 60-cap former international’s long-awaited return to his former academy side after 16 years away.
Mirallas came close to securing a return to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in 2009 after he failed to live up to his €4million (£3.5m) transfer to Sainte Etienne from LOSC Lille the summer before, and was later linked with a potential €2million (£1.7m) reunion. The Liege-born forward stuck it out at Sainte Etienne for the 2009/10 season, though, but would go on to join Olympiacos on loan the following year.
Standard Liege’s Jupiler Pro League rivals Royal Antwerp, RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge are also thought to have approached Mirallas regarding a return to the Belgian top-flight in 2019, but the winger is expected to be announced as a Les Rouges player once more ‘very soon’.
However, Voetbal 24 do not claim what fee Brands and Standard Liege have agreed for Mirallas’ transfer back to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, but should our Director of Football insist on a fee in a similar region to the 31-year-old’s TransferMarkt valuation, he could be looking to add close to £8.14million to our summer budget.
Following Mirallas’ year with Fiorentina, his market valuation declined to its lowest point since February 2011 to now reside at £4.5million. At the time of his £6million move from Olympiacos to Merseyside, it sat at £7.2million and rose to a peak £13.5million in 2015.
Also taking into account the final year of his £70,000-a-week contract could boost our available budget for the summer by a further £3.64million, for a combined £8.14m that can be spent on improving the options that Silva would consider next season.