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Explained: Contrasting reports over Napoli’s bid for Everton man

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According to Le Soir (h/t Sport Witness), Napoli have lodged a £14.45m bid for Henry Onyekuru. The 22-year-old has an uncertain future at Everton due to his struggle in getting a work permit, and if the latest application fails, Everton may consider cashing in on his signature. Calcio Napoli (h/t Sport Witness), however, deny the story is true.

Onyekuru’s situation means he’s yet to make his first-team debut for the club. He was an unknown at the time of his signing in 2017 and was on the periphery of the Nigerian national team – this meant he failed to get the necessary permit to play in England and has been forced to ply his trade abroad.

Onyekuru first joined RSC Anderlecht on July 2, 2017 and scored 10 goals in 28 games before his loan came to an end on June 30, 2018. He then joined Galatasaray on July 12, 2018 and contributed 22 goals in 44 games before returning to Everton on June 30, 2019.

Regularly playing for Nigeria and in the Champions League for Anderlecht & Gala strengthens his application claim, but he’s no longer commanding a starting place for his country. In this summer’s African Cup of Nations, Onyekuru has made just one appearance from a possible six – a 12-minute cameo from the bench in the semi-final.

This doesn’t bode well for Everton’s chance of having Onyekuru available in 2019/20 which may spell the end of his time at Goodison Park. Napoli’s alleged bid would see them make back the £7m spent and turn a profit, although it’s far less than what Bayern are reportedly willing to pay.

Read Crippy Cooke’s previous article

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Sports journalist who is an avid football fan, enjoys debunking transfer rumours, loves to write pieces about players out in the cold and takes a large amount of pride getting a predicted XI 100% correct.