According to Italian transfer expert Nicolo Schira, Everton are ‘interested’ in Lorenzo Pellegrini and will pay the 23-year-old’s €30m ‘release clause’ over ‘two instalments’ of €15m. The Toffees have been keen on Pellegrini all season but will have to battle Paris Saint-Germain to bring the AS Roma midfielder to Goodison Park.
Carlo Ancelotti currently has Andre Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Fabian Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies in midfield, but Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin could be sold this summer so replacements may be required.
Newcastle United’s Matty Longstaff, Napoli’s Allan, Valencia’s Geoffrey Kondogbia and Olympique Marseille’s Morgan Sanson in recent weeks, so it’s clear Everton want at least one reinforcement. Under Marcel Brands, the Toffees have been targeting youth and offloading older players, so their interest in Pellegrini makes a lot of sense.
The 23-year-old returned to Roma from Sassuolo in 2017 and has gone on to make 95 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and making 23 assists. Pellegrini has made 24 appearances across the board this season, so Roma won’t want to let him go if they can help it.
With Schira confirming that Everton are ready to lodge an official bid, however, Pellegrini could be on the move.