Everton could have a chance of pulling off a surprise late hijack for Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Although the Red Devils youngster has said yes to a loan move to Sevilla, it seems Everton are also still pushing to make a late move for him, so this could still be one to watch in the coming hours.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Romano provided an update on Mejbri’s situation, explaining that there has been a lot of interest in him this January, but Sevilla had previously looked the most likely destination for him.
The 20-year-old said yes to the Spanish side, but it now seems Everton must fancy their chances of hijacking that move as they’re still working on this deal, according to Romano.
“Hannibal Mejbri is one to watch at the moment. As I reported a few days ago, the plan is for him to leave Manchester United on loan, which is why he didn’t go to the AFCON with Tunisia. He had bids from Freiburg, Lyon and Sevilla, but Sevilla are the big favourites to sign Hannibal,” Romano said.
“Hannibal himself told Sevilla he wanted to join, so the Spanish club approached Manchester United to negotiate a loan with a buy option, buy-back clause, and so on. The conversations started, but meanwhile, Everton also approached Hannibal and also want to make a loan approach for the midfielder – they want to hijack Sevilla’s deal.
“Everton will insist, and I think they have a chance. It won’t be easy because of Hannibal’s green light to Sevilla, but that deal isn’t done yet and Everton are trying. Let’s see if Sevilla can remain in pole position, but they need to finalise an agreement with United as well, not just the player.”
Man Utd fans will just hope Mejbri can gain some valuable experience from his loan move, and perhaps return to Old Trafford a better player in the future, having long been regarded as a top prospect for the future, even if first-team opportunities have been somewhat limited for him.