Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that midfielder Allan will be joining Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton this summer.
The Brazilian will reunite with his former boss Carlo Ancelotti on Merseyside.
In an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (via Football Italia), De Laurentiis said: “We have reached the final salutes. He will go to Everton.”
BBC has claimed that the transfer will be worth £25m after Napoli originally demanded £40m.
The 29-year-old could be joined by Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez in Merseyside.
The Colombian is another player who has worked with Ancelotti before, at both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. He is also close to a move.
Signing the duo would be a massive coup for the blue half of Merseyside.
Allan should fit right in
Signing an outstanding defensive-midfielder was a must for Everton this year.
Last summer, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin were signed to bring steel to the centre of the park. However, the pair both suffered large spells out injured.
This left Gylfi Sigurdsson and Tom Davies as the midfield partnership for large potions of the season. Neither man is famed for their defensive nous.
Gbamin’s fresh injury woes reiterated Carlo Ancelotti’s desire to sign a combative midfield man.
Allan has been one of Europe’s top tacklers for a few years now.
He was a key part of Maurizio Sarri’s revolutionary Napoli midfield, alongside Jorginho and Marek Hamsik.
He also had a great campaign at the Stadio San Paolo under Ancelotti in 2018/19.
In 2019/20, Allan was one of the main sufferers of Napoli’s collapse.
Chaos with De Laurentiis resulted in a miserable season for the Italians. After a shocking fall-out between the president and his squad, Ancelotti was sacked.
Allan had a disappointing season, with numerous injury struggles resulting in just 23 Serie A appearances.
Reuniting with Ancelotti should give him a new lease of life, as long as he stays fit.
If Everton pair him with Andre Gomes behind James in the no.10 role, this season could be a great one at Goodison Park.
The only issue is his age. At 29-years-old, Allan is only a short-term fix.
However, £25 million is a small price to pay for 3-4 years of defensive stability.
