‘Green Light Given’ – Transfer intermediary anticipates Everton player will reopen discussions to join European club.
Giovanni Bia suggests Orel Mangala's future hinges on Everton, with Fiorentina talks likely to resume after his loan spell ends.
In a TuttoMercatoWeb interview on 19 September, the intermediary involved in the deal to transfer the midfielder to the Italian side before he ultimately moved to Goodison, emphasized that the 26-year-old had already approved the move to La Viola before it fell through.
President Laurent Prud’homme blocked a £25.2 million loan-to-buy transfer to Fiorentina, allowing Everton to sign Mangala instead.
However, Bia believes both the player and the Serie A club are still interested in revisiting the move.
He stated, “Given the strong admiration between the player and Fiorentina, I believe so, but it depends on Everton and the direction they take. I repeat, the player had given his approval to Viola.”
John Textor’s shadow over Lyon and Everton’s move Mangala’s start at Everton has not been particularly successful, as the team has struggled this season.
It remains to be seen if discussions between him and Fiorentina will resume in the summer.
Sean Dyche’s squad is relatively thin, especially after his unsuccessful pursuit of Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City as a replacement for Amadou Onana.
Having another central midfielder, particularly one with Premier League experience from Nottingham Forest, could be crucial for Everton’s season.
John Textor, who owns Lyon, is reportedly in the process of acquiring Everton from Farhad Moshiri, which makes his influence on Mangala’s move to the Toffees seem logical.
Mangala’s future may also hinge on how Textor fares in selling his stake in Crystal Palace and completing a takeover at Goodison.
Despite no permanent option in the loan deal, according to Fabrizio Romano (29 August), there is ongoing speculation about Mangala’s future.
Textor is reportedly aiming to complete the deal by mid-October (Guardian, 10 September), although some believe he is under pressure from Dan Friedkin, a previous competitor in the takeover race.
While Bloomberg reported on 16 September that the Roma boss had rekindled interest in the deal, Friedkin Group insiders told i News (17 September) that he is no longer in active negotiations.
