Everton were so confident of signing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz last summer that they even went as far as trying to find him a house on Merseyside.
That’s according to The Athletic. They report that prior to joining Liverpool, Diaz had ‘agreed a move in principle’ to sign for the Toffees.
The transfer reportedly broke down due to James Rodriguez’s inability to agree terms on returning to Porto as part of the deal.
The Athletic claim that the failed move for Diaz remains ‘a source of deep regret’ for Everton. That regret will be even more sharply felt now that Diaz is tearing up the Premier League in Liverpool red!
A wanted man
It seems as though every man and his dog had a go at signing Diaz. Liverpool notoriously snatched the Colombian from under Tottenham Hotspur’s nose with a last minute bid in January.
But there were also reports of interest from West Ham United (Goal). Now it seems that Everton were so close to signing the 25-year-old themselves.
Should Diaz have moved to Everton, that would have surely been the end of any interest from Liverpool. In that respect, perhaps we should be singing the praises of James the next time Diaz is frightening the life out of defenders at Anfield.
A sliding doors moment
The signing of Diaz could have been a game-changer for Everton. Had they managed to bring him to Goodison Park, they may not be in the precarious position they currently find themselves in.
Instead, The Reds bought him for an initial £37.5m in the winter window and are now reaping the benefits of their rival’s mistake. The news of Everton’s shortcomings may even enhance Diaz’s burgeoning reputation for his new club.
Perhaps Everton’s interest has also helped Diaz settle so quickly into life in Liverpool.
By the sounds of it he’d already scouted out the area. No need to trawl through Rightmove from a hotel room, he’s already got his feet up in a plush four bed detached house in Formby. Cheers Blues!