Everton attempt hijack of Man Utd midfielder - Fabrizio Romano

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 6 Jan 2024 20:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Everton are considering a hijack to thwart Sevilla's pursuit of Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The young midfielder, who was leaning towards a move to Sevilla amid interest from Freiburg and Lyon, could now make a move to Merseyside instead of a transfer abroad.

Contacts between Everton and the representatives of Hannibal Mejbri are said to be underway today, throwing a spanner in the works for Sevilla. The La Liga appeared to be in pole position to secure the loan deal but now the chances of that happening have decreased.

The last-minute interest from Everton, who are thought to be targetting a central midfielder for the winter window with limited funds, would allow Hannibal to remain in the northwest of England rather than having to temporarily move abroad.

As of now, no final agreement has been reached with any club, and all Everton have is interest at the moment, with no offers made, it is believed.

What did Fabrizio Romano say about Hannibal Mejbri?

Romano broke the news of the Toffees' interest on Saturday evening, saying on his YouTube channel: "There is a big story ongoing. We told him that he was going to go on loan days ago.

"He had a number of offers - he told Sevilla he wanted to go there above all, so the two clubs started to talk. But what happened? Everton came in and asked to have a loan deal, in what would be a huge hijack of the transfer."

Hannibal has struggled for game-time under Erik ten Hag and has been in search for more minutes. He has only featured in bit-parts this season and is now looking for a club to earn crucial experience and time playing.