Everton have intensified their contacts for Gremio attacker Everton Soares, but there is no written proposal from the Toffees yet, even though the Brazilian side have started to identify replacements.
Carlo Ancelotti is an admirer of Everton's talents and sources very close to the Brazilian club have confirmed the existence of concrete negotiations for the Selecao attacker.
However, there is no written offer from Everton to Gremio for the Brazil international yet.
The Porto Alegre side hold only 50 per cent of Everton's rights and their initial request has not changed from last summer, coming in at €40m.
That price in the summer frightened off clubs interested in signing the Brazil star, amongst which there was also Napoli, then coached at the time by current Everton boss Ancelotti.
The Italian coach had identified the 23-year-old as the first alternative to Hirving Lozano when negotiations with PSV Eindhoven for the Mexican stalled.
Gremio have, Inside Futbol can confirm, already contacted several players to replace Everton, with the most concrete being Keno, a former Palmeiras forward who plays in the United Arab Emirates.
As evidence of the advanced negotiations, Everton's agent Gilmar Veloz has flown to England. He departed on Wednesday to define in every detail the proposal to be presented to Gremio.
In the next few hours, important meetings are scheduled to try to decide the future of the player, who in the past has also been tracked by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
While the negotiations are concrete, they have not yet concluded and therefore surprises cannot be ruled out.
Daniele Trecca
