Everton agree Axel Witsel deal but move remains in doubt

Everton have reportedly agreed a £25m fee with Zenit St Petersburg for Axel Witsel, but it is now up to the player to decide whether he wants to move to Goodison Park.

The Daily Mail and Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzo both report that Everton have stolen a march on Chelsea, Napoli and Inter Milan by having a bid accepted for the Belgian international.

It is also believed that Everton are prepared to offer big wages in order to lure the 27-year-old to Goodison Park.

The Mail also carries quotes from Zenit coach Mircea Lucesco, who confirms Witsel’s desire to leave the club:

“He has spoken with the club and he has asked to leave. He has two offers from Italy and two from England.

'The club placed a high valuation on him because he is an important player, one of international level. We are talking about a player who can do well in many teams.”

However, before we all get too excited we need to remember that the transfer saga has been stuck at this point for several weeks.

It has been widely reported that Everton are willing to pay more money than anyone else for some time, but Witsel himself has yet to make a firm decision.

Twitter is full of ITK’s and armchair experts taking a punt as to when any deal may be completed but the reality is no-one really knows.

News about the deal has only ever come from dubious sources, with the likes of Paul Joyce of the Daily Express and Andy Hunter of the Guardian yet to report on the move.

The best course of action is to remain patient and trust Koeman, Walsh, Kenwright and Moshiri to get it right in the end.