Everton winger Nikola Vlasic is currently impressing on loan at CSKA Moscow and the Russian outfit would like to make the deal permanent, according to the Liverpool Echo.
They report that CSKA CEO Roman Babaev wants to keep the winger and believes that’s what the wideman wants, when his loan spell with the club ends at the conclusion of the season.
He said: “For us, the most important part is Nikola’s position. He would very much like to stay at CSKA. It is obviously unlikely that CSKA can pay the amount that is discussed. Everton paid £10million for Vlasic. They need at least that money to recapture the transfer.”
Obviously there is a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season, and a lot of water can go under the bridge between now and then, but Everton selling Vlasic makes sense.
He is impressing out in Russia and his comments about Liverpool make it unlikely that Everton fans will take him to their hearts again.
Vlasic got some gametime under Ronald Koeman, but only really because he was a source of natural width in a side packed with playmakers and not because he was definitely good enough.
If Everton can spark a bidding war in the summer and get their money back, then great, but if Vlasic only wants CSKA, then they should sacrifice some of the transfer fee and allow him to go there permanently.