Wilmar Barrios discusses his failed Everton transfer

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Colombian midfielder Wilmar Barrios has been discussing his failed move to Everton in January of last year. 

It seemed that the battling midfielder was on Everton’s agenda last winter, with Idrissa Gana Gueye all set to join PSG. 

As reported by Caracol, Everton had been in talks with Boca Juniors regarding a deal and were set to pay a fee in the region of £21 million to bring him to Goodison Park. 

However, the Toffees convinced Gueye to remain until the end of the season and Barrios did not want to hang around in Argentina, He joined Zenit St Petersburg instead and has explained the decision to ESPN, as relayed by Antena2. 

“The idea was Everton, there had been talks. At Everton they had to sell the defensive midfielder, who was expected to go to PSG and he eventually left.

“I kept calm at that time, until the last day of the European market (when Barrios joined Zenit).”

Of course, Everton might now be wishing they had brought in Barrios anyway. He has proved a success in Russia whilst the player the Toffees eventually did bring in to replace Gueye, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, has failed to make an impact since his move from Mainz because of a season-long period of injury trouble. 

Everton fans and those at the club will no doubt be hoping that the Ivory Coast international can live up to his task of replacing Gueye, who has been a massive loss since his move to the French capital in the summer. 

If not, then perhaps Barrios is a name the club might have to consider once again.