It feels like Everton have been negotiating with Lille for Gabriel Magalhaes for an eternity. In reality, of course, not that much has passed since their first efforts to snatch him up, although the whole process is starting to turn into a bit of a transfer saga.

Be that as it may, a new exclusive report from Football Insider claims the Toffees have been dealt another blow in their big-money transfer chase and this one could indeed be the final one.

Earlier this month, Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly pushing for the transfer of the Lille defender and it seemed like Everton would indeed give their all to land their man. But now, as the same source implies, the club have been unable to negotiate a fee with the sellers despite agreeing all the personal terms with the centre-back himself.

Instead, the Merseysiders could very well be leapfrogged by Napoli in this pursuit as the Italians are confident they can close out the deal. Presumably, they have the funds necessary to get the transfer over the line.

Everton, on the other hand, have offered over £20m for Gabriel but it wasn't enough to convince the French outfit and bring the player to the Premier League. At this very moment, it seems like Ancelotti is set to miss out on one of the priority signings of the summer transfer window.

Unless something drastically changes in their favour, that is. But that also seems highly unlikely at this point in time.

Verdict

The only positive from this whole situation is that Everton still have time to find an alternative to Gabriel. The defender is obviously in high-demand and there was always a possibility someone beats them to the punch.

But there is still ample time to find other solutions to this problem. Let's see if the Toffees manage to find them.