The real reason Flamengo are letting Charly Alcaraz leave emerges as Everton 'medical' today

Everton are looking to complete their first signing of the January transfer window.

The Toffees are keen on bringing in attacking midfielder Charly Alcaraz from Flamengo. On Friday, the Brazilian outfit posted on social media that they had agreed a deal with Everton. The Blues insisted there was no official agreement in place but David Moyes admitted after the 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City that talks were ongoing.

Alcaraz latest

Alcaraz will return to the Premier League, having had a spell at Southampton earlier in his career. He scored four goals in 21 games when the Saints were relegated from the top flight in the 2022-23 season. Alcaraz then netted four times in 23 appearances when Southampton were in the Championship last season before being loaned to Serie A giants Juventus.

And although he only moved to Flamengo in August for a club record €18 million fee, it hasn’t worked out. According to Brazilian journalist Bruno Lemos, Alcanraz’s qualities are not what Flamengo are currently looking for. And it’s suggested the Argentina under-23 international will undergo a medical today.

Lemos posted on X: “After talking to the player and his representative, it was decided that Charly's characteristics do not fit Flamengo's current situation.”

Signings needed

Alcaraz is still only aged 22 so his best years are ahead of him. He will bolster Everton’s attacking options, which are currently thin on the ground. The Blues have three strikers in Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring), Armando Broka (ankle) and Youssef Chermiti (thigh) sidelined for prolonged periods. Beto is the only fit option and plundered a first-half double against Leicester.

Meanwhile, Dwight McNeil has not played for two months and recently had to have minor surgery for a knee problem while Lyon loanee Orel Mangala has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL issue.

Everton are likely to be in the market for another striker before the window closes - but they face competition aplenty. Clubs such as West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are all thought to be chasing a new number nine.

The Blues have been linked with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson but he is reportedly set to join West Ham on loan for the remainder of the season.

Moyes admitted at his pre-Leicester press conference that Everton’s business is being impacted by having to meet Premier League profit and sustainability rules. “It’s certainly not for the want of trying,” said Goodison boss Moyes.

“Undoubtedly we’re still hampered with PSR. I’m really jealous of watching a lot of teams who can attempt to go for players at expensive prices. At the moment, we’re not quite there but we don’t want to get ourselves in a position we’ve been in before with points deductions so we have to be really mindful of what we do. We hope to bring in some players but maybe it’s not the ones who, if we really had the money, we’d be trying to do.”