Leeds have submitted an offer to Harry Wilson, putting them ahead in the race
Everton had opened talks with the Fulham winger amid interest from Aston Villa
The Welshman, 29, is available on a free when his contract expires this month
Everton’s pursuit of Harry Wilson looks to be drifting away, with Leeds United now reportedly the club to have made a firm move.
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds have already tabled a contract offer to the Fulham winger, who will leave Craven Cottage as a free agent at the end of the month. It is a step that Everton, for all their earlier interest, have yet to match.
Everton’s interest now looks secondary
Everton were among the first to register their interest in Wilson, holding talks with the player’s people as he weighed up his options. On paper, the appeal was obvious. A versatile, Premier League-proven attacking player arriving for nothing is the kind of business David Moyes’ recruitment team should be interested in doing.
But interest alone counts for nothing once a rival actually puts a contract on the table. Leeds have moved, and Aston Villa’s Champions League status puts them in a strong position too. Everton risk being squeezed out by two clubs offering something concrete: a firm offer on one side, elite European football on the other.
That will sting Evertonians, even if it doesn’t yet mean the deal is completely dead. What also matters, to be fair, is how high up Wilson is on the recruitment team’s list of priorities.
A pattern Everton cannot afford to repeat
Wilson scored 11 goals and added eight assists last season, numbers that naturally make him an attractive proposition for teams looking to gate-crash the top six. He can play anywhere across the front line and would have added craft to an Everton side still searching for more creativity in the attacking third.
If Leeds do complete this one, it will continue an uncomfortable pattern: Everton identifying realistic targets, only to watch others get the deal over the line. Being linked with players means nothing if the club arrives at decision time a step behind the rest.
There is still time for Everton to act, and free transfers with this profile of player tend to drag on. But being “interested” should not be mistaken for being competitive in the transfer. Anyone can be “interested.”
Unless Moyes’ board can match Leeds’ urgency, this is a battle Everton will lose.