Why Everton have turned down Marseille’s transfer approach for Neal Maupay

Everton have rejected an offer from Marseille for Neal Maupay. The French club approached the Blues in hope of securing the 28-year-old on a season-long loan. But, as first reported by The Athletic, that has been turned down.

Maupay started Everton’s first game of last season against Wolverhampton Wanderers but joined his former club Brentford on loan later in the summer. He returned to Merseyside after Thomas Frank’s side opted against triggering a clause to make the deal permanent despite the move being a relative success – Maupay scored eight goals in 34 appearances that helped Brentford maintain their Premier League status in the face of being weakened by the long-term absences of a number of key players.

Maupay was in the Everton squad for the season opener against Brighton and Hove Albion but his future remains in doubt. He has entered the last 12 months of his difficult stint on Merseyside, though the club retains the ability to extend it by a further year next summer.

That situation is understood to have complicated Marseille’s offer for the forward. An option to buy the striker at the end of the loan deal was to be included among the terms – but under them Everton would have been required to renew Maupay’s deal in order to receive a fee.

The club is hopeful of securing a permanent move for Maupay. Marseille are in the loan market for a forward after Faris Moumbagna suffered a severe knee injury in the club’s opening match of the Ligue 1 campaign.