Colombian diamond attracts admirers

YASER Asprilla was the subject of a seven-figure offer from Everton in the final hours of the transfer window. But why did the Toffees want him now? And why did Watford send the Premier League side packing?

- Chris Dunlavy

The Hornets operate on a strict player-trading model. Every player, no matter how integral, is available at the right price.

Asprilla, a £2.5m signing from Colombian top-flight side Envigado in 2022, is valued by Watford at around £12m.

This figure was enough to quell initial interest from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon early in the window, and it is thought that Everton’s offer fell significantly short of the Hertfordshire side’s demands.

Even if Everton had approached Watford’s valuation, other factors came into play. The lateness of the offer left little scope to source a replacement, and a contract that expires in mid-2026 means the Hornets will not feel compelled to sell until the summer, when pan-European interest is certain. Asprilla, for similar reasons, is also content to wait.

Everton’s haste is easier to explain. Asprilla is widely regarded as one of the most exciting attacking players in the Championship, his immediate attractiveness limited only by a relative lack of experience and, at 20, a still-developing physique. In terms of potential, the ceiling is high.

“Yaser is a difference maker,” said Wilberth Perea, his youth coach at Envigado, a modest-sized club on the outskirts of Medellin whose alumni include former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez and current Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.