Atletico Madrid look set to pip Everton to Sandro as confidence emerges that transfer ban will be overturned
The Vicente Calderón club, confident they'll have their transfer ban overturned, are meeting with the forward on Monday
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Your support makes all the difference.Atletico Madrid are confident they'll have their transfer ban overturned, so have this week renewed their efforts to reinforce their squad.
And the major casualties of this push are Everton, who felt they had won the race to sign Sandro Ramirez from Malaga for a bargain £5.1million but now look like missing out, with Atleti set to dust off their chequebook in search of players who can return them to trophy-winning ways.
Sandro's agent was at the Vicente Calderón on Monday, according to AS, looking to close the deal before the player goes on his summer holidays. And it puts the Toffees back in the market for attacking reinforcements.
Atleti are also targeting Alexandre Lacazette, of Olympique Lyonnais, and Sevilla midfielder Vitolo.
A provisional deal for Lacazette has been in place for some time but, with the transfer ban appeal having been heard and renewed confidence behind closed doors that it will be repealed, the final details can now be sorted between the Madrid club and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
Vitolo, a Swiss army knife of a player who has been personally requested by Diego Simeone, could cost as much as £35million if Sevilla won't budge on his release clause, but that deal appears to be progressing quickly.
Fifa imposed a one-year ban on registering new players as punishment for Atletico breaking rules introduced to prevent child trafficking and luring youngsters from their home country.
Atletico denies wrongdoing, though they agreed not to sign players in January while its appeal went ahead.
By appealing to Fifa against the original ban last year, Atletico was able to delay it taking effect last summer window when the club completed the signings of forward Fernando Torres and Kevin Gameiro, and midfielder Nicolas Gaitan.
The Spanish FA has been criticised for its role in player registrations, with Barcelona and Real Madrid also having served Fifa transfer bans.
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