Reported Everton transfer target Luis Diaz won't be sold by FC Porto in January, according to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Everton tried to sign him in the summer as part of a deal which would have seen James Rodriguez go the other way, but the latter's salary proved to be a stumbling block (via Carlos Aleman).

The 24-year-old has started the 2021/22 season in electric fashion, scoring nine goals in 11 league outings and also bagging twice in the Champions League (via WhoScored). He has also been averaging 2.5 dribbles and 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes in the Portuguese top flight.

His Porto team-mate Sergio Oliveira has described Diaz's technical ability as 'extraordinary'.

The latest

Journalist Henrique Pinto wrote that Porto fear the consequences of letting Diaz go in mid-season, adding that the €25m (£21.3m) bids which apparently came their way last summer are expected to increase in light of his form.

Intriguingly, Pinto suggested that Porto could be open to agreeing a deal in advance of the summer transfer window. For instance, back in March 2019, Real Madrid agreed a £43.5m move for Eder Militao, waiting until July before he officially became their player.

The verdict

Diaz's form has surely caught Everton's attention, but the question is whether they can afford him. If he keeps up his current scoring rate, it wouldn't be hard to imagine the 2020 valuation doubling by next summer.

Provided that such a fee is affordable for the Blues, then a swoop in the early months of 2022 might be the smart move, enabling them to get the jump on any competitors. Based on what Diaz has shown in recent months, clubs surely will be queuing up for his services, so Everton ought to take note of Pinto's suggestion about striking a pre-agreement.

In other news, fans flock to a Goodison Park image that's surfaced.