Napoli and Everton vying for Axel Witsel

Napoli and Everton are involved in a tug of war for Zenit midfielder Axel Witsel, Russian newspaper Gazeta can reveal.

Both sides are prepared to match a €25 million asking price, and it is now up to the player to decide on his next destination.

Witsel’s representatives have been unable to reach an agreement with Napoli, who have offered the midfielder a €3.2 million starting wage per season.

Meanwhile, realising that they cannot offer the player an opportunity to compete in the Champions League, Everton are ready to pay the Belgium international €7 million per campaign, which is much more than he is currently earning with Zenit (€4m per season).

There is a chance that few more top clubs will have entered the race by the time Witsel has made his decision, but said clubs appear to be the favourites to win the chase for the 27-year-old footballer at the moment.