Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon are fighting hard to keep midfielder Joao Moutinho at the Estadio Jose Alvade, with Everton very keen on bringing the Portuguese International to the Premier League.

21-year-old Moutinho has played over 100 times for Sporting, with the midfielder’s performances in EURO 2008 catching the eye of Toffees boss David Moyes, who is eager to bring in a quality replacement for the departed Lee Carsley to Goodison Park.

However, it is believed that there is a £20million (€25.4m) buy-out clause in Moutinho’s contract with the Verde-e Brancos, which will not be met by the Merseyside club, even though the player is keen on a move to the Premiership.

“They are not willing to sell, a source at Everton told the Observer.

“There is a buy-out clause of £20m, but we are not willing to pay that.

“There's nothing he or we can do.”