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Valencia are refusing to bow out of the race to sign Lille forward Rafael Leao, who is being chased by a host of clubs, with Everton and Aston Villa keen.

The Portuguese forward impressed during his debut campaign with Lille last season, after joining the Ligue 1 outfit on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon.







Leao went on to make 22 appearances in the league and chipped in with eight goals and two assists for his team-mates to help Lille finish second in the table last season.

Bids have gone in for Leao, with the highest offer so far being for €37.5m and claimed to have come from Everton, and Lille are concerned about losing the player.





Aston Villa and Inter are amongst Leao's other suitors and the race is heating up.







Valencia are in for the long haul as they bid to win the race for Leao's signature, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it.

It is claimed that in a recent meeting with the board, Valencia coach Marcelino recommended the signing of Leao for the upcoming season.



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The Spanish club are also believed to have allotted €35m plus add-ons required to make a concrete offer to Lille in exchange for Leao.

As such, all eyes will be on Valencia and whether they will firm up their interest by making an offer for Leao, who has a contract that runs until 2023, in the coming weeks.

