Inter were interested in signing new Everton midfielder Allan from Napoli but stopped due to directives from the Chinese government, according to a report from today’s paper edition of the Naples based newspaper Corriere del Mezzogiorno.

The report details how the 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder officially signed for Premier League side Everton yesterday, after spending five years with Napoli. The Nerazzurri were interested in signing the player in January and proposed an exchange with Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino, but a deal never materialised.

Inter were interested in signing Allan again this summer, the report continues, but were forced to give up on the chase due to the directives imposed by the Chinese government, which informed companies to stop investing abroad in non-strategic activities for the national good. This changed Inter’s market strategy to now force the club to sell before buying. This time the Nerazzurri offered Napoli Marcelo Brozovic or a deal with costs spread out over several years, less preferable to Everton’s lump sum.