Buta looks a good bet for Everton as right back search continues

As the search for a new right-back goes on Everton are now being linked with a move for Royal Anderlecht defender Aurelio Buta.

Since he took over as Everton manager Rafa Benitez has mainly concentrated his transfer dealings on attacking players signing Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray to provide better width and service to his strikers.

But the most pressing other problem in the team he has inherited is finding a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman at right-back.

This has been an issue for several years now with the popular Irishman having suffered a succession of serious injuries and now once again being on the wrong side of thirty too.

Again, last season Coleman spent long periods out of the team and having failed to find another right-back option last summer the Toffees really must get this sorted in this window.

Everton of course need a modern full-back with pace and the ability both to defend solidly obviously and get up and down on the right flank providing a good, overlapping attacking outlet.

Youngster Jonjo Kenny hasn’t given enough signs that he is that player and is able to play at Premier League level and so as this summer transfer window opened rumours have once again abounded of new players coming in.

Most recently the Blues were involved in a long-running potential transfer saga over PSV Eindhoven and Holland full-back Denzel Dumfries who excelled at the Euros.

The Toffees were interested in him and tried to get a deal done but finances with his price have risen considerably, proved the stumbling block and it now seems likely he will end up at Inter Milan who were also pursuing him.

More from Prince Rupert's Tower

The financial constraints Everton are labouring under is proving a huge problem and so Benitez is forced to look around for bargains at the lower end of the market.

To be fair he’s done just that and in particular getting Gray, a young and talented player with plenty to prove, for less then 2 million quid, is a coup.

Now he is supposedly looking at another player who would cost a minimal fee; the Anderlecht defender Buta who looks a little bit similar to Dumfries.

The 24-year-old seems to be a strong defensive player and offers good attacking qualities too. And in just three matches in this new season he’s already notched two assists.

The rumours are that the Portuguese international will be available for around £3 million after Celtic had a bid of about £1 million rejected.

Buta looks like a decent bet to solve that right-back problem, although again like others so far this summer he’s hardly headline grabbing signing.

But if he is only going to cost that sort of fee and Benitez is convinced, then Everton should surely move to get it done as soon as possible and sort this long-standing issue out.

Home/Transfer Rumors