Are any of these free agents realistic Everton signings

The January transfer window opens in a few days time and a media outlet have been listing some potential free agents available. Are any of them realistic Everton targets?

We’ve got used to seeing so many names linked with Everton it’s become almost exhausting to sift through all the potential players that are alledgedly coming to Goodison Park.

Well, now the Liverpool Echo have come up with a list of names they claim might be avaialable and who should potentially on the Toffees’ radar when the window opens.

These names are all pretty speculative of course but they do include a few who have been previously and sometimes, persistently associated with the Blues’.

The first player to look at in more detail is a right-back that we’ve not mentioned before and that is Ajax defender Noussair Mazraoui.

The Morrocan international is the right age at 24 and certainly on paper looks like he would make a very decent addition to this Everton squad and solve that long-running problem at right-back.

Given his all-round qualities and his season stats so far – including four goals a very good return from defence – it’s a little hard to see Ajax agreeing to let him leave.  At least not for a pretty big fee, which would surely put him out of the Toffees’ reach.

So, I would also think a full-back like Rangers’ Nathan Patterson is a more realistic and likely target given the club’s financial constraints.

Another defender included in this list is Bayern Munich’s Niklas Sule. The German is a very strong all-round defender who can play in the centre and at right-back.

He’s also apparently refusing to sign a new deal with the German Bundesliga champions and so they might be willing to cash in on him next month. His defensive attributes and versatility would certainly make him the sort of signing that might make sense.

Again though, I can’t see him joining Everton if he were to leave the Munich giants. Given he’s been playing in the Champions League, he would surely expect to join a club already competing in European football at least while also commanding big wages, so I think that’s another one who doesn’t seem likely.

Finally, one player who actually might be a slightly more plausible candidate, Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco.

I say this one might have more to it because he’s a player Rafa Benitez knows well and would probably come on a free transfer given how cash-strapped Real are.

This is still unlikely to happen though with his wage demands being very high and Isco also might well expect to join a Champions League club too.

Even if he’s made available and wanted to come to Merseyside, Isco is not a player, despite his talent, who would be my priority for midfield reinforcement as I think Everton need to sign a much younger, all-round midfielder.