Nathan Patterson is moving closer to becoming an Everton player as the young Scottish full-back is scheduled to have a medical today.
That’s according to reports in the Liverpool Echo, who claim the Rangers star is on Merseyside to undergo the medical and begin to sort out the details of his move to Everton.
If this deal goes ahead, then the Blues’ will have captured two promising young full-backs in the space of a few days making this an unusually productive opening to a transfer window.
And, it will provide some much-needed positive news to Toffees’ supporters following that hugely disappointing defeat on Sunday at home to Brighton.
Patterson’s arrival will hopefully at long last solve the long-running problem of who is going to replace the ageing and injury-prone Seamus Coleman at right-back.
This has been an issue now for several years and past transfer windows have come and gone without it being resolved. Hopefully, the 20-year-old Scot can be that long-term replacement so badly needed.
Everton of course tried to get this deal done in the summer but couldn’t agree a fee and with ex-Liverpool star Steven Gerrard in charge at the Glasgow club at the time, that may not have been the only reason why the transfer didn’t get done then!
Anyway, now it appears as though Patterson is on the verge of becoming a Toffee and joining other Scots and Rangers players who have made the move from Ibrox to Goodison Park.
The most famous recent example is of course Duncan Ferguson who came down south back in 1994. He fully embraced the club, became an Evertonian and a firm fan favourite for his full-bloodied commitment to the cause and goal-scoring exploits, especially against our neighbours across Stanley Park.
Will Patterson tread a similar path to legend status? Maybe, but one thing we don’t want is him having Ferguson’s injury problems, which were a constant source of frustration for him and supporters and undermined his career throughout. We’ve also got enough of those injury-prone players in this team as it is.
Leaving that possibility aside, Patterson is a player who has been catching the eye recently and the young defender has also become a regular in his national team too, so gaining valuable top-level experience.
He’s versatile enough to play both full-back positions and can also operate further forward as well making him potentially a really valuable signing.
That ability to play both right and left-back is I assume one of the main reasons why the club are so keen to get him.
It is a significant step up going from the Scottish top flight to England’s Premier League but Patterson has that international experience so fingers crossed he can do it quickly as Coleman’s best days are certainly behind him.
Well, if he does become an Everton player the young defender is joining a club that seems to be lurching ever closer to a relegation battle, so I hope he’s up for that fight!