Rumours of two more Everton signings as talks with Barca star claimed
After successfully bringing in new full-backs with the signings of Vitaly Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson, it’s said Everton want another two players in before the transfer window shuts.
This is what is claimed in an article by the Liverpool Echo who say that Everton manager Rafa Benitez now wants to add a winger and a central midfielder to his squad before the end of the month. Well, that’s plenty of ambition for sure.
Yesterday I looked at a few possible options for a new midfielder, which I think is the number one priority now. Including one player who according to other media reports today, the Toffees’ have now initiated contact with; Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho has been relentlessly linked with the Blues’ for what seems like ages now and this report say they are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing the ex-Liverpool star.
The 29-year-old Brazilian is one of a number of players the Catalan club are desperate to shift as they search for ways to reduce their huge debts.
Coutinho does look likely to come back to English football if he leaves Spain, assuming all these endless reports have anything of substance to them.
That’s always a big if of course, but given his talent and the quality he often showed at Anfield before they sold him to the La Liga giants, it’s not suprising he is being heavily linked with English clubs.
However, as I said in yesterday’s piece I think that Everton need a younger, more dynamic all-round midfielder who can offer defensive as well as attacking skills.
As far as a new winger goes, there are a number of possible options out there. The wide player I’d love to see the Toffees’ snare, is one I’ve often previously highlighted: Domenico Beradi.
The Italian international is a player who I think would be a pefect fit for the Blues’. He’s a naturally left-footed attacker who loves to play on the right and come inside, and once again he’s having a very good, consistent season at Sassuolo in Serie A. In addition, he offers defensive strengths as well as his excellent attacking contributions.
But, I don’t think he is a realistic target given that Everton aren’t exactly competing for honours or Europe (which he might think are necessary for him to move as an established international) and presumably also still have some financial constraints to deal with too.
I say presumably, because they have already this month shelled out another £25 million plus on those two full-backs.
Where that money has come from I’m not sure, but no doubt it involves complicated payments in installments over the next few years etc.
If Lucas Digne were to leave – as looks more and more likely – then the club will have hopefully at least an additional £30 million or so to re-invest in new players.
Well, if that’s the case then another player I would recommend considering is Romain Faivre currently playing his trade with Brest in France’s Ligue 1.
He’s the right age at 23 and again likes to play wide on the right, which is where Everton need a new winger to play given that Andros Townsend, after a bright start, has declined and is anyway really more of a squad player at 30.
Faivre is a ball-carrying attacking player who can play wide or centrally and has chipped in with seven goals and five assists so far this campaign, which are excellent stats.
His club Brest are hovering below mid-table just like the Blues’ so he’s not making a step down in his situation if he moved to Goodison Park.
This is all a bit speculative on my part. I doubt these players are the ones being considered as the price of each is probably prohibitive now after the money already spent and I imagine to get a new wide attacker might mean a loan with the option to buy.