Chelsea linked with City midfielder on Everton radar

According to media stories Chelsea have entered the race to sign Manchester City midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko, a player Everton have been repeatedly linked with.

Everton need to overhaul their midfield and the Ukrainian international could well be a solid potential option to strengthen the quality in the squad.

Zinchenko is ready to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer as he searches for a fresh challenge and the chance to play in his preferred position of centre midfield.

And, I think that his qualities would certainly add to the limted choices that Frank Lampard has at the moment with his currently dysfunctional midfield.

With an ageing Allan who may still leave the club this summer and Abdoulaye Doucoure’s form having collapsed late last season, plus a recently seriously injured Tom Davies who has anyway never convinced, Everton’s midfield needs major surgery.

More defensive solidity, pace, power, creativity and goals are certainly needed from midfield and while he isn’t the only option, Zinchenko could help solve some of these issues.

Well, now Chelsea are suposedly interested and may well make a bid for the 25-year-old and they would be serious competition for Everton if they did do so.

Although, given the West London club’s existing options in central midfield he wouldn’t be guaranteed to get as regular starting slot in midfield.

In another related story it seems South London club Crystal Palace are closing in on the signature of Mali midfielder Cheick Doucoure.

This is another defensive midfield talent that the Toffees’ were heavily linked with for short time, recently. But, it now seems as though he has decided on moving to the capital and the chance to work under Patrick Viera who was one of the best midfielders of the Premier League era.

Doucoure certainly looks like the sort of powerful, athletic type Everton need and he’s also young at 22 making him a potentially valuable sell-on option too.

With the Blues’ horrendous finances placing huge constraints on them and continuing and increasing uncertainty about whether the club will be sold this summer, Everton are struggling to generate any momentum in their transfer dealings.

The longer this goes on the more difficult it will probably be for Lampard to get the sort of players he wants in as other clubs swoop and get in first.