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Media claim Everton have agreed deal for full-back Vinagre

By Matt Townsend

PACOS DE FERREIRA, PORTUGAL - JANUARY 11: Ruben Vinagre of Sporting CP in action during the Taca de Portugal Quarterfinal match between Leca FC and Sporting CP at Estadio Capital do Movel on January 11, 2022 in Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
PACOS DE FERREIRA, PORTUGAL - JANUARY 11: Ruben Vinagre of Sporting CP in action during the Taca de Portugal Quarterfinal match between Leca FC and Sporting CP at Estadio Capital do Movel on January 11, 2022 in Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /
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Some media are claiming this afternoon that Everton have agreed a deal to sign Sporting Lisbon left back Ruben Vinagre.

According to some of these sources Everton have supposedly sorted out a loan transfer for the former Wolves defender, which includes paying his wages in full and with a commitment to buy should he impress next season.

This is yet another strange transfer story in a summer of increasingly unlikely seeming speculation and rumoured moves for this player or that.

In contrast, Vinagre is a player who hasn’t been linked with a move to the Blues’ at all as far I’m aware, until now.

The Portuguese had recently been playing in the Premier League with Wolves (he was signed for them by Kevin Thelwell) until this summer when he moved to Sporting Lisbon.

That means that slightly bizarrly if these reports are true, he has now being loaned back to a English club just weeks after returning to his native Portugal.

Vinagre is a left-sided defensive player whose main strengths appear to be his ability to provide natural attacking width and put in decent quality balls from the flanks.

Bringing in a naturally left-sided player who can do all this would make some sense if you want to play a five man defence with two overlapping wing-backs as Frank Lampard does.

However, of course, the Toffees’ already have two players who can provide that in Vitalii Mykolenko and Nils Nkounkou.

Mykolenko excelled in that role in the recent win over Blackpool and together with his defensive qualities, he would seem a shoe-in to start in that position if Lampard wants to continue with this tactical formation.

Nkounkou has been out on loan in Belgian football and while he is certainly still raw and a little rough around the edges, especially defensively, he has pace, power and good attacking instincts.

So, on the face of it there seems little need for the club to be prioritising bringing in another full-back, especially when the team desperately needs reinforcements in midfield and up front.

If this player does in fact join presumably that means Nkounkou will be going out on loan again this season, leaving his future at Goodison Park in some doubt.

Again, I guess we have to wait and see for offical confirmation of Vinagre’s signing but if it does indeed happen it will surely be the most unexpected addition this summer.

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