Gonzalez could be Doucoure or Davies replacement for Everton in summer

Everton are interested in a summer transfer window move for Spainish midfield enforcer Joan Gonzalez as uncertainty surrounds Abdoulaye Doucoure’s future.

According to media sources in Italy, the Toffees’ are seriously looking at the 21-year-old who is currently playing for Leece in Serie A.

On the face of it Everton have plenty of ball-winning and defensive options in central midfield with Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye, James Garner, Tom Davies and Doucoure as well as youngsters Tyler Onyango and Issac Price.

Therefore there seems little need for the Blues’ to go into the transfer market for another similar sort of player in the summer.

However, there are questions marks over several of those players’ futures.

In particular, even though he has been in good form recently and played very well in the win over Brentford yesterday, Doucoure’s contract is up in the summer and there is no certainty as to whether the club will offer him a new one. He’s also the wrong side of thirty.

In addition, Gueye is also in his early thirties and past his best. He hasnt got much time left playing as a regular starter in the fast-paced and physically demanding environment of the Premier League.

Davies might be on his way out of Goodison Park this coming summer too, as he has fallen down the pecking order over the last few seasons.

And, even if the Toffees’ survive relegation this season, they may be subject to substantial offers from other clubs for Belgian Onana, a player who has hinted recently that he wants to move to a more competitive team at some point soon.

Gonzalez is a tough-tackling central midfielder who offers strong defensive qualities and has also managed to chip in with three assists so far this season.

On paper he seems like the sort of player who might fit in well with what Sean Dyche wants and needs from his midfielders.

As always this is just media talk and speculation for now, and as usual there is no way to know if there is anything solid behind it at all.

Still, given all the uncertainty about the future of so many of their current midfield players, it wouldn’t be a total surprise if Everton did move for a replacement for one or other of them in the summer.