James Garner has been one of the most consistent and strongest performers in David Moyes' Everton side this season, playing in both midfield and in defence.
The former Manchester United youth product has become an instrumental part of the manager's team and, presumably, his future plans too.
Most of the time he has been playing in the centre of the park alongside Idrissa Gueye, and Garner's work ethic, positional sense, and constructive passing ability make him a solid presence in the Toffees’ engine room.
He has also operated at right-back to good effect, as Everton try to find a solution to what has been a hugely problematic position in the side for so long.
Regardless of where he plays, Garner has performed well and proved his value to the Blues, with that versatility and willingness to do what his manager requires.
Moyes has even speculated whether he might get a call-up to the England squad, although that looks extremely unlikely given the amount of talent Thomas Tuchel has to call upon.
Given all this, it is not surprising that Garner could be attracting interest from other Premier League rivals, with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United allegedly putting out feelers about his potential availability.
This is because Garner's contract expires at the end of this campaign and, so far, he has not agreed to a new deal to stay at Everton.
So, according to Football Insider, such rumours have spurred the Toffees to move quickly to sort out a new contract and get Garner's signature on it as soon as possible.
He would be the latest Everton player to be offered a fresh deal with Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowsi, and Jordan Pickford agreed to new contracts earlier in the year.
Getting Garner tied down for a longer period makes sense given his versatility and ability to contribute in two or three positions.