It has been all-defensive at Goodison Park regarding the day’s transfer news at Everton, as new Toffees boss Ronald Koeman looks to improve a defence that shipped 55 goals in 38 games in the Premer League last season.
The biggest news on that front for Ronald Koeman the completion of their £7.1million transfer of Aston Villa’s Idrissa Gueye. Koeman was seeking out an N’Golo Kanté-like figure to feature in his midfield and help ease Everton’s defensive woes, and the 26-year old Senegalese now pens a two-year deal at Goodison Park and will fit into the Toffees side as a defensive screen for the back-four.
Koeman told the Liverpool Echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/koeman-explains-idrissa-gueyes-everton-11696096 that Gueye would add “quality” to the Toffees midfield and he will be an effective part of the Dutchman’s pressing style of play on Merseyside.
Meanwhile according to the Daily Mirror, http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/everton-complete-10m-deal-swansea-8542007 Koeman has also prioritised adding to his defensive options at Everton with John Stones’ departure to Manchester City edging closer to completion, and a £10million deal for Swansea City’s skipper, Welsh international Ashley Williams may be completed in the next 48 hours.
With Stones closing in on his move away, Koeman is short of options in the centre-half position with Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes-Mori set to be the only two fit senior centre-halves at the club, and WalesOnline suggests a deal for the Essex-born defender has all but been agreed between the Toffees and the South Wales outfit.
After a superb Euro 2016 with Wales, the signs will be encouraging for Everton supporters as they look to improve their defence which developed an unwanted trait of not seeing games out, and the loss of Williams as a rock in the heart of defence will be Everton’s gain and a huge blow for Francesco Guidolin and Swansea City.
The Mirror also reports that Ronald Koeman and Everton aren’t done yet in terms of rebuilding their defence, and are preeparing to table a bid of £9million and join Manchester United in the race for the Dutchman’s former colleague at Southampton, José Fonte.
The Portuguese defender has added a European Championship to his resume with his country this summer, and was Koeman’s captain at Saints. A known reliable option, the 27-year old would add much needed experience to Everton’s leaky rear-guard, and help cushion the blow left by the departure of Stones.
Jagielka’s exclusion from England’s Euro 2016 squad and Funes-Mori’s tendency to receive bookings means there is plenty of quality to add to the Toffees defence, and were Everton to land both Williams and Fonte, it would go a long way to crafting a defence capable of helping propel the club back into the top six.
Though with Manchester United and José Mourinho also in the hunt for the defender with the futures of Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo uncertain at Old Trafford, Everton would have a potential bidding war on their hands if they were to try to prise the experienced centre-half away from St. Mary’s, and Saints will be reluctant to part with a player of such experience, so it is unlikely that he will be leaving the South Coast club for anything less than the right price.
Were he to arrive, Everton would have completed some astute transfer business, and for £9million he would be somewhat of a steal. Him and Williams through the door for a combined total of around £19million, and a £50million windfall for John Stones’ departure would be nothing short of sensational business.
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