Everton manager David Moyes has now identified an “outstanding” midfielder as his first Goodison transfer target, according to a report.
New arrivals expected at Goodison Park
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that he expects at least one new arrival through the door at Goodison Park before the February 3rd deadline, telling GiveMeSport: “For sure, Everton will do more. I expect Everton to do one or two signings from now on, and for sure, Nuamah remains a name on their list, they wanted him in the summer, that was not possible.”
It has been a quiet window for the Toffees up to this point, but as stated by Romano, they have been pursuing a move for Lyon’s Ernest Nuamah, who has been a target since the summer.
Bringing in a new winger is seemingly a priority for the Merseyside club, having also made contact to enquire about Sporting CP’s Marcus Edwards, with the move for Nuamah hitting a snag.
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Up to this point, Everton have been chasing players they identified as targets prior to Moyes’ arrival, but the new manager has now started to make his own recommendations regarding transfer policy.
That is according to a report from The Telegraph, which states the Scot has now identified Sunderland’s Dan Neil as his first target, having been an admirer of the central midfielder for quite some time. Neil was an academy player for the Black Cats when Moyes was in charge, and the former Sunderland boss has followed his career ever since, but it may be difficult to orchestrate a reunion this month.
The 23-year-old is a key player for the Championship promotion-hopefuls, so they want a fee of at least £15m, as selling him could derail their chances of returning to the Premier League.
Not only are Everton keen on bringing in a new central midfielder this month, but they also want to sign a left-back and striker, so they could be busy before the February 3rd deadline.
Neil is ready for Premier League football
The Englishman has been impressing in a Sunderland shirt for quite some time, having been lauded as “outstanding” by reporter Philip Buckingham back in December 2022, and he has been almost ever-present in the Championship this season.
Given that the South Shields-born midfielder is captain, and an integral part of the team, it is difficult to envisage the Black Cats sanctioning his departure this month, however, and he may not want to leave his boyhood club during their push for promotion.
At the end of the season, Neil will have just one year remaining on his contract, and if Sunderland fail to win promotion they may be forced to cash-in for a lower fee, so it may be wise for Everton to hold off until then.
Moyes is clearly a big fan of the £15m-rated maestro, having tracked his career for quite some time, so it is worth revisiting a deal in the summer, considering there is not a pressing need to sign a central midfielder this month.