Everton could reportedly complete the signing of a “special” £20m player as soon as this week, although his current club are still holding firm.
Everton transfer news
Kalvin Phillips has emerged as a possible addition at Goodison Park this summer, with a replacement for Amadou Onana likely to be found as the Belgian closes in on a move to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.
In fact, Phillips has even been endorsed by teammate and former Blues hero John Stones, who has waxed lyrical over the Englishman’s ability on the ball being an underrated asset, saying: “Easily his range of passing and how he’s always in the right place on the pitch, his positioning and some of the passes he plays [are] outrageous.”
Meanwhile, Colombia midfielder Richard Rios has also been linked with a move to Everton in the current transfer window, although Leicester City are reportedly ahead of them in the race, acting as a nuisance to Sean Dyche. He could join Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom as another addition, in what could be turning into a positive summer.
In fact, the latter has emerged as someone to come in alongside Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto, who the Blues have seemingly shown interest in all summer long.
Everton could sign “special” player this week
According to a fresh update from TEAMtalk, Everton could now complete the signing of Gnonto from Leeds as early as this week, with three new additions potentially even on the cards.
The Italian remains keen on joining the Blues having failed to earn promotion from the Championship last season, and they are willing to pay £20m for his services. That being said, Leeds are holding out for £25m, so it may not be easy to get a deal over the line.
However, it is thought that talks are progressing well, while it has been stated that a deal where an extra £5m is payable through add-ons could be what Leeds require to shake hands with Everton.
Gnonto may have been outshone in many ways by Crysencio Summerville last season, with the Dutchman being named the Championship’s best player, but the former is an excellent young talent in his own right – one who already has 13 caps to his name for Italy, which is no mean feat at the age of 20.
Meanwhile, former Leeds coach Michael Skubala made it clear what he thinks of the young winger in the past, saying: “He’s a great lad, he’s a special player. He’s a credit to Leeds, he’s a credit to himself and he’s a really nice player to work with.”
Should the Whites hold out for £25m, Everton could still get a good deal given Gnonto’s age and the fact that he could be worth far more than that over time, giving Dyche a hugely exciting young player in his ranks in the process.
He is still a raw footballer, so Blues supporters would have to accept that his end product could remain erratic to begin with, but he has already shown that he can handle the Premier League, registering six goal contributions in 24 appearances.
