Everton close in on £16 million defender that will be a Rangers club-record sale

Nathan Patterson in action for Rangers. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Everton are closing in on a swoop for Rangers defender Nathan Patterson.

The Toffees are edging closer to landing the right-back who’ll become their second signing of the January transfer window.

Needed reinforcement

It'll be welcome news for Toffees supporters, who had to endure an abject 3-2 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The defeat stretched Everton's lacklustre run to just one victory in 12 games.

As a result, Rafa Benitez has come under further pressure, with growing numbers of supporters calling for him to be sacked as manager.

Everton sit 16th in the Premier League table and seven points above the relegation zone.

Patterson has been a long-term target for the Blues.

They had two bids rejected in the summer and, as a consequence, failed to recruit an additional right-back before the window shut.

It's left 33-year-old Seamus Coleman as the main option but has struggled at times.

Meanwhile, Jonjoe Kenny - who started only his second league game against Brighton in a wing-back role this season - has been out of favour.

Patterson is thought to be heading to Merseyside in a deal worth up to £16 million.

That will be a record player sale for Rangers, surpassing Alan Hutton's £10 million move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.

Background

Patterson, 20, has come through the ranks at Ibrox. In total, he's made 27 appearances and two goals.

However, he's found it tough to dislodge captain James Tavernier from the starting line-up. This season, he’s made only 11 outings for the Scottish champions.

Now Patterson, who's been capped six times for Scotland, looks set to depart his boyhood club for Everton.

The signing represents a long-term vision from the Toffees, with Patterson's best years still well ahead of him.

He'll join Vitaliy Mykolenko, 22, as the second new face to join Goodison this month.

The left-back's arrival from Dynamo Kiev for a reported fee of around £18 million was announced on New Year's Day.