Everton linked with swoop for £21m-rated league champion and ex-Tottenham star who could win Copa America

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Everton FC transfer news: The search for a defender could lead them to a former Tottenham star.

Everton are on the hunt for a centre-back this summer and their search could lead them to former Tottenham star Davinson Sanchez.

The exit of Ben Godfrey to Atalanta has left Everton short at the back and with only three senior centre-back options. Both James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite are the number one choices but Michael Keane, who rarely featured last season, has just one year left on his current deal.

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Therefore, we’ve seen reports over a move for defenders in recent weeks. One media outlet in Turkey have claimed that Everton have had a bid rejected for ex-Spurs defender Sanchez, who has just won the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray in his first season at the club. According to Sporx, their €18M (£15m) bid was rejected as they value the player around €25M (£21m) with Galatasaray hoping to target FC Nordsjælland defender Adamo Nagalo.

Not only is he a league champion, but he is set to face Argentina in the Copa America final with Colombia. Having starred at Ajax, he made over 200 appearances for Tottenham, including starting in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019. He made 17 starts last season and has played every minute in the Copa America thus far.

It would be a shrewd purchase but it would place the Tarkowski/Branthwaite duo in doubt as Sanchez will want to be a consistent starter. And his figures certainly warrant respect across the board. He ranked in the 94th percentile for blocks and 82nd for interceptions while also being a menace in the other box. He ranked in the 96th percentile for shot-creating-actions and in the 91st for expected goals - there’s no doubt he would bring a quality in both boxes for Sean Dyche.

The most interesting figures are that he is able to carry the ball in defence, something which Tarkowski and Branthwaite are not known for. He’s strong on the ball and ranks high for progressive passes and progressive carries and he would bring an added dimension to their defence which was the fourth-best defence in the league last season.

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At 28, he brings experience, quality and would arrive off the back of one of his best-ever campaigns, regardless of the Copa America final result. Having three top-quality defender to rotate efficiently will help maintain their levels of performance while also helping them to progress further in cup competitions and it would certainly be a shrewd move.

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