Jakub Moder: Everton's loan approach 'rejected' by Brighton on deadline day

Everton have reportedly had a loan approach for Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder rejected on deadline day.

Moder, 24, has been at Brighton since 2020 having joined from Lech Poznan for £6m. However, an ACL injury suffered in April 2022 meant he missed the entirety of last season and he only returned to action on November 25 after a lengthy spell out of action.

According to Polish reporter, Piotr Koźmiński (via WP SportoweFakty) Everton have had a loan offer rejected and the Polish midfielder reportedly rejected the idea of a move away and has decided to stay in Brighton. Earlier today, Sky Sports reported that Everton were in the market for a midfielder, despite their limited funds and this certainly backs up that claim.

Moder was voted as the best player in the Polish Ekstraklasa prior to securing a move to Graham Potter's Brighton side at the time. He joined mid-season and played 13 times before then becoming more of a key figure the follow year, playing 32 times and scoring twice and assisting on four occasions.

Standing tall at 1.91m, Moder combines a mix of physicality with defensive qualities and he has allowed to roam on either side of midfield under Potter. He most recent appearance came against Luton Town off the bench when the game was already settled at 4-0, but he managed to win three of his five ground duels and make three tackles in just 19 minutes. However, he should get minutes under Roberto De Zerbi, whose side are plagued by injuries at the current time, which may have been a huge factor in his decision to stay.

With Sean Dyche having Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye absent during the week, another midfielder is certainly needed to help take the pressure off the existing squad who have been mostly unchanged in the centre this season. But, as per the report, a move for Moder is not set to happen.