During silly season, Premier League clubs are linked with a whole host of players, and Everton have been no different this summer. Manager Marco Silva will be hoping to improve on the Toffees’ 8th place finish last time out, and has already brought in Andre Gomes on a permanent deal following his season-long loan last year, as well as Fabian Delph and Jonas Lossl, in an attempt to do so. But who else could move to Goodison Park this summer? We take a look at five players Everton want to sign before August 8th…
Moise Kean’s career is only just starting, but he has already made an impact in Italy. Aged just 19, he has eight goals in 21 games for Juventus, and has also netted twice in three appearances for the Italian national side. However, despite such an impressive start to his career, the prodigy could be on the move this summer, and Everton have been linked with him. They have been joined by Arsenal in the race for the striker, but the Toffees have an advantage. Unlike the Gunners, Marco Silva and co are willing to let the Old Lady include a £36m buy-back option in a potential deal.
Nicolas Pepe had a fantastic season in Ligue 1 last term, scoring 23 goals for Lille as they finished second behind PSG in France’s top tier. It is of no surprise that he has been linked with a move away from the Stade Pierre Mauroy, but Everton’s interest is a little unexpected. The Toffees are reportedly eyeing a move for the 24-year-old, who would apparently cost a club record fee of €65m (£58.3m). The French club’s president Gerard Lopez has confirmed that the Ivory Coast international’s departure is close to completion, so it remains to be seen whether it is the Toffees who have won the race.
Most of Everton’s targets this summer appear to be offensive rather than defensive. Another one who has been linked to a move to Goodison Park this summer is Barcelona’s Malcom. The Brazilian made just 24 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan club last season and was unable to move ahead of the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and, of course, Lionel Messi in Ernesto Valverde’s starting line-up. Everton were said to be lining up an offer of €35m (£31.4m) earlier in July. The 22-year-old’s agent has reportedly told his employers that he wants to leave the Camp Nou this summer, so a switch should be expected.
Not content with targeting one Lille star, Everton also have Rafael Leao on their radar. The 20-year-old scored eight goals in 26 games for the Ligue 1 club last season, and has attracted attention from a number of sides. Along with the Toffees, Valencia and Wolves are also reportedly interested. The former two were even said to have offered €4om (£35.9m) for the Brazilian. As with Pepe, Gerard Lopez has admitted that it will be difficult to hold onto the forward, and has confirmed that that he has received offers. A switch therefore looks likely.
To finish off, we finally have a defensive candidate that could move to Merseyside before the transfer window slams shut next month. The Toffees have been linked with Adama Soumaoro who currently captains… yes, you guessed it, Lille! A transfer to Monaco for the 27-year-old has recently fallen through, which means that a switch to the Premier League is back on the cards. Crystal Palace and an unnamed German club have reportedly bid for the central defender, so Everton will need to move quickly if they are to bring him in this summer.