Everton have now held talks with the agents of an “outstanding” midfielder they are looking at signing this month, according to a report.
Moyes eyeing midfielders after Spurs win
The Toffees’ 3-2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend provided them with some much-needed breathing room in the Premier League relegation battle, now sitting four points clear of the bottom three with a game in hand.
However, the job is by no means close to being done yet, with just under half of the season left to play, and David Moyes remains interested in strengthening his squad by bringing in a new midfielder this month.
Moyes could look to raid Chelsea in the final week of the January transfer window, identifying both Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as potential midfield targets, having failed to establish themselves as regular starters at Stamford Bridge.
According to a report from Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), Juventus’ Arthur Melo is also now emerging as a target for Everton, and they have taken their first step towards getting a deal done by making contact with his agents.
Melo was a first-team regular for Fiorentina last season, but he hasn’t been part of Thiago Motta’s plans this term, meaning he could move elsewhere this winter.
Real Betis are also interested in signing the midfielder, and at one point it looked like a deal was close, but negotiations came to a halt, which could give the Toffees an opportunity to swoop in.
Developments were expected quickly in the hours following the initial contact, but as yet it is unclear whether the Blues have made any progress towards getting a deal done.
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The 28-year-old has already played in England before, albeit briefly, with his stint at Liverpool being significantly hampered by injury, but he did enough to impress Jordan Henderson during his time at Anfield.
Since then, the Brazilian has managed to put his injury problems behind him, making 48 appearances in all competitions for Fiorentina last season and establishing himself as a key player.
Of course, there will be concerns about the former Liverpool man’s injury history, but he showed signs of being back to his best last season, averaging a 7.12 SofaScore match rating in the Serie A, among the highest in the squad.
Melo proved he deserves a second chance to prove himself in the Premier League with his performances last season, and given that he isn’t getting any game time at Juventus, it seems likely that Everton could stand a good chance of concluding a deal.