Premier League trio Newcastle United, Southampton and Bournemouth have all been linked with Everton’s Carlo Ancelotti favourite Mason Holgate.
Everton are planning to double Mason Holgate’s wages as they look to ward off interest in one of the Premier League’s most in-form defenders, according to the Mirror (4 February, page 48).
This time last year, Holgate was on loan at West Brom, forced to drop into the Championship in order to prove himself after falling down the pecking order at Goodison Park.
Flash forward to the present day and one of the most versatile footballers around is quickly becoming one of the first names on Everton’s team sheet. Holgate shone at right-back during his spell at The Hawthorns but he has been a revelation either at centre-half or in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role for the Toffees in recent weeks.
According to the Sun, Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Southampton were all eyeing potential £14 million deals for the ‘Merseyside Maldini’.
But Everton are not going to let a player who is going from strength to strength under Carlo Ancelotti join a Premier League rival any time soon.
The Mirror reports that Holgate is set to be offered a huge pay rise as Everton look to tie him down until 2025. The former England U21 international is expected to earn £50,000 a week if he puts pen to paper, double his current pay packet.
Speaking on Match of the Day in January (18 January, 10.30pm), Alan Shearer was left blown away by an ‘excellent’ defensive talent he feels is ‘getting better all the time’.
But if the Newcastle legend wants to see Holgate in black and white, he is set to be disappointed.
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