Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna may be leaving Manchester City in June and Everton are reportedly after a right-back.
Premier League ears would surely have pricked up when The Sun reported back in December that Manchester City could let Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy leave The Etihad when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
With a wealth of experience, not to mention three Premier League titles between them, each of the full-back trio would surely represent excellent additions to almost any squad lower down the Premier League pyramid.
And, according to Le 10 Sport, Everton have identified 34-year-old Bacary Sagna as a potential understudy to Seamus Coleman but, despite the fact the Frenchman has pinned down the right-back position under Pep Guardiola this season, it seems rather strange that The Toffees would not first enquire about his City team-mate.
After all, Zabaleta is two years younger and, despite suffering a number of injuries in recent seasons, retains that trademark overlapping burst and tenacity in the challenge. In short, the Argentinian is everything Ronald Koeman could want in a full-back, particularly in a system that relies on them to provide much of the attacking width.
That is a skill Zabaleta has honed in a decade in Manchester and, unlike the sturdy, more conservative Sagna, the former Espanyol snapper is very similar in style to Everton’s first-choice right-back Coleman.
Therefore, if Koeman wanted to rotate in the event of potential Europa League football on Merseyside last season, he could introduce Zabaleta without fearing of altering his tactical approach or reducing the attacking quality of his side.
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