Reported Everton target Aaron Martin available for cut-price fee after £18m Toffees’ January bid

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Premier League outfit Everton wanted Espanyol’s La Liga left-back Aaron Martin at Goodison Park.

Heading into the summer transfer window, a new left-back will be top of Everton’s wishlist no matter who the club appoint to replace Sam Allardyce. And, in a potential boost, a player The Toffees tried and failed to sign in January might just have been made available.

L’Esportiu claimed that Everton made an unsuccessful bid of £18 million to land Espanyol’s Aaron Martin on the final day of the transfer window four months ago.

But in new reports published by Sport, it is claimed that the Catalan club will be forced to sell two of their star players this summer, Martin and the 16-goal forward Gerard Moreno. And it is understood that Martin could be available for just £10 million, almost half the fee that Everton were supposedly prepared to be offering in January.

Sport adds that Espanyol need to cash in on the highly-rated duo in order to help pay off a loan, which perhaps explains why they are now willing to accept a reduced fee for the homegrown flyer, who has played six times for Spain at U21 level.

It is understood, however, that Benfica are closing in on signing Martin having been in negotiations with the 21-year-old since January so Everton will need to act very fast indeed if they are to make the Spaniard Leighton Baines’ long-term successor.