Lamine Kone has impressed for Sunderland so far this season so should Everton renew their interest?
Everton began their 2017/18 Premier League season in ideal fashion with a 1-0 opening day victory over Stoke City thanks to a winner from returning forward Wayne Rooney.
Manager Ronald Koeman deployed a 3-5-2 formation against the Potteries that featured Leighton Baines and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as wing-backs and new signing Michael Keane alongside Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams in central defence.
Ronald Koeman, manager of Everton.
The system clearly worked as well with the Toffees keeping a clean-sheet, but with three centre-backs being used at a time there could be some question marks about the depth in Koeman’s squad.
With the Guardian reporting Ramiro Funes Mori could miss the bulk of the season due to a knee injury and Matthew Pennington on loan at Leeds United, Mason Holgate remains the only backup in the position.
It is why the Merseysiders need recruitment at the back and as a result, perhaps they should revisit a deal for Sunderland’s Lamine Kone and look to finally secure the 28-year-old.
The Liverpool Echo reports how the Black Cats rejected a £14m bid from Everton for Kone in the summer of 2016, before they then suffered relegation from the Premier League.
Twelve months on and the Ivorian has been impressing in the early stages of the new Championship campaign and has been linked with a £10m exit from the Stadium of Light by the Mirror, with boss Simon Grayson telling the defender to play well and earn his move back to the top flight.
Lamine Kone and Tyias Browning of Sunderland challenge Curtis Davies of Derby County.
“While people are still here, if they’re thinking about options to leave, play well and make that happen,” Grayson said.
“Kone? I think he’s up for the fight. By the sounds of it and the way he has played, he has looked very comfortable and shown his true quality.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
