‘We’re talking to Everton’: Director claims Toffees want to sign £10m man

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Everton are in talks with Atletico Madrid over a deal to bring Santiago Arias to the Premier League, the La Liga club’s sporting director Andrea Berta has told Kicker.

Spare a thought for Jonjoe Kenny.

Just five days ago, the Liverpool-born defender produced a performance full of energy, endeavour and, most importantly of all, first-team quality as Everton swept aside Salford City in the Carabao Cup.

After the most comfortable of 3-0 wins, Carlo Ancelotti even admitted that he had been won over by the fresh-faced youngster who recently returned to Goodison Park after a fine loan spell at Schalke.

But, while many Everton fans would love to see Kenny handed a run of games in the Premier League, it seems the Toffees see things a little differently.

Because Arias, a Colombian international who won three Eredivisie titles alongside Marcel Brands at PSV Eindhoven, could be on his way to England in a deal that slams the door on Kenny’s Everton career.

“We’re talking to Roma, Everton and PSG,” says Berta.

Described as ‘pacy, powerful, attack-minded and perfect’ by Brands during their time together in Holland, it is perhaps no surprise that Everton are one of the clubs willing to offer Arias an escape route out of the Wanda Metropolitano.

The £10 million defender has slipped behind Kieran Tripper and Srme Vrsaljko in Diego Simeone’s pecking order, starting 11 La Liga games last term.

But why spend big money on an ageing foreign import when you have a perfectly good right-back at home? One who showed at Schalke that he can be relied on to play week in, week out in a top European league?