The Benfica defender is reportedly close to a £42 million switch to Old Trafford, which could present another opportunity to Everton.
Should Manchester United’s pursuit of Victor Lindelof prove successful, it would take the Red Devils’ tally of senior centre-backs to six – if you include Jack-of-all-trades Daley Blind.
As it stands, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo are Jose Mourinho’s go-to pair, with £30 million summer recruit Eric Bailly sure to have something to say about that once restored to full fitness – although perhaps after the African Cup of Nations. And, at a reported cost of £42 million, Lindelof is certainly not coming to warm the bench.
Whichever way Mourinho opts to order his centre-backs is unlikely to bode well for Chris Smalling. However, it could work out nicely for Everton.
The Toffees are expected to target a new stopper in the January transfer window, with Phil Jagielka experiencing a quite visible decline since entering his mid-thirties, and Ramiro Funes Mori convincing very few of A) his ability, and B) a desire to remain at Goodison Park long-term.
The names of Virgil van Dijk and Lamine Kone have regularly associated with Everton in transfer gossip columns throughout recent months, although neither pursuit would be without its hurdles.
Van Dijk is reportedly valued at around £40 million by Southampton, while Sunderland are said to want just under half that for Kone, on whom the jury is still out.
Having spent seven years in United’s first team – winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and captaining the Red Devils on occasion – Smalling is perhaps a more reliable option than Kone, while his price tag should – in theory – be lower than Van Dijk’s.
Besides, with moves for Old Trafford pair Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay already in the offing, Everton manager Ronald Koeman will likely have enough loyalty points to qualify for a discount.
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