The Costa Rican international will not be joining Sunderland this month but Everton are reportedly interested in Leeds United’s Charlie Taylor.
It’s hard to believe Bryan Oviedo is halfway through his fifth season at Goodison Park. After all, he’s only been handed 29 starts by three different managers since arriving from Copenhagen though, according to the Liverpool Echo, the seldom-seen understudy remains an important part of Ronald Koeman’s plans.
The Daily Mail reported earlier in the week that David Moyes was persisting with his attempts to transform a potless Sunderland into Everton-lite, with Oviedo and injury-stricken outcast Darron Gibson headhunted to join Steven Pienaar, Victor Anichebe and Jolean Lescott in an increasingly futile looking relegation battle.
However, the Liverpool Echo claims that Moyes’ hopes of getting the old band back together have taken a hit because, as Everton do not have a recall clause to bring Brendan Galloway from his disappointing loan at West Brom, Koeman needs an alternative for the ageing Leighton Baines.
Though that’s all Oviedo has ever been at Everton. An underused deputy who, under Moyes, Koeman or Roberto Martinez, has failed to truly convince.
Nonetheless, The Toffees are likely to be more receptive to offers in the summer when Galloway is released from his Hawthorns captivity and reported target Charlie Taylor is available on the free.
The Leeds United left-back will be out of contract at the season’s end and, according to The Mirror, Everton are ready to fight a host of Premier League clubs for his signature.
Taylor is a natural attacker, an excellent crosser and, at 23, has more than enough time on his side to prove that he can be Baines’ long-term successor.
Therefore, if Oviedo is struggling for game time now, his prospects won’t exactly be enhanced if Taylor and Galloway add their names to the roster. Unfortunately for Sunderland, it might be too late by then.
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