According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton had talks with defender Clement Lenglet in the summer of 2018 – but Barcelona beat them to his signature.
It’s claimed that Marco Silva wanted three players when he became Everton manager. Two of them, Everton managed to sign; defender Lucas Digne and attacker Richarlison.
However, centre back Lenglet was the third target. He was starring for Sevilla at the time, and had emerged as one of the top left-footed defenders in Europe.
The report notes that Silva spoke to Lenglet about the move. Lenglet allegedly promised that if he didn’t have an offer to join a Champions League side, he would join Everton.
Eventually, Barcelona paid his €35million (£31million) release clause, luring to the Camp Nou. Since then, he has supplanted Samuel Umtiti as a first-choice defender with Barca.
The 24-year-old has racked up more than 70 appearances for Barca as well as seven caps for France, showcasing his quality throughout.
Everton ended up signing Yerry Mina from Barca, who became available following Lenglet’s move. Mina has blown hot and cold with Everton, and the Toffees would have no doubt preferred Lenglet, but it just wasn’t to be.
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