Everton could be set to lose out to Inter Milan in the race for the Barcelona ace.
There has been more bad news for the Toffees today, with Italian media outlet Tutto Mercato Web claiming that Serie A side Inter Milan are closing in on a deal to sign Barcelona ace Thomas Vermaelen in January.
Everton have been hot on the tail of the Belgian centre-back since the summer, according to the Sun, as they look to bolster their defensive ranks, although it is unclear as to whether they still hold interest in the player, following Ronald Koeman’s exit from the club.
Their pursuit of the 31-year-old looks set to end in failure, however, with Tutto Mercato Web claiming that the Nerazzurri are closing in on a deal to sign him on loan in January.
The Merseyside outfit are currently in all sorts of trouble, and sit precariously in 18th position in the Premier League table.
One of the major contributing reasons behind their woeful start to the season has been their fragile defence, with 20 goals conceded already after just 10 league outings.
With this in mind, the addition of an established centre-back will surely feature highly on Everton’s list of priorities in January.
It looks like they will miss out on Vermaelen, however, and will have to identify other targets over the next couple of months.
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