Everton don’t have a first-team manager in place but that shouldn’t stop Marcel Brands and co from neglecting the transfer market.
We are now a few weeks into the window but any sign of activity from Goodison Park is being brought to a halt while they hunt for a new head coach.
What’s the word?
One player the new Everton manager could look to sign this summer is Juventus centre-half Merih Demiral.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Merseyside outfit and Tottenham are set to battle it out for the Turk’s signature this summer.
They are the only clubs interested in signing the defender per the report, who state that Juve are keen to sell the 23-year-old.
Demiral was valued at €40m (£34.5m) a few months ago so it could be a pricey deal for any suitor to complete.
Must swoop
If you’ve been watching the ongoing European Championships, then it’s likely you’d be against this signing.
After all, supposed dark horses Turkey were one of the worst teams at the tournament.
They failed to qualify from a group involving Italy, Wales and Switzerland as they scored just one goal and conceded eight.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-transfer-nuno-conte-wood-marcelo” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]
Demiral was part of that shoddy backline but his qualities weren’t fairly reflected during the opening fortnight of competition.
In short, the central defender is an “absolute beast” in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig.
He was an animal for Juventus last term, using immense strength and brute force to bully defenders.
The Turkey international won 2.2 aerial duels per game in the Champions League and prevailed in 3.6 aerial battles during his country’s Nations League campaign. For context, that second tally was only bettered by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in 2020/21.
A battling performer, he is willing to fight your cause until the bitter end. Speaking exclusively to Football Fancast, Serie A expert Conor Clancy said: “He can pass the ball well and he’s a little bit old school as well so he’s more than happy to go into the trenches and he will go to war with a striker if he needs to, and I think he improves any team he goes into.”
Everton are evidently in the mood to sign more defenders this term and they could combine the ruthless power of Demiral with the sensational physical traits that Denzel Dumfries possesses.
Described as a “freight train” by the BBC commentary team for his rampant runs down the right-hand side for the Netherlands at Euro 2020, he’s another player to be linked with the Toffees.
Everton were thought to be facing competition from Bayern Munich but their interest has reportedly died down.
Both players have tremendous strength and could be quite the duo in defence for Everton next season.
They are capable of terrifying forwards with their mighty presence and they are both individuals you’d want in the trenches beside you.
As Everton’s 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on the final day of the campaign tells us, they need players who aren’t going to roll over easily.
Marcel Brands would seal two magnificent deals by luring them to Merseyside over the coming months.
AND in other news, Bye-bye DCL: Everton must swoop for “spectacular” £24m gem with “blistering pace”…