Everton manager Marco Silva was keen to add a centre-back to his squad over the summer transfer window, but efforts to land one fell through. Chelsea weren’t keen to let Kurt Zouma go either temporarily or permanently, while the plug was pulled on a deal to sign Fikayo Tomori on loan after Arsenal approached Chelsea for David Luiz despite both sides already reaching an agreement in principle. Everton also had Lille centre-back Adama Soumaoro on their radar, but a move to land their long-term target didn’t work out.
However, the Toffees have now been handed a huge boost in the pursuit of the £13 million-rated versatile defender, with L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) reporting that the Frenchman is almost certain to seek an exit in January and fulfill his dream of playing in the Premier League.