Everton will surely have some problematic weeks ahead of them as they delve deeper into contract extension talks with their star players Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, with increasing chances of the duo leaving Goodison Park at the end of the season. However, the attack is not the only worrying position for the manager, Ronald Koeman, looking at the future.
With the Toffees pretty much hopeful of being a Europa League competitor next season, the club will have to strengthen many other minor fissures in the side, which have been glaring occasionally this season. One such position is their central defence. With Phil Jagielka surely finding a different club at the end of the season, Koeman will have to add depth at the back given the tremendously hectic schedule Europa League brings with itself.
Early elimination from both EFL Cup and FA cup has helped Koeman greatly in maintaining an injury-free first team, which has turned up good against opponents frequently. But, things won’t be the same next year with the midweek European fixtures running until the end of the season along with the Premier League.
And Koeman seems to have reportedly found an option in Sporting CP centre-half Ruben Semedo. The 22-year-old Portugal international has been quite impressive this season with many rating the centre-half very highly. Everton have seen the player as a replacement for John Stones and very much like him, Semedo will not come in cheap.
Southampton are also understood to give a stiff competition to Everton in the chase, who are also searching replacements for the departed Portuguese international Jose Fonte. A Sporting CP academy product, Semedo took quite some time to break into the main team.
Playing for their underage side, he was loaned to second-tier Spanish side CF Reus Deportiu and Portuguese side Vitória Setúbal FC before the club finally found him good enough for their first team. He has appeared 18 times in the domestic league and six times in the Champions League for the side this season, since returning from Vitória Setúbal FC last winter. However, recent poor performances have led him to be dropped to the bench and he hasn’t played a game over a month.
Portuguese clubs are infamous for their tarnished negotiations and both Everton and Southampton will have to pay something in the region of £40 million, which is his buy-out clause, to land him. Everton will of course win in the financial war with Southampton until other European giants join the race.
