Everton are lining up a January move for highly-rated Championship full-back Joe Bryan. According to recent reports in the English media, the Toffees are being linked with a swoop for the Bristol City left-back this month. The Merseyside club are on the lookout for a new left-back in the January transfer window with Cuco Martina still being deployed as a left-sided full-back in place of the injured Leighton Baines under Everton manager Sam Allardyce. Some sources have claimed that Everton are monitoring the progress of Bryan and has been impressed with his performances in the Championship this season.
Allardyce has recently confessed that he was struggling to pinpoint targets and address one of the most problematic areas of his squad but could now finally find a solution if he is successful in bringing Bryan to Goodison Park.
The 24-year-old defender famously scored the opening goal in Bristol City’s major victory over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal last month. He has scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists in 31 appearances for the Robins this season across all competitions. He has immense potential which the Toffees could look to utilise in the coming years.
Everton are currently sitting in 9th place in the Premier League standings, six points behind 7th placed Leicester City. They have recently fallen off the pace after making a terrific start to Sam Allardyce’s reign at Merseyside. They still have the potential to secure a top 7 finish this season if they can turn their fortunes for the better in the coming months. The Toffees has already made two major signings this month in the form of Cenk Tosun from Besiktas and Theo Walcott from Arsenal. They can definitely bolster their defensive options by adding someone of the calibre of Bryan in January.
The 24-year-old Bristol player is highly versatile and can operate in a number of different positions. He is primarily a left-back who can also play in a more advanced role in left midfield or as a central midfielder. His versatility is another selling point which the Toffees can benefit from if they can agree on a move for the Championship star. However, Bryan has never experienced football in the Premier League and the jury is out whether he can immediately adapt to the fast intensity in the top tier of English football.
It remains to be seen whether Everton are successful in their attempts to bring the Championship full-back to Merseyside before the end of the January transfer window.
