Ryan Bertrand is the hottest name to bounce around the Premier League transfer mill and Everton seems to have joined in on the race. The English left-back is set to leave Southampton after this season even they manage to save themselves from relegation.
The Saints are expected to charge over £25m if multiple teams continue to pile up with offers by summer. They are currently placed in the 18th spot of the points table and are 3 points adrift of safety.
With just 6 games left in the season, Mark Hughes will have to make an inspiring comeback with Charlie Austin and Shane Long back into scoring form. However, plans also need to be drawn up if the drop to the Championship cannot be avoided.
All the big names are expected to face some unsettlement issues and the club with financial concerns. The loss of TV rights alone can end up debilitating the club to significant lengths.
Bertrand is an England international and is expected to feature heavily in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He might lose that spot if Premier League football is no longer available to him next season.
Everton are in the market for a fullback ever since Leighton Baines went down to a major injury earlier in the season. Rhu-Endly Cuco Martina has filled up his spot on the left but does not have a dominant left-foot to really make an impact on the offensive end.
Baines is 33 and is slowly entering the last stages of his playing career. Keeping up with the Premier League wingers is already proving to be a burden for the Englishman and Bertrand is the perfect replacement.
The latter is established in Europe and already has a Champions League medal in his trophy cabinet. Bertrand is a product of the Chelsea academy and helped the team to the prestigious European trophy in the 2011/12 season by beating Bayern Munich in the final, which ironically was also his debut in the continental stage.
However, playing second fiddle to Ashley Cole was never in his career plans and the 28-year-old quite Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2014 and made his way to St Mary’s for a permanent transfer. He has racked up 140 appearances for the Hampshire based club and is a regular starter ever since his arrival.
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He could be a major part of Everton’s rebuilding strategy to turn into one of the bigger powerhouses in English football. The left-back will also keep his place in the England team, with Luke Shaw undergoing a torrid spell with Manchester United.
