Everton continue their search for more depth and defensive stability. This time, they have turned their attention to France. The club keeps showing a strong interest in new players after struggling at the back recently. With January approaching, the Merseyside side wants to fix the gaps that keep making their season inconsistent.
According to AfricaFoot, Everton made an €8m (£7m) offer for Nice defender Kojo Peprah Oppong. The 21-year-old Ghanaian centre-back joined Ligue 1 side Nice from Swedish club Norrköping in July. He has already impressed manager Franck Haise with his calmness and maturity.
Everton made an €8m (£7m) offer for Nice defender Kojo Peprah
Nice value him as a key part of their defence and refuse to sell him before the season ends. Everton sent officials to France last weekend to discuss the deal. They offered him a five-year contract and an annual salary of about €2.5m (£2.18m).
The proposal lets Oppong stay at Nice for the rest of the season, which delays his move to Goodison Park. That setup might please Nice, but it makes things harder for Everton. They need a defender now, not later.
The club keeps working hard in the market, as we reported earlier, that Everton are making a concrete plan to sign Ivan Toney. The Toffees are also growing optimistic about signing Jack Grealish permanently in the summer of 2026. These moves show the club’s wider ambition, but they also raise questions about their timing and choices in this pursuit.
A Move That Misses the Moment:
Everton’s €8m offer for Oppong shows good intent but poor timing. The player only recently settled at Nice and already holds a key role in Haise’s defence. If they spend heavily on someone who cannot help right away, it will waste both time and money. The team must fix its problems now. Everton face urgent defensive issues and need a quick solution, not one that comes months later.
Oppong keeps improving quickly, but moving to another league still brings risk. Paying high wages and a transfer fee for a player who joins later could turn into another bad decision. Everton should focus on defenders they can sign in January who can strengthen the team immediately. Planning for the future makes sense, but ignoring the present rarely brings success in football. This deal, at least for now, looks more like a distraction than a solution.
