Fresh reports have reiterated Everton’s interest in Roma duo Steven Nzonzi and Cengiz Under, though the club will face Premier League competition for both.
Everton were named as a potential destination for Under last week, with Roma no longer considering him to be an unsellable asset in their squad, while reports emerged concerning the Toffees’ interest in Nzonzi in December.
The Blues are in desperate need for central midfield reinforcements this month, while the club’s lack of pace and creativity in the final third has seen Under come under consideration.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Everton will rival West Ham for Nzonzi, with the Frenchman also interesting the Hammers and Lyon.
Currently on loan with Galatasaray, the 31-year old has been tipped to leave the Super Lig club after finding his minutes restricted, having struggled to impress since his season-long loan was secured in the summer.
Gazzetta doesn’t specifically mention what type of deal could be available to Everton during this window, although it does speculate that there is an opportunity for the Merseyside club to land the midfielder.
Meanwhile with Under, Gazzetta claim that Everton have ‘set their sights on him’, with Tottenham also said to be in heavily for the Turkey international who has fallen down the pecking order at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma would only be willing to negotiate if an ‘important offer’ is made though, with €35million being touted as the 22-year old’s price tag.
Carlo Ancelotti is certain to dip into the transfer market this month following his side’s crushing defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, and Rome appears to be a popular destination for the Italian.
Read Everton Verdict
Cengiz Under is a player who has caught Everton’s eye in the past, but his lack of game time this season means that his personal statistics aren’t impressive. The winger has scored once in eight Serie A appearances, only three of which have been starts, with zero assists to his name (WhoScored). Meanwhile Steven Nzonzi has made just ten appearances in Super Lig for Galatasaray, all of which have been from a starting position (WhoScored).
The Roma duo would both certainly add a degree of quality to the Everton squad, with Nzonzi particularly filling a hole that desperately needs to be filled. Everton need midfield reinforcements, and Nzonzi is a confident and calculated operator in that role.
Under represents the more ambitious target, and with a €35million price tag, he currently seems like an unnecessary expense. Everton do need stronger wide options, and their overall lack of pace and creativity in the final third does indicate that Under could be a valuable addition, but for that price tag Everton could spend wisely elsewhere. Wingers aren’t an absolute priority right now, and certainly not at that price.
It remains to be seen whether Everton can land either, they’ve been interested in both in the past, but Nzonzi is the option that makes the most financial and footballing sense.
