Everton are interested in signing Juventus defender Merih Demiral, according to reports.
The Turkey international is said to be ‘high’ on Carlo Ancelotti’s wish-list this month, with the club desperate to sign a new centre-back.
The Toffees currently have just Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina and Michael Keane as senior options for Ancelotti’s first-team, and the club will be prioritising bringing in another option for the position before the window closes.
The Telegraph (via Sportslens) claims that Demiral is attracting Leicester City as well as Everton, with the Foxes having had a sizeable offer knocked back by Juventus.
Juve reportedly don’t want to sell the 21-year old, having only signed the defender from Sassuolo in the summer. While Demiral hasn’t yet established himself in Turin, the Serie A champions want to hold on to him for the time being.
Everton meanwhile will need to make a lucrative offer if they wish to convince Juventus into selling the £18million-rated (via Transfermarkt) man.
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Demiral is largely considered to be one of the brightest young talents to have come out of Turkey in recent years, and with Maurizio Sarri speaking so highly of him recently (via Juventus’ website), it isn’t a surprise that Juventus aren’t keen to sell.
Both large and physical, and quick over a couple of yards, Demiral has the right attributes to succeed at the top level, should he be given an extended run in the team. With many of Juventus’ centre-back options ageing, the Turk could be seen as the future by Bianconeri chiefs.
Looking back at his previous history though, Juventus are Demiral’s fifth permanent club at just 21-years old, meaning he isn’t afraid to move on when the move is right. Maybe the promise of regular game time could tempt the defender to leave Juventus, even if the move could be considered somewhat of a step down.
With Leicester’s interest though, there is a more difficult task for Everton in beating the Foxes, who currently look to be the better prospect. Ancelotti may have some pull, but we’ll have to see if it is enough to tempt both Juve to sell and tempt Demiral to trade black and white for royal blue.
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