Everton face more pressure in their pursuit of Hellas Verona defender Marash Kumbulla with Watford having now entered the race, according to Corriere di Verona, as translated by Sport Witness.
The Toffees were linked with the Albanian international last month, when Corriere dello Sport reported that both Everton and Chelsea had pushed ahead to ‘inform themselves’ on the player’s situation.
Now the report claims that Watford have joined the race to sign the 20-year-old, who has also caught the interest of Manchester City and Liverpool, while RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Napoli and Inter Milan are also keen.
Carlo Ancelotti is believed to want to sign a new centre-back in the summer, with the Toffees only possessing three senior centre-back options currently, and the Toffees should now start to act with more purpose in the transfer market if they wish to steal a march on other interested clubs.
In 18 Serie A appearances this season, Kumbulla has averaged a better inception per game ration (1.5) than any of Everton’s centre-backs, while he also averages more tackles (1.8) and more blocks (1).
Despite playing fewer league games than all three of Everton’s centre-halves, Kumbulla’s stats prove his influence has been felt by Verona this season, and it would suggest that he has the potential to step up into the Premier League. At just 20 too, he is still developing and improving week on week.
If Ancelotti and Marcel Brands think that Kumbulla could add depth and quality to the squad, they should press ahead with their interest before they lose out to a more eager opponent. Everton need reinforcement, but they also need players who can add quality, and Kumbulla ticks both boxes.
