Everton are reportedly considering making a move to sign Real Betis defender Natan, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Toffees currently have James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Jake O’Brien as centre-back options. However, Branthwaite has been injured since the start of this season.
On the other hand, the Merseyside club currently have Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson as options to deploy in the RB position. However, while the Scotsman has been struggling with injury problems, the veteran defender can’t play regularly at the highest level anymore.
Therefore, David Moyes has been using O’Brien in the right-back position. Meaning, Everton lack depth in the centre-back area and they are planning to address this issue next year.
Fichajes state that Everton have identified Natan as a serious option to strengthen the defensive department and could make a concrete approach to secure his services next year.
The Brazilian still has five years left in his current contract with the Andalusian side, and they have slapped a £26m price tag on his head. However, purchasing the 24-year-old won’t be straightforward for the Toffees as several other Premier League clubs are also interested in signing him, having been impressed by his recent eye-catching performances in La Liga.
Natan to Everton
After struggling to find regular game time at Napoli, Natan joined Los Verdiblancos. He initially signed on a loan deal ahead of last season before the deal became permanent this summer.
The South American is a 6ft 2in tall left-footed centre-back and is comfortable playing out from the back. He is quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, and efficient in defensive contributions.
Therefore, the Real Betis star possesses the necessary attributes to flourish in the Premier League, so he would be a great coup for Everton should they eventually manage to secure his services.
Meanwhile, Moyes’ side have endured a difficult start to this season, languishing in the bottom half of the table with 11 points from nine games. They are currently six points above the relegation zone and aren’t close to the drop zone, but have won only one out of the last seven games.
So, they will have to return to winning ways as quickly as possible to avoid facing relegation scrap.