Everton are ‘ready to burst onto the scene in the coming weeks’ and sign Mario Gila from Lazio.
Italian news outlet Tuttosport believe The Friedkin Group are on alert after Lazio – bitter rivals of their Serie A side Roma – learned that the Spanish defender would not be signing a new contract, with his current terms expiring in July 2027.
As Everton try to bring Gila to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer, let us take a look at what type of player David Moyes could be getting.
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Ivan Toney of Al Ahli celebrates after scoring the 2nd goal during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Ahli and Al Nassr
Credit: Getty Images/Yasser Bakhsh
Everton chasing a 2021/22 La Liga winner in Mario Gila
The 25-year-old has a rich pedigree in football.
Gila was snapped up by Real Madrid from Espanyol back in 2018 – making 73 appearances for the B team before Carlo Ancelotti handed him a La Liga debut in April 2022 at the age of 21 years, eight months and a day.
It was just one of just two senior appearances the Spaniard made for Real Madrid before a €6m (£5m) move to Lazio in July 2022 shortly after winning his first and only La Liga title, but the former Spain U21 international has seen his career take off in Rome.
Gila was named in The Athletic’s 2024/25 Serie A Team of the Season after helping Lazio finish seventh – making 32 league appearances as the Italian side suffered just two defeats in their last 16 games thanks to a solid defence.
The man born in Barcelona predominantly plays as the right-sided central defender in a 4-3-3 formation under Maurizio Sarri, winning the WhoScored Man of the Match award for his performance in a 2-1 win over Sassuolo last time out.
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With Michael Keane set to see his contract expire at the end of the season, Gila could well be seen as a replacement for the England international in that respect.
However, Tuttosport add that Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Tottenham are also keen to snap the Lazio No.34 up this summer, so Everton – who are monitoring Marco Senesi too – must fight to secure his signature.
Does Michael Keane deserve a new contract at Everton? 😬
He is currently set to become a free agent in the summer… 👋
Michael Keane of Everton thanks the supporters after the Premier League match between Fulham and Everton.
Credit: Getty Images/Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto.
Full name: Mario Gila Fuentes
Age: 25
Date of birth: 29th August 2000
Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in)
Nationality: Spain
Place of birth: Barcelona
Club: Lazio
Position: Central defender
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