Everton have been linked with a transfer bid for a talented player who has lost his way in Italy - could they make a move in January?
While David Moyes’ unbeaten Everton side have started the season in typically tough and steady fashion, their attack is still in need of some work. Only five teams have scored fewer than their six goals, and there is still a certain lack of creativity despite several summer signings.
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Everton brought Jack Grealish and Tyrique George back to the Hill Dickinson Stadium and traded for Crystal Palace’s Brennan Johnson, but a slew of potential moves broke down before the deadline and they still lack penetration and perhaps a certain degree of subtlety in behind lone striker Thierno Barry. Something needs to be done in January if they want to turn a strong start into something more substantive – and they may have a signing in their sights which could tip the scales.
The £21m Serie A star on Everton’s radar – according to reports
Teun Koopmeiners has struggled for form since moving to Juventus in 2024placeholder image
Teun Koopmeiners has struggled for form since moving to Juventus in 2024 | Getty Images
According to Italian media outlet Gazzetta dello Sport – whose print story is summarised online by Sport Witness – Juventus are looking for a team to take midfielder Teun Koopmeiners off their hands, a little over two years after he made the move from Atalanta in a deal which was potentially worth over €60m (£51m).
Among the teams to have shown interest is Everton, who apparently looked at the player during the summer transfer window before turning their attention elsewhere. It’s possible that Grealish’s arrival was felt to negate the need for a player like Koopmeiners, but the team’s lack of consistent creativity in midfield remains palpable.
Juventus are apparently hoping to secure a permanent sale and have set an asking price of just €25m (£21m), a very reasonable fee given his past successes in Serie A, but the Old Lady are supposedly also open to a loan agreement.
That means that a deal could be relatively risk-free for Everton, with the possibility of a ‘try before you buy’ deal being struck in January. Unsurprisingly, however, such an appealing proposition hasn’t only priced up the Toffees’ ears.
Newcastle United are also said to be in the frame having done some due diligence on the 28-year-old over the summer, and could represent stiff competition when the time comes.
There is no suggestion that any negotiations have taken place as yet, which is unsurprising given how far away the next transfer window is, and there is time for the picture to change. But as it stands, it appears as though Koopmeiners is available on reasonable terms, and Everton are among the sides who could stand to take advantage of that fact.
Would Teun Koopmeiners answer Everton’s attacking prayers?
Everton allegedly looked into a deal for Koopmeiners over the summerplaceholder image
Everton allegedly looked into a deal for Koopmeiners over the summer | Getty Images
There are a few good reasons that Everton might have backed away from a bid over the summer, of course, just as there are good reasons why Juventus are considering selling Koopmeiners for less than half of the amount that they paid in the first place.
His form over the past two season since moving from Atalanta has been somewhat disappointing and although he has generally remained a regular member of Juventus’ starting line-up, he hasn’t been as productive as he was in Bergamo.
The Dutchman scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in his last season with Atalanta in 2023/24, which represented the fourth time in five seasons he had scored at least 10 goals. At Juventus, however, he has managed eight goals and five assists in total across 95 appearances. By his own high standards, he has struggled.
Everton may also be put off by his lack of physical strength, which has made him susceptible in one-on-one situations and relatively ineffective in the pressing game at the Allianz Stadium. Considering that Moyes plays a fairly rugged brand of football, Koopmeiners isn’t necessarily a natural fit.
Still, he has proven in the past that he can be destructive. The quality of his finishing, especially from long distance, made him a potent goal threat before his downward spiral at Juventus, who have typically played him in a slightly more withdrawn role than that in which he operated at his previous clubs.
Even on current form, he remains a precise passer, but hasn’t been teeing up chances at the rate he once did. He’s been economical and tidy on the ball, but hasn’t been breaking games open in the manner which persuaded Juventus to shell out on him originally.
The question Everton – or indeed Newcastle – might have to answer is whether a change of scenery and a more aggressive role might relight the attacking midfielder’s fire and get the goals and assists flowing again. At his best, he would have represented an undeniable upgrade for a side like Everton.
The opportunity to sign him on loan might offer them precisely the kind of exploratory deal they’d need to answer those questions before spending too much capital on him. Other sides will no doubt think much the same thing come January – it will be interesting to see whether Everton are involved in the bidding when the transfer window reopens.
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