David Moyes is keen to get business done quickly ahead of the fast-approaching Premier League season, and one of his rumoured Everton targets could be moving imminently.
Everton are exploring a number of deals with David Moyes desperate to get a right-winger through the door at Finch Farm.
Moyes and his chiefs are working on a deal to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton, having already had a £27m bid rejected.
Takefusa Kubo is also on the Toffees’ radar, as is Lyon winger Malick Fofana, although, he prefers a move to a Champions League club.
A midfielder is also wanted, and now one of the rumoured targets has surprisingly not played a single minute in a pre-season friendly today.
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Everton target Wilfred Ndidi plays 0 minutes for Leicester City
Everton are eyeing Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City, with the Nigeria international available for just £9m due to a relegation release clause.
Borussia Dortmund have offered Ndidi a five-year contract, so there is competition for his signature, but nothing appears to be done just yet.
Surprisingly, Ndidi didn’t play a single minute in Leicester City’s 2-0 win against Fiorentina today, which suggests he’s set to leave the King Power Stadium.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
Clearly, Marti Cifuentes and his chiefs have decided against risking him getting injured ahead of an almost inevitable transfer.
Perhaps the Toffees could be accelerating a deal behind the scenes, as the midfield ranks are still very light following the departures of Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Besiktas and Al-Ahli are also in the mix to land Ndidi’s signature.
Ndidi’s impressive underlying data
Ndidi remains one of the best ball-winning midfielders in Europe, as evinced by his exceptional FBref data.
The 28-year-old ranks in the top five per cent in Europe for tackles won per 90, and he also sits in the top three per cent for clearances.
Evidently, Ndidi is of a similar profile to Idrissa Gana Gueye, so if he were to complete a switch to Merseyside, he’d likely be a squad player.
Gueye is 35-years-old, so Everton do need to manage his minutes this season, and Ndidi would be the perfect replacement when needed.