Right-back has been unable to find regular first-team football at Toffees
Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has been linked with a move to La Liga in Spain in a bid to find to first-team football.
Patterson is on the fringes of the Everton squad and it is understood that the 23-year-old wants to be playing regularly now that he is fully fit.
Everton paid Rangers a fee in the region of £11 million for Patterson in 2022 following some stand-out performances from the right-back at Ibrox, but his time on Merseyside has not gone as planned.
Nathan Patterson won his 23rd cap for Scotland against Liechtenstein back in June.placeholder image
Nathan Patterson won his 23rd cap for Scotland against Liechtenstein back in June. | SNS Group
Patterson suffered a serious hamstring injury in April last year which sidelined him for nearly ten months and cost him his place in Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad. He also fell out of favour with then manager Sean Dyche, who used him sparingly in his team.
With a contract running until 2027, Patterson had hoped to resurrect his Everton career under compatriot David Moyes, who came in midway through last season, but he picked up a muscle injury during pre-season and was left out of the matchday squad for Sunday’s 2-0 win over Brighton at the Toffees’ new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It has now emerged that La Liga side Sevilla want to take Patterson on loan for the rest of the season. According to Sky Sports, the Andalucian outfit have opened negotiations with Everton over a move.
Sevilla narrowly avoided relegation from La Liga last season, finishing one spot above the drop zone in 17th place, and are rebuilding under new Argentinian head coach Matías Almeyda. They started this season with a 3-2 defeat by Athletic Bilbao and are due to face Getafe at their Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán home on Monday evening
Patterson wants to stay in Scotland reckoning
Capped 23 times by Scotland, Patterson wants to remain part of the national team going into the World Cup qualifying campaign later this year. Head coach Steve Clarke is set to name his squad for the September double-header against Denmark and Belarus on Monday morning,
Patterson faces stiff competition for the right-back berth from Brentford’s Aaron Hickey, Celtic’s Anthony Ralston, Sturm Graz’s Max Johnston and Bristol City’s Ross McCrorie.
Patterson came on as a substitute in both of Scotland’s summer friendlies, a 3-1 defeat by Iceland at Hampden and a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion.
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Speaking about Patterson back in June, Clarke said; "He's had a tough time. We've been talking about it since he got his injury before the last Euros. It's been over a year since Nathan was in a Scotland squad. I've always been in touch with him. It hasn't gone smoothly for him at Everton. He'd be the first to agree with that.
“He hasn't had enough game-time, but recently towards the end of the season, he got a couple of games, which was nice to see. He did okay. He knows he has to play regularly next season to be involved going forward. He knows he has to play more regularly next season to develop his career and to become better. But it's nice to have Nathan back in the squad.”