Everton have been offered the chance to sign a 'very valuable' Liverpool transfer target by his representatives, according to reports this week.
Everton eyeing new defender this summer
The summer planning at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is anything but straightforward.
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For all the clarity that David Moyes has brought to Everton's football over the course of his second tenure — a genuine sense of direction, a chase for Europe, a new-build stadium gradually being filled with renewed optimism — the business of rebuilding the backline this summer carries a complexity that no single signing can resolve.
The starting point is Jarrad Branthwaite, around whom an uncomfortable cloud has gathered.
The 22-year-old England international has been Everton's standout defensive asset for the past two seasons, but the attention his displays have attracted outside Merseyside has grown difficult to ignore.
Man United are rumoured to have held talks over a deal worth in the region of £74m — a figure that, if it materialises into a firm offer, would present the club with a decision that goes to the heart of their ambitions.
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The Toffees are calling his name.
Selling Branthwaite would generate enormous funds, but leave a vacancy at the top of the defensive hierarchy that needs urgent filling.
Against that backdrop, Moyes has been pursuing multiple avenues.
A bid of around £26m for Real Madrid's Raul Asencio is reportedly being considered by Everton — an apparent move pitched as a statement of intent for the new era, a young, technically gifted defender capable of growing into the role Branthwaite currently occupies.
Meanwhile, Everton's chiefs are said to be very keen on reuniting with John Stones after Moyes himself first signed him from Barnsley in 2013, but the manager harbours doubts about his injury record.
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Into that already crowded picture, another option has now been placed on the table — this time by the player's own agents rather than Everton's recruitment team.
Everton offered Marcos Senesi by Bournemouth star's camp
TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey reports that the representatives of Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi have approached Everton, along with a lengthy list of rival Premier League clubs, regarding a potential free transfer this summer.
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The 'very valuable' 28-year-old has informed Bournemouth he is ready to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, making him available at zero up front cost — a prospect that carries significant financial appeal in an era of tightening spending regulations.
The response from the English clubs contacted has been broadly positive, and it is not difficult to understand why.
Senesi has made 30 league appearances this season as part of a Bournemouth defence that has recorded nine clean sheets — a respectable return for a side sitting mid-table.
Left-footed, technically composed and experienced across the Eredivisie, Championship and Premier League, he represents the kind of rounded defensive option that would add genuine competition wherever he landed.
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The significant complication is that Barcelona are Senesi's dream destination, as per the TEAMtalk report.
His agents have held direct talks with the Catalan club, while it is also believed that Liverpool have had contact with Senesi's camp too and are considering a move of their own.
For Everton, a free centre-back with Premier League quality would represent excellent business regardless of the wider context — provided Moyes is satisfied with the profile.
However, the elite-level competition for his services is also a major obstacle.
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The Toffees are looking to be ambitious.