Everton are looking to build upon their excellent first season in the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer, and David Moyes has identified a key area of the pitch that he wants to strengthen, according to TEAMtalk.
The Toffees currently sit tenth in the Premier League table, just three points behind sixth-placed Brighton and eight points off the Champions League places with five games remaining. Part of that success has come from their defence, conceding just 39 goals in their 33 games so far.
But Moyes wants to continue that into next season and is looking to add more defensive prowess to his squad, despite handing Michael Keane a new one-year contract this week to reward his performances.
Everton Eyeing Rangers Star Fernandez
Emmanuel Fernandez
According to a report, Everton are eyeing a move for Rangers central defender Emmanuel Fernandez following his impressive season in Scotland.
The 6ft 5 star moved to Ibrox from Peterborough last summer and has been excellent, notching five goals in the process and finding himself compared to Liverpool and Netherlands legend Virgil Van Dijk.
The Toffees are understood to be eyeing a number of centre-back options for the summer window, but Fernandez's £25m asking price, which would be a record sale for the Scottish club, is lower than most options, which makes him an appealing candidate for the role.
Arsenal and Chelsea have been strongly linked too, and the report states Everton are not currently frontrunners for his signature; however, they are right in the mix should a deal materialise for the 24-year-old.
Moyes Would Love Fernandez
Emmanuel Fernandez Rangers
Moyes is a manager who loves to nurture young talent and help them develop to fulfill their potential, and he is arguably the perfect boss for a player like Fernandez.
The Rangers star hasn't played bucket loads of football in his career but his raw potential is obvious, and with Everton liking to use set-pieces as a weapon and defending deep, his physical attributes could be perfect.
Alongside the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite, Everton would have a strong defensive unit with Fernandez's addition, and it's a deal that would surely appeal to the player too as it means he'd play more regularly than he would at other clubs.
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