Toffees open talks for World Cup finalist as Juventus fall behind
Everton have opened talks to sign Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina, according to reports in Italy, with the club understood to have moved ahead of Juventus in the race for the Argentina international.
Quite where this sits alongside the reported firm interest in Celtic’s Alistair Johnston is not 100 per cent clear.
Molina, 28, was a regular starter for Argentina throughout this summer’s World Cup, playing every match from the group stage through to the final, where Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time.
Atleti are said to be willing to sanction a sale, with Diego Simeone no longer viewing him as guaranteed to start, and his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano running out in 2027.
Juventus have also been tracking Molina, but reports suggest Everton have made the firmer move, opening discussions directly with Atletico over a fee. His valuation is put at around €15-20m, with Roma and Napoli also said to be monitoring the situation from a distance.
Where this leaves Alistair Johnston is the obvious question.
Toffees hedging their bets?
Everton remain confident of completing a deal for the Celtic right-back, with an agreement worth up to £15m believed to be close and Johnston himself said to be pushing for the move.
Molina’s emergence looks more like an insurance-type move — Everton exploring the market fully rather than switching lanes, in keeping with the wide net Moyes has cast at right-back all summer, from Djed Spence to Ridle Baku.
Nothing in the reporting suggests Molina and Johnston are being weighed up against each other as a straight either/or.
A new right-back has been David Moyes’ clearest priority all summer. Jake O’Brien, James Garner and Merlin Rohl have all featured there in pre-season, while Nathan Patterson remains at the club but has struggled for fitness and form under Moyes.
Molina would arrive alongside Christian Norgaard, who completed his medical this week, as Everton continue reshaping the squad around Moyes’ defensive priorities.
Follow every deal on our live transfer tracker.
Gary is editor for ReadEverton. He has many years experience of sports writing behind him after deciding (belatedly) that the world of accountancy wasn't for him. His work has been featured on (among many others) BBC Sport and The Metro. He has written on many sports, but considers himself an expert in football and F1. When not writing and editing he likes to go to the cinema and sip a lovely cold pint of Guinness (not always at the same time).
View all articles →
dave.sport is in beta
We are building a new home for independent sports coverage. dave.sport is currently in beta, with new features and publisher tools rolling out as we test what fans need most.
Explore the beta
Ndiaye reports for pre-season duty — and that’s the whole story, for now
Ndiaye reports for pre-season duty — and that’s the whole story, for now
Norgaard set for Everton medical today as move nears completion
Norgaard set for Everton medical today as move nears completion