Everton remain in the mix to sign Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, per Monday’s edition of France Football via Sport Witness.
The 22-year-old has been making strides at Lille this season, making 24 appearances in Ligue 1.
In total, he has played 52 times for the French club, having spent previous seasons on loan at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb.
He is now a man in demand, however, with Chelsea also credited with an interest.
Lille are hoping to receive €25 million (£22.3m) for the defender, with the COVID-19 pandemic leaving them in a vulnerable position financially.
The club have also been in talks with Italian club Napoli but Magalhaes is said to be waiting for offers from the Premier League for his services.
It appears to be down to the Toffees to decide if they want to make that bid.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Magalhaes has interesting defensive numbers.
Per WhoScored, he makes 1.7 tackles per game in Ligue 1, along with 0.9 interceptions and 3.3 clearances.
He also wins 3.5 aerial duels per game, and has a passing accuracy of 82.2%.
In short then, this is a no-nonsense centre-back who knows when to move onto the front feet to win the ball back and when to hang back and wait for an opportunity to present itself.
He is also dominant in the air and, at the age of 22, he can only improve.
At the fee he would cost, it could be a smart investment from the Toffees.