Everton showed serious interest in signing Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks this summer, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.

What did Romano say about Winks?

Having started only nine league matches last term, Winks was linked with a move away from north London in the recent transfer window.

Aston Villa were reportedly keen on the 25-year-old, and Romano has now confirmed that Everton wanted to add the 10-cap England international to their squad.

However, Tottenham wanted a significant fee for Winks, and the Toffees opted against pursuing him any further.

Romano told The Here We Go Podcast“Winks had a serious opportunity with Everton because Everton were really appreciating this player but ‘no way’ for Tottenham. They wanted an important proposal. They were not prepared to sell Winks for low money.”

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How has Winks started this season?

Much like last season, Winks has struggled for game time in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

He got just a single minute on the pitch in Spurs' first three league fixtures, as Nuno Espirito Santo's men picked up consecutive 1-0 victories against Manchester City, Wolves and Watford.

Largely due to injuries and players quarantining after returning from international duty in South America, Winks was drafted into the starting line-up for Tottenham's game against Crystal Palace on Saturday. He hardly covered himself in glory, though, as he was substituted on the hour mark as the side slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

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Should Everton have made more of an effort to sign him?

At his best, Winks is a classy operator in the middle of the park. He has performed well when called upon by the national team, and it should not be forgotten that he started in a Champions League final only two years ago when Tottenham fell short in the showpiece event against Liverpool in Madrid.

However, looking at it from Everton's perspective, it appears pretty clear that the Merseyside club do not have a great deal of money at the moment. They spent just £1.8m on Demarai Gray this summer, while bringing in a further four players on free transfers.

This indicates that they needed to be wise in the transfer market as they could not afford to pay over-the-odds for any of their targets. With this in mind, it makes sense that they decided against breaking the bank to sign Winks last month, and instead stuck with the current midfielders at their disposal.