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With their time-tested catenaccio system, Italy has long been known as the last bastion of the art of defending. So if Everton manager Ronald Koeman wants to solidify the Blues defence, where else should he go to find a defender that fits the mold?
At least that is the thinking being used by the Mirror, who are claiming that the Toffees are considering making a £25m bid for AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli.
The Everton defence is going through a transition at the moment, with captain Phil Jagielka fading fast and Ramiro Funes Mori struggling to hold down a starting spot. Ashley Williams is approaching 33 and Ronald Koeman has indicated he would like to pick up at least two centerhalves of quality.
At just 22, Romagnoli has already played for AS Roma, loaned out to Sampdoria and then transferred to Milan at the beginning of the 2015-16 season on a five-year deal. The Rossoneri occupy the last Europa League spot in Serie A just like Everton do in the Premier League, but they still face competition from City rivals Inter for it.
Everton have been linked with Michael Keane, Virgil van Dijk and Mateo Musacchio in recent weeks, but this is the first time Romagnoli has been mentioned.
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Romagnoli made his Italy debut in October 2016 and has five caps so far, but also has 36 junior international appearances over the years. He has played in over a hundred Serie A games in just four seasons of action.
Milan have reportedly been asking Everton about making the loan deal for Gerard Deulofeu permanent, and if the Blues are really interested in Romagnoli then the Spanish winger could be part of a player plus cash deal over the summer.