Koeman looking to shore up Everton defence

With Ramiro Funes Mori out for an extended period of time, Everton are in the market for a left-sided central defender, with West Ham United’s Winston Reid the latest name linked for the position.

The New Zealand captain is currently recovering from surgery to correct a shin injury, but is expected to return to full fitness within the first couple of weeks of August.

While the player extended his current deal with the Hammers until 2021, it is unlikely that the defender would move but the London club could be looking to redress the balance sheet following some high profile moves in the summer transfer window including signing forwards Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic, adding England international goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan and former Manchester City defender Paulo Zabaleta on a free transfer.

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At just 29 years old, Reid is a proven commodity with a somewhat limited ceiling, but would provide direct competition for Phil Jagielka. Not necessarily renowned for building play from the back, the Kiwi would add to Everton’s impressive stable of captains and ex-captains in the current squad.

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The downside to Reid comes in the form of his lack of pace. With Jagielka and Ashley Williams both ranking on the glacial scale in terms of speed, the veteran would only exacerbate the problem. In addition, his somewhat rough-and-tumble style puts him on par with Jonny Evans and Nicolas Otamendi in fouls committed last season.

At the quoted £9m price though, this could be a worthwhile gamble to take while Funes Mori recovers from his knee surgery.