Everton to rival Italian giants for young defender

Everton’s centerhalf pairing for the near future appears to be settled with Michael Keane and Yerry Mina looking to gel together. However, beyond this season, the future remains quite murky. Kurt Zouma has done well on loan from Chelsea, but the London club might choose not to sell the player should the Toffees be interested.

Beyond that, we have Phil Jagielka who is likely gone after this season, and Mason Holgate. The pipeline from the youth system is a bit dry for the position, though Morgan Feeney appears to have all the tools and will certainly challenge for a spot in the squad.

Earlier in the season the Blues were linked along with a dozen other clubs to the sensational Ajax Amsterdam youngster ‘The Chosen One’ Matthijs de Ligt, as well as Scotland youth international David Bates, but nothing has come up since then.

Now rumours from Italy though seem to indicate that Pescara’s Uruguay youth international defender Edgar Elizalde is being chased by a number of top Italian sides and Everton are right in the mix too. We have seen the Toffees linked with many players in recent transfer windows, but it always pays to do due diligence when we hear transfer rumours.

Elizalde is only 18, and transferred to Italy during the summer of 2017. He didn’t feature in Pescara’s senior side last season, only playing for the youth (primavera) side where he scored once 12 appearances. This season he has already played for the senior team in the Coppa Italia, and the left footed player is versatile enough to play across the backline.

Juventus and Inter Milan are considered to be the biggest competition for the player, though AC Milan tried to sign him on loan last season as well. He is expected to represent the Uruguay youth side in January in the South American Under-20 Championship to be held in Chile, a competition that scouts of just about every top team in Europe flocks to in an attempt to snag the next great player.

The teenager definitely seems one for the future, and with Marcel Brands having said that his next focus will be to develop the youth sides at the Toffees, it would not be a surprise to see Everton pursue their rumoured interest in Elizalde come January.