Everton right back pursuit heating up - Patterson & Maitland-Niles update

Seamus Coleman is getting no younger and Jonjoe Kenny is not the long-term replacement for the Everton club captain. We’ve known this for about three summers now and yet the Toffees have not done anything to address this on a permanent basis.

Djibril SIdibe was brought in on loan and despite showing attacking flair in the position, he was allowed to return and a reasonably-priced permanent purchase clause allowed to expire.

An inability to spend because of too many high wages being tied up in squad deadweight hampered the Blues as they pursued a number of names in the transfer market this summer, starting with Denzel Dumfries and Mehmet Zeki-Celik.

Now with the transfer window about to shut in just over a day, things are heating up again for Everton with not one but two options still being actively pursued by the Blues. Multiple media sources, including the ever-reliable Paul Joyce have confirmed today that Everton are indeed in for Nathan Patterson as well as Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Glasgow Rangers’ precocious young talent Patterson is only 19 but has already made 18 appearances for the first team side and has received call-ups to the Scotland national team side with two international caps. His path forward is blocked by Rangers captain James Tavernier who at 29 still has a few years ahead of him.

Everton were said to have made a tentative first bid for him last week to the tune of about £5 million which was promptly rejected. Now it looks like the Toffees have gone back with another offer that has also been turned down. Rangers don’t have to sell, and can offer the youngster Europa League football this season, but with Tavernier just offered a new three-year extension, will that be enough to dissuade the youngster to switch to England?

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Everton are also looking at Arsenal’s versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles as an option, with a loan-to-buy bid. The 24-year-old is a classic case of a jack of all trades that can play as right back as well as in midfield. Previous reports have indicated that he has shown a preference to be a midfielder, but other interviews have also said that he is happy to play wherever the manager would want him.

Maitland-Niles has been considered surplus to requirements at Arsenal where Mikel Arteta has his hands full managing a bloated squad and the player was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion for the second half of last season’s campaign that eventually ended in relegation. This season he has only featured as a substitute twice, both times in midfield, but he could be utilized in both spots for Rafa Benitez if the Blues do indeed bring him in before the window shuts tomorrow night.

Looks like Arsenal will not make it easy though.

The player appears to have decided he’s going to get proactive about demanding a move though.

More to come on this, it looks like.