Everton have completed the second signing of the January transfer window as Nathan Patterson has arrived from Scottish giants Rangers FC.
As confirmed by the club’s official website, Everton have completed the signing of 20-year-old defender Nathan Patterson from reigning Scottish champions Rangers FC.
The 20-year-old becomes the Toffees’ second signing of the January transfer window following the arrival of another full-back in the form of Vitaliy Mykolenko, who signed from Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv on New Year’s Day.
Patterson came through the youth ranks at Rangers and made his first-team breakthrough in January 2020 under then-manager Steven Gerrard. He largely played second fiddle to club captain James Tavernier but made a solid impression each time he was given an opportunity. The youngster made 27 senior appearances for the Ibrox giants, netting two goals and registering an assist.
The 20-year-old right-back is a full international with Scotland, making his debut in June last year. Since then, he has featured six times for his national team and has scored a goal as well. Talks over a move for Patterson had been doing the rounds for quite some time now.
✍️ | We have signed Scotland defender Nathan Patterson from @RangersFC for an undisclosed fee on a deal until the end of June 2027.
Welcome, @np4tterson! ????????
— Everton (@Everton) January 4, 2022
The Toffees have lacked a proper alternative for captain Seamus Coleman in the right-back slot, given that manager Rafael Benitez has not always favoured Jonjoe Kenny. With the Irishman himself not getting any younger and struggling with fitness issues, it was high time that the club brought in an alternative – someone who could provide cover for him before eventually becoming first-choice.
Patterson has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Everton, signing till the summer of 2027. As reported by the BBC, the Toffees have shelled out a transfer fee of £10 million to secure his services from Rangers.
“I’m over the moon to sign for Everton and looking forward to getting started,” Patterson told Evertontv upon arrival. “It was an easy choice to sign. This is a massive club with huge history, and the fanbase is tremendous. Obviously, we aren’t in the place where we want to be right now, but we can definitely get there with the talent in the changing room and staff here, and I have full belief we can do that.
“I wanted to come here from the very start. I’m delighted to be here and really looking forward to playing in front of the fans at Goodison. Long-term, I want to nail down a starting position and win some trophies to make the fans proud.”
A strong and athletic defender with pace to boot, Patterson has shown great potential so far in his burgeoning career. Whether he goes on to become a success at Goodison Park remains to be seen.
