Mason Holgate is on the radar of Burnley, who are keen on signing the Everton star as Sean Dyche eyes a quality defender to strengthen his squad.
According to Football Insider, Burnley are keen on signing Mason Holgate in January or the summer, as Sean Dyche eyes quality defensive reinforcement to offset possible key departures. Everton are thought to be interested in knowing more about the Clarets’ proposal as the Toffees look to raise significant funds.
The January window at Everton is likely to see many defensive arrivals and departures, as Rafael Benitez shapes his backline to his specific needs. The Toffees have struggled this season in light of injuries and many other problems, which the manager is keen to address, especially with bringing new arrivals to his backline.
Everton have already addressed left-back Lucas Digne’s uncertain future by signing Vitaly Mykolenko very early in the window. They are also on the verge of signing more stars.
Rangers right-back Nathan Patterson has also joined the club in a deal worth £16 million, which is significant spending for a team that showed reluctance in the summer window. Everton’s reported financial problems will need them to balance their books, so an influx of cash through player sales looks necessary.
They could be on the verge of selling Digne and now Mason Holgate, who is attracting interest from the likes of Burnley. Sean Dyche is reportedly keen on the Toffees star to shore up his defence and would ideally like the player to join in the January window itself.
Burnley’s two key centre-backs, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee, have uncertain futures at the club, with both their contracts expiring at the end of the current campaign. Mee has an option of a further year which the club may take up, although with Tarkowski, they are prepared to ward off offers to make him stay until the summer, at which point they could lose him on a free transfer.
Holgate is understandably a key target for Dyche, who is eyeing someone for the long-term with experience in the Premier League. The defender, 25, has played regularly for Everton over the years, although he finds himself well down the pecking order this term.
Despite that, Holgate has managed to play ten times in all competitions this season. The defender would want to be a regular at a club at his age, and Burnley could offer him the chance. There is also interest from the Clarets’ relegation rivals Newcastle United in Holgate, which could prove tricky for Burnley.
It remains to be seen if the Clarets make an offer in January or wait until the summer for things to clear up. In any case, Dyche will need reinforcements heading into a relegation battle this term, as Burnley languish in the danger zone.
