Everton are reportedly considering a swoop for Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba but could face competition from Crystal Palace.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Everton have set their sights on Aston Villa and Zimbabwe midfielder Marvelous Nakamba over a potential transfer in the ongoing window.
The 27-year-old signed for Aston Villa in the summer of 2019 from Belgian outfit Club Brugge. While he hasn’t exactly been a mainstay in the middle of the park for Dean Smith’s side, Nakamba has been a reliable customer, doing his bit when called upon. The defensive midfielder has made 50 appearances for the Midlands’ outfit but is yet to score or assist a goal.
Aston Villa are said to be keen on bolstering their midfield options in the current transfer window. Such a move would see Nakamba, who played just 13 times in the Premier League games last term, drop further down the pecking order at Villa Park. And, Everton are now looking to capitalise on the situation by swooping him away in the ongoing transfer window.
Everton are ushering in a new era under the management of Rafael Benitez and could do with some fresh faces in the squad as they look to push for the European football spots in the coming season. In the midfield department, the Toffees can count upon Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies, Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin as options.
However, among those, both Allan and Delph are aged thirty or more and are injury-prone, while Davies has never really flourished into the player that many expected him to be when he burst onto the scenes. And while Gbamin has returned to full fitness recently, the 25-year-old has spent the majority of his time at Goodison Park out injured, which makes him an unreliable option.
So, it would make sense for Everton to bolster their midfield unit with someone like Marvelous Nakamba. The 27-year-old has impressed in the defensive midfield role for Aston Villa whenever he has been given an opportunity and is entering his peak years as well, making him a potentially attractive signing for the Toffees.
However, Everton are set to face competition from Crystal Palace in pursuit of the Zimbabwean international, with the Eagles’ new manager, Patrick Vieira, also keen on adding to his midfield options. It now remains to be seen if the Merseyside outfit launch a move for Nakamba or look at alternatives this summer.