Everton are ready to make an improved bid to sign Rangers starlet Nathan Patterson in the January window.
According to The Guardian, Everton are prepared to make a third bid to land Nathan Patterson. The Rangers starlet was a target for the Premier League club in the summer, but their £5 million and £9 million offers were rejected by the Scottish champions.
The Toffees are hoping to convince Rangers this time by launching an improved bid to sign Patterson. The young right-back, after all, has been identified as an ideal target for Rafa Benitez as the Spaniard grows desperate to sign new full-backs in the upcoming January transfer window.
Everton have done well to emerge as a favourite in the race to sign Vitaliy Mykolenko. The Dynamo Kyiv defender has agreed personal terms with the club, and his move to Goodison Park is imminent.
The Ukrainian international is likely to replace Lucas Digne, who is set to leave the club after a fallout with Benitez. The Frenchman has not featured in any of Everton’s last three league matches, thus putting clubs like Chelsea on red alert.
However, Everton’s woes in the right-back department remain unresolved, with the club often appearing overly reliant on the services of Seamus Coleman. As such, Benitez is prepared to make a move for Patterson, who has become one of the hottest prospects in Scottish football.
Although yet to establish himself as a first-team regular for Rangers, the 20-year-old has made a solid impression with his solidity and discipline at right-back. Standing at 1.89m, his impressive physique and athleticism have even helped him earn six caps for the Scottish national team, with the player notably helping his nation secure a place in the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Everton are now prepared to offer the youngster a platform to showcase his quality in the Premier League. With Coleman already in the final phase of his career, Patterson could have an excellent opportunity to become the club’s first-choice right-back and follow in the footsteps of some of Premier League’s excellent Scottish full-backs in Kieran Tierney and Andrew Robertson.
However, the 20-year-old’s breakthrough in England might not necessarily come at Everton, as league rivals Aston Villa are also among the clubs interested in his services. The Villans have the financial capacity to offer a better deal to Rangers as well, so it will be interesting to see where the youngster ends up in the upcoming January transfer window.
