Everton are reportedly interested in Turkish defender Merih Demiral, who is also on the radars of Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Speaking exclusively to TuttoJuve, Yakup Cinar, a journalist for Turkish publication Fanatik, has provided an update on the future of Juventus defender Merih Demiral, who is currently on loan at Atalanta.
Demiral joined Juventus from fellow Serie A outfit Sassuolo in 2019 but endured a difficult couple of years in Turin as he was starved of game-time due to the presence of Matthijs de Ligt, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. His own injury problems also hampered the Turkish star’s development at the Allianz Stadium.
After making only 32 appearances in two years, Demiral left Juventus to join Atalanta on a season-long loan deal last summer. The 24-year-old has thrived under Gian Piero Gasperini, racking up 36 appearances in all competitions, even contributing with a couple of goals and assists each.
Atalanta have an option to buy Demiral at the end of the season for a fee of €28 million, which they are expected to trigger. However, once they do, La Dea are poised to offload the towering centre-half for a profit in the summer, much as they did with another Juventus defender in Cristian Romero last summer.
There is no shortage of interest in Demiral either, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid keen, while Chelsea also have their sights set on the Juventus loanee. Everton, too, have emerged as a potential suitor for the 24-year-old.
Real Madrid need a new central defender in the summer to provide cover for the first-choice pairing of David Alaba and Eder Militao. A move for Antonio Rudiger is being lined up. But Los Blancos are keeping their options open if the German international decides to join a different club, thus explaining their interest in Demiral.
As for Chelsea, they are set to lose Andreas Christensen, who reportedly has an agreement to join Barcelona on a Bosman deal. Rudiger, too, is expected to move on when his contract runs out in a couple of months. With Thiago Silva not getting any younger, it makes sense for Chelsea to sign a new centre-back, making Demiral a viable target. However, a move would have to wait till the sanctions are lifted.
Now, Everton are in the mix to sign Demiral as Frank Lampard looks to bolster his stuttering defence. Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey have not been solid enough this term. The manager is looking to add a leader to the backline and has identified Gleison Bremer as a target. But Everton are also monitoring Demiral.
It will be interesting to see if any of the clubs act on their interest in the Turkish international or look elsewhere to bolster their defensive ranks come summer.
