Linked with a reignited swoop for Sunderland’s Lamine Kone recently, Everton are facing competition from West Ham United to land the Ivory Coast international, report the Daily Star.
Having failed with a £16 million bid for the Black Cats defender in the summer, Kone is now a long-term target of Ronald Koeman but he may struggle to land his signature yet again in January.
The report claims Slaven Blic wants Kone because he is far from happy with the consistency of his central defenders such as Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna who have conceded 19 goals in 10 Premier League games so far this season.
While Kone’s Sunderland have conceded 20 under David Moyes this term, the 27-year-old has still constantly been linked with new suitors suggesting he boasts plenty of potential.
Actually signing an improved deal at the Stadium of Light in September, this may simply have been designed to push up the transfer fee Sunderland would receive for Kone.
The former Lorient man actually previously admitted his disappointment at seeing an Everton switch collapse over the summer so perhaps Koeman’s side are still edging the Hammers in this transfer race.