OPINION
Everton are reportedly looking to blow Italian giants Roma aside in the pursuit of Freiburg’s highly-rated young defender Marc-Oliver Kempf.
German outlet 90Min claim 22-year-old defender Kempf is on the radar of both Everton and Roma, after Freiburg completed the signing of Kaiserslauten defender Robin Koch for around £2.8million.
It is said that Koch was signed to solve Freiburg’s defensive injury woes, but Kempf’s future is also a concern at the Schwarzwald-Stadion as he enters the final year of his contract with the Bundesliga side.
Known for his strength and powerful aerial ability, he is also becoming quickly known for his ability on the ball, which has seen him play in midfield.
This Is Futbol examines just how likely a deal can be reached between Everton and Freiburg, and whether a deal actually benefits the Toffees.
Good move for Everton?
Everton need a new centre-back despite already adding former Burnley stopper Michael Keane to their ranks earlier in the window, completing a deal worth around £25million.
However, Argentina international Ramiro Funes Mori has undergone knee surgery to correct a problem that he suffered back in March, and it will keep him sidelined for much of the 2017-18 season.
That leaves just Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams as well as Keane as options at centre-back with the Toffees competing on four fronts, after Matthew Pennington joined Leeds on a season-long loan.
Adding Kempf then would give Everton the cover required to go on and achieve success in Europe as well as bolstering their push for a top-six finish in the Premier League.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10.
Likely to happen?
Kempf’s future seems to be away from Freiburg as he enters the final year of his contract, which could see the Merseyside outfit secure a cut-price deal for the young German defender.
A six-time Germany Under-21 international, Kempf’s stock has continued to rise despite an injury-interrupted 2016-17 season that saw him play only 13 times for the club.
Ronald Koeman is known for his faith in youth and adding youngster Kempf to his ranks would still give the defender plenty of game time to continue to thrive.
The only stumbling block is convincing Kempf that he should join Everton over Roma, who boast the lure of Champions League football as they look to replace the loss of Antonio Rudiger.
This Is Futbol rating: 6/10.