Everton are planning to make a last-gasp swoop for Porto enforcer Ivan Marcano, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claims online that the Toffees have become interested in the 30-year-old with a view to making a late effort to bolster their defence with just two days to go before the transfer window slams shut.
Former Spain Under-21 international Marcano is a mainstay of the Porto side, featuring in all but three of their fixtures in all competitions last season.
The European giants’ captain has already played every minute of the clubs’ opening four matches of the new season, scoring one goal to get his side’s title campaign off to a good start.
Good move for Everton?
Marcano is a very reliable player. He’s experienced and tough to beat, but at his age, a step up from Portuguese football to the Premier League might be a bit of a risk. It’s fair to say that he might not be as good as Ashley Williams or Phil Jagielka, but Ronald Koeman does need another centre-back to sign for the Toffees due to Ramiro Funes Mori’s long-term injury. Marcano might not be happy to leave the captain’s armband at Porto to sign for a team that will likely use him as a back-up option.
This is Futbol rating: 6/10
Likely to happen?
We’re now at a very late stage in the summer transfer window and Everton have so far only expressed their interest in Marcano. There have been no bids or talks reported to have taken place, so it seems the deal would have to escalate very quickly for it to happen. Everton need a striker first and foremost – and Koeman should know that. They need to focus their efforts on improving other areas of the squad meaning that this deal will probably not happen.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10