Everton are keen to beat a string of clubs home and abroad to sign Leicester City rising star Sidnei Tavares, according to Football Insider.
The reliable site claim the Merseyside giants are fighting Porto, Lazio and clubs from England for the central midfielder, 17, after being impressed by his youth-team displays this season.
Football Insider report Tavares has yet to sign his first professional contract with Leicester and Everton are ready to make a move to land him.
OPINION
Following a fallow January window that was a stark contrast to the mega spending of previous years, there is a sense that owner Farhad Moshiri is no longer willing to sanction hugely expensive deals. Everton are likely to need to be far shrewder in the transfer market than when wasting cash on a string of flops who Marco Silva has yet to assemble into a consistently functioning side. One area where the Merseysiders will need to concentrate on gaining an advantage is the young-player market. Tavares is a rising star who has caught the eye of recruitment chief Marcel Brands and he is said to be “impressed” by the youngster. Significantly, the young Portugese has yet to sign a professional contract at Leicester, which provides an opening for Everton and his other suitors to make a move. Given the calibre of clubs interested, Everton and Brands could be hot on the heels of a special young talent.