Everton have been in contact with one midfielder’s club, as they eye a £2m signing before the end of the January transfer window.
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It has been an impressive start to life back at Goodison Park for David Moyes, with the Scot winning two of his first three matches in charge of the Blues again.
Having lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa and then won 3-2 against Tottenham at Goodison last weekend, Everton picked up a brilliant 1-0 victory at Brighton on Saturday afternoon. The two victories have seen the Merseysiders go seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, with the early signs extremely positive under their new manager.
Blues supporters will now be hoping to see new faces arriving in the current window and Ajax attacker Brian Brobbey has been linked with a move, as Everton potentially look to hijack West Ham’s attempts to snap him up. He is thought to be in London to complete a transfer to the Hammers, though.
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has also been backed to seal a switch to Goodison, having stood out as an important player for the Black Cats this season. He has started 28 of his side’s 29 Championship matches to date in 2024/25, registering three assists and averaging 1.9 tackles per game, helping them get into the playoff positions.
Everton in contact over signing of £2m midfielder
According to a new update from The Sunday Mirror [via Everton News], Everton have been in contact with Botafogo over the signing of defensive midfielder Danilo Barbosa.
The Blues have been offered the opportunity to snap up the 28-year-old in a £2m deal, although Championship pair Leeds United and Sheffield United are also thought to be in the conversation, providing stiff competition.
Barbosa may not be a household name, considering he isn’t plying his trade in Europe currently, but he could be just what Everton are looking for in the middle of the park, adding a presence in that area of the pitch.
The former Brazil Under-20 international has averaged 3.7 clearances per match in the Copa Libertadores this season, highlighting his off-the-ball ability, and he has made 96 appearances for Botafogo.
Barbosa does have experience of European football, however, despite not playing there currently, having appeared a combined 169 times during stints with Braga, Nice, Valencia, Standard Liege and Benfica.
At 28, he is also now experienced enough to be able to seamlessly slot into Everton’s team, even though the pace of the Premier League may take a little time to adjust to, as well as still being young enough to be in his peak years for a while.
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1 ByTom CunninghamJan 25, 2025
With Idrissa Gueye now 35 years of age and midfield reinforcements needed anyway, Barbosa could stand out as a good option for the Blues, especially as he would only cost as little as £2m.