Having lost Amadou Onana to Aston Villa earlier this summer, Everton were reportedly positioning themselves to sign a replacement who has starred at the Olympics, before suffering a major blow in their pursuit.
Everton transfer news
To their credit, even without a solution to their ownership troubles, Everton have spent well this summer. The Toffees have welcomed the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Jesper Lindstrom and, most recently, Jake O'Brien in a move to hand Jarrad Branthwaite an ideal defensive partner for the long-term future. The former Lyon centre-back impressed in Ligue 1, earning a Premier League switch as a result.
The 23-year-old told Everton's official website after putting pen to paper: "I’m buzzing and so happy to have signed for Everton. I've been dreaming of this kind of move in the Premier League, with such a historic club. It's a very exciting move for me.
“Everton is a huge club with a lot of history behind it and there's a big future as well. When the transfer window opened there were other clubs in for me but there was only one club I wanted to go to – it was Everton. They’ve shown the faith in me so now it's my turn to show why on the pitch.”
Everton swap deal to get rid of Beto for "lethal" forward may take off soon
The Toffees could finally get their man…
ByTom CunninghamAug 7, 2024
The Toffees didn't seem to be done there, either. According to L'Equipe, Everton were positioning themselves to sign Amir Richardson from Stade Reims this summer, having shown interest in the central midfielder earlier in the window.
Standing at 6 foot 5, Everton weren't the only club interested in Richardson, and a fresh report from Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that Serie A giants Fiorentina have won the race for the midfielder's signature in a frustrating blow for the Toffees.
"Complete" Richardson could have replaced Onana
By signing Richardson, Everton wouldn't have just been replacing Onana, but they'd also have received a player who would be more than capable of providing Sean Dyche's side with an attacking boost.
Not just someone who can screen the back four, Richardson is a box-crashing midfielder and a "complete player" as described by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Still just 22 years old, the Morroco international has had quite the summer of football too, helping his nation reach the bronze medal match at the Olympics and scoring in a 3-0 win against Iraq earlier in the tournament, but Everton's search for an Onana replacement goes on.