According to reports, Everton are interested in signing Girona defender Juanpe Ramirez in the summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old has a £10m release clause inserted into his current contract with the Spanish side, and Everton have to pay the amount if they want to land the player.
After an underwhelming season in the Premier League, Everton have appointed Marco Silva as their new head coach to change the club’s fortunes. Silva would need to rebuild his squad to challenge for a European spot next season.
First and foremost, the Portuguese manager should aim to address the defence, which was shambolic last season and conceded 58 goals. Last summer’s recruit from Burnley, Michael Keane failed to live up to the billing and endured a highly underwhelming campaign. Keane’s lackadaisical performances meant the onus fell on Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka—two old horses, who never looked assured in central defence and struggled throughout the campaign.
If the ageing of Williams and Jagielka is a concern for Silva, Ramiro Funes Mori’s sudden departure to Villarreal will add more problems in the defensive department for the new manager. Funes Mori never really looked to be a confident player for Everton but he managed to do the job with his powerful and passionate performances.
Now that the Argentine has left the Merseysiders for Villarreal, Silva needs to fill that void in defence, and signing Girona’s Ramirez could be a right move.
Ramirez, who joined Girona from Valladolid in the summer of 2016, has gone on to impress with the Blanquivermell, making 68 appearances in all competitions in the process. The 27-year-old helped the club to a surprise tenth-place finish in La Liga last season.
Standing at 6ft 2in, the Spaniard is strong in the air and is a hard tackler. He is also quick with his ability to play out from the back. Ramirez also has positional awareness and remains extremely calm under pressure situations.
Due to his reliable and composed performances, he was a mainstay at central defence for Girona last season. Also, Ramirez is a massive goal-threat having netted five goals last term.
Williams and Jagielka are 33 and 35 years old respectively, and there is a serious lack of mobility in the Everton backline, with Keane also lacking pace. So, signing Ramirez is the need of the hour for Everton.
In today’s highly-inflated transfer market, £10m is a bargain, and if Everton are successful in landing Ramirez, it could prove to be a top signing for the Merseysiders.
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