Why A Move For Domagoj Vida Makes Sense For Everton
The Toffees are by every stretch a team that is under severe pressure after an extremely disappointing start to the season. Add to that, the sacking of Ronald Koeman last month has completely shaken up the Merseyside club’s fans.
Everton are in dire need of some uplifting and are now without a full-fledged manager. David Unsworth has temporarily taken over the management role until the board finds a suitable candidate.
However, with January transfer window approaching, Everton could really use some quality footballers to overcome their recent hardships. And one such player who could really improve their situation is Dynamo Kiev’s 28-year-old centre-back, Domagoj Vida.
The Croatian defender will become a free agent in January, with his contract with the Ukrainian club coming to an end. Vida has already refused to sign a new deal and is reportedly interested in moving to either England or Italy as his next destination.
Everton have lost 6 of their 12 games so far, and have conceded the most amount of goals this season with the total now reaching 24. With Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams struggling against the improved quality of attack in the Premier League this season, the Merseysiders must look at Vida as a possible solution for their dismantled defence.
With over 300 appearances in his career, Vida is an experienced and versatile defender who can also play as a right-back. He has made over 50 appearances for his national team Croatia and is one of the more popular footballers of his country.
Italian giants, AC Milan are also said to be interested in signing the 28-year-old and are willing to offer the £8.1m rated Croatian an attractive package to lure him to the Serie A. Coincidentally, both AC Milan and Everton have spent heavily in the summer but have made no improvement to show in return.
Everton have temporarily managed to get out of the relegation zone but they could slip right back if they don’t get their defence sorted. A player like Vida could make a massive difference to Everton, who are also currently lacking a leader in the team.
Domagoj Vida is physically imposing and there are some unique characteristics of him that the Toffees could really use. However, the real question here is whether or not the Croatian considers the Merseyside club as an attractive destination.
With the Merseyside club without a permanent manager at present, negotiations are unlikely to be in their favour. But come January, Everton must make every effort to sign Domagoj Vida.