Everton have turned their attention to Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma after struggling to get deals for Marcos Rojo and Yerry Mina over the line, reports The Daily Mirror.
Marco Silva wants to bolster his defensive options before Thursday’s deadline after sanctioning Ashley Williams’ loan move to Stoke earlier this month, but deals for top targets Mina and Rojo have slowed.
Barcelona and Manchester United are demanding in the region of £30m for both players and Everton are confident of handing Zouma a way out of Chelsea and regular playing time next season.
Zouma spent last season on loan at Stoke after failing to make a significant impression under Antonio Conte and the 23-year-old does not feature in Maurizio Sarri’s plans going forward.
Everton have only signed two players this summer but are on the verge of bolstering their offensive options with the free signing of former Shakhtar Donetsk creator Bernard.
The Merseysiders are also hoping to bolster their central midfield options and have already been linked with a move for Zouma’s former Stoke team-mate, Badou Ndiaye.
Of players that contested at least 20 aerial duels in the Premier League last season, Zouma had the best success rate (77.9%).
