Everton manager David Moyes finally completed a deal to bring Thierno Barry to the club from Villarreal.
A fee of £27m was spent to sign the Frenchman, but given his eye for goal in La Liga last term, it could turn into a bargain.
Next up for Moyes is adding another midfielder or two to his squad in the coming weeks. John McGinn has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside.
He isn’t the only midfield option that Everton have been linked with, however, as Moyes also has his eyes on two former Premier League stars.
Everton’s search for a midfielder
According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Everton are showing interest in bringing Douglas Luiz back to England this summer.
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He has been discussed internally at Everton, alongside McGinn, while Moyes could be set to target an ambitious move for Joao Palhinha – with the Portuguese also named as one of those under consideration.
The Bayern Munich midfielder hasn’t settled in Bavaria, which could open the door for Moyes to make a swoop this summer.
This experience abroad will have enhanced Palhinha’s skills, no doubt about that. The question is, could he be a better signing than McGinn for the Toffees?
Why Everton must sign Joao Palhinha
McGinn would be a fine signing, for that there is no doubt. Across 203 Premier League appearances, the Scot has scored 17 goals and grabbed 25 assists for Villa.
He will turn 31 in October, however, and while McGinn certainly has a few years left at the very top of the game, Moyes would be best to make a move for Palhinha, who offers more from a defensive point of view.
The Toffees conceded 53 goals last season across 42 matches. Not the worst return, but there is room for improvement.
When compared to his positional peers during his final Premier League campaign for Fulham in 2023/24, Palhinha ranked in the top 1% for tackles (5.07) per 90, while also ranking in the top 8% for interceptions (1.53) and in the top 10% for blocks (1.9) that season.
He may have only started six Bundesliga games for Bayern last term, but the Portuguese midfielder still won 58% of his total duels contested, while losing possession just 3.4 times per match.
Accurate passes
33.2
Tackles
4.6
Interceptions
1.4
Total duels won
7.6
Possession lost
9.1
Balls recovered
5.9
Hailed by journalist Dom Smith as “world-class” in November 2023, it was always going to be difficult for Fulham to keep one of their star men.
After just a single season in Germany, it appears as though Palhinha could be available this summer.
McGinn would offer plenty in the final third, but with Barry arriving, plus at least another couple more attacking players, Moyes must add some solidity to the midfield, especially after losing Abdoulaye Doucoure.
As such, signing a player such as Palhinha could turn into a stroke of genius by the manager given his previous success in the English top flight.
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Much will depend on the fee, but if it is within the club’s price range, Palhinha could be a fantastic signing, turning out to be even better than McGinn.
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