Everton are interested in signing Palmeiras sensation Richard Rios, according to teamTALK.
A report (August 2) states that the Brazilian club want at least £12m to pay him off, with West Ham, Manchester United and Leicester also interested.
It comes just weeks after it was suggested that Everton, along with the Foxes, had expressed their interest (Nicola Parcerias, 18 July).
Rios is understood to be a possible replacement for Amadou Onana at Goodison Park after he left Merseyside to join Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.
Dyche wants to add style to Everton
While the club continues to try to resolve its off-field issues, it is clear that Everton boss Sean Dyche is keen to add more talent to his squad. He has always been described as a manager who focuses more on results than on attractive football, but Rios is a young midfielder with a futsal background and an incredible work rate to go along with it.
Earlier this year, Tim Vickery touted the “dynamic” number eight as one to watch when it came to South American stars heading to Europe (ESPN, April 3). While there is no guarantee he will make a big move, the Toffees need a replacement for Onana.
It’s not a direct swap as the two have different styles, but Rios has settled into his role as a defensive midfielder quite well. With so much speculation about potential relegations at Goodison Park, the club will need to move quickly if they want to get this over the line.