Everton stance on Stoke City player emerges amid Tottenham and Aston Villa interest as Brighton enter transfer race | OneFootball

Everton are preparing to step up their interest in Stoke City’s influential defender Harry Souttar ahead of the January transfer window, according to The Sun.

It had been reported by The Sun recently that Everton were emerging as a potential club that might be keen to add Souttar to their squad in the coming transfer windows.

That came with Duncan Ferguson having been sent by the Toffees to watch the defender in action for the Potters in the Championship.

There have also been other reports that Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also potentially interested in making a move for Souttar as well.

Stoke are believed to be keen to try and keep hold of Souttar and potentially build a team around him into the long-term future. However, there is also thought to be an acceptance amongst the club that the 23-year-old could leave.

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The latest report from The Sun reveals that Everton are now planning to step up their interest in Souttar having once again watched him in action in the past week.

The report also adds that Brighton have now also entered the race for the defender’s signature, but it is thought that the potential price-tag Stoke will demand could rule them out.

The Verdict

It seems inevitable that Souttar is going to be a player that the Potters find it very challenging to keep hold of now.

Everton are obviously now very keen to sign the defender which means they must have been impressed by what they have seen of him in recent times.

Considering the level of consistency that Souttar is playing with at the moment, it is no surprise that the Toffees would have been left impressed by his displays.

The defender seems destined for the Premier League in the near future whether that be with the Potters or elsewhere.

Everton seem to be the most likey destination at the moment, but Villa and Tottenham do have the funds to potentially rival them in the race for his signature.

You can see why Brighton are keen, but despite them being a draw given Graham Potters’ impressive record with developing talented players they will likely not be able to compete with the other three interested parties.