Everton submit bid to sign Roma’s Chris Smalling | OneFootball

Everton’s managerial saga may be in full swing but that hasn’t deterred the Toffees hierarchy from making moves in the transfer market.

An agreement to sign Matheus Nunes has been reached but he’s not the only iron in the fire.

What’s the word?

With a deal to bring Rafa Benitez to Goodison Park on the verge of completion, Everton are doing their best to conclude some early transfer business.

Reports from Italy this week suggests that they have a strong interest in Roma defender Chris Smalling.

Gianluca Di Marzio claimed on Wednesday that Everton were interested in the centre-back before Il Sussidiario revealed an offer had actually been made for his services.

New Roma boss Jose Mourinho has no plans for the 6 foot 4 colossus this summer and thus, he could return to England.

Transfermarkt currently values the defender at just £10.8m so Marcel Brands and co may not have to break the bank.

A big upgrade

Towards the climax of last season, individual defensive errors really started to cost Everton at the back.

Mason Holgate was made to look out of his depth when Manchester City beat them 5-0 on the final day but Carlo Ancelotti had warnings of his ineptitude a few weeks prior.

Holgate received the ball inside his own half against Aston Villa under no pressure but he turned back towards his own goal and was then robbed by Ollie Watkins.

The forward took possession and then slotted the ball calmly beyond Jordan Pickford. It was a terrible moment for the young defender but Everton must be ruthless with him this summer.

By signing someone like Smalling, they’d land a huge upgrade.

The 31-year-old has improved immensely in Italian football and has registered some fabulous defensive numbers.

Once of Manchester United, Smalling has caught the eye with his ability to play out from the back, registering a pass success rate of a whopping 90.8%.

On top of that, he won 3.2 aerial duels per game in the 2019/20 season and then registered 1.8 interceptions in Serie A last term, showcasing his ability to read situations.

Talking about the defender previously, incoming Spurs manager, Paulo Fonseca, raved about his abilities: “He’s an extraordinary guy, very intelligent. He has characteristics that I really appreciate in the centre. He’s fast, nearly unbeatable in one-on-ones. He has a great ability to read the play and anticipate.”

Based on that, he’d certainly be an upgrade on Holgate, someone who struggles to time interceptions and loses concentration.

AND in other news, Everton must complete swoop for “phenomenal” 28 y/o, he thinks Nuno Santo is “amazing”…