Update in Everton’s Chase To Sign This 25-Year-Old Defensive Midfielder: Is It A Setback? | OneFootball

Everton have endured years of uncertainty. The team has flirted with relegation on more than one occasion, and although they have managed to stay in the Premier League, their sporting structure remains weakened. The departure of key players, collective under-performance and under-investment have left the club without a clear direction. While the fans demand immediate improvements, the club remain trapped between their financial constraints and the need to strengthen a dwindling squad.

After ending a season where they narrowly avoided the abyss, the Toffees enter the market with an urgency to transform the squad. They have lost seven first-team players, including big names such as Abdoulaye Doucouré. Only three signings have arrived and, with just £3.4 million recouped from the sale of Neal Maupay, the outlook is not encouraging. In this scenario, a possibility emerged that could have changed everything, and that was Richard Rios.

Everton watch from afar as Benfica reinforce their midfield

Benfica have completed the signing of Richard Rios from Palmeiras, according to Fabrizio Romano. The deal was finalised after sporting director Rui Pedro Braz travelled to Brazil and completed all the details with the Paulista club. The transfer, valued at €30m, will be paid in three parts. The Colombian midfielder, who recently excelled at the Copa America and Club World Cup, will travel to Lisbon next week for medicals. Everton, who had also tabled a bid for him, were left out in the cold.

Rios is not just any midfielder. He is 25 years old and possesses attributes like strength, technical qualities and vision. The Colombian knows how to win balls back, but he also generates attacking output. His mixed profile would have allowed him to fit in alongside both Idrissa Gueye and James Garner. In addition, the midfielder’s ability to break lines of defence with his passes would have added a new dimension to the team.

Missed opportunity for the Toffees

Losing Rios represents more than the fall of a signing. It is a sign of how far Everton have fallen off the radar for emerging talent. With Doucouré gone, a player like Rios was key. His qualities would have filled several gaps in midfield. The Colombian’s decision to leave for Lisbon makes it clear that, at the moment, Benfica offer a more competitive project. Roma also wanted him, but Benfica acted decisively. Everton, on the other hand, were caught between their urgency and their budget.

Still, this should not paralyse the club. There are weeks left in the market, and alternatives exist. The coaching staff needs to react, find viable names and close deals quickly. If the Toffees do not strengthen their midfield, they will be back in the relegation battle. The defeat in the bidding for Rios should be a wake-up call, not an excuse to stand still.