Everton are now pushing for a deal for the £83million midfielder this month but face competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to the report.
Everton are looking for new midfielders for Moyes
In December it was announced that the two Sean Dyche main goals they were set to bring in a new right-back and winger in the January transfer window, meaning they are likely to continue to be seen as priority positions under the new manager David Moyes.
However, the Toffees clearly feel that signing a new central midfielder could help their chances of survival this season, as they now in contract negotiations for Jakub Moder from Brighton & Hove Albionwho revealed that playing time was hard to come by for the Seagulls.
Newcastle Untied’s Sean Langstaff has also been identified as a target for Januaryand the 27-year-old is now in line to become Moyes’ first signing.
The club from Merseyside has been looking at midfielders since the summer, and at one point they did targeting Ricardo Rios of Palmeirasbut the Colombian ended up staying in Brazil.
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Now, however, it has come to development in Everton’s pursuit of Rioswith the Caught Offside report, they are pushing hard to get a deal over the line in the January transfer window.
It’s unclear how much Palmeiras would like to get for the 24-year-old, but there is a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract, so he’s unlikely to come cheap, especially considering he’s just put pen to paper paper on the new deal.
Interest from elsewhere could also drive up the midfielder’s price, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest also in the running for his signature, having been impressed by his consistency in Brazil’s Serie A.
What Rios could offer Everton
Scout Ben Mattinson previously gave an overview of the type of player the Colombian international is.
Back in the summer, Mattinson too explained that the central midfielder has “heavenly potential” but was not ready for a big move due to a lack of experience.
However, the former Flamengo player continued to impress last season, as he rated as the fifth best performing player in the Palmeiras squad according to WhoScored, he is also in the 89th percentile for picks per 90 in the past year, compared to his positional peers in similar leagues.
It would be a risk to sign Rios, given he is unproven outside of Brazil, but his performances last season suggest it could be worth the gamble assuming the release clause number is reduced as Moyes looks to take Everton to safety.
