Talks have been held as Newcastle and Everton battle it out to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Everton are a side with plenty of ambition this summer. David Moyes almost took the Toffees to the European qualifiers last week and closing that gap should be the goal in the coming months.
Rumors suggest the Merseyside club are willing to spend, too. Names like Hayden Hackney still threaten to steal the headlines and there is no doubt that the Middlesbrough star is ready for the Premier League.
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At that time, there may be a return of some familiar faces. John Stones left Manchester City as a free agent at the end of the season and Everton are among his reported options.
It would be a full-time deal for the England international, who attracted interest from City during his move up from Everton in 2016.
Well, he’s not the only centre-back the Toffees have in their sights. They also went after another right back this summer following the retirement of Seamus Coleman. The veteran defender has been a mainstay for over a decade and will be incredibly difficult to replace.
Although Jake O’Brien has filled in impressively over the last 12 months, Everton should be willing to play at centre-back in his natural role – something that the arrival of a new right-back will provide.
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Everton and Newcastle are battling to sign the defender
The Merseyside club have reportedly turned to France to solve their problem. According to TeamTalk, Everton are holding talks to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon this summer, to register their interest.
The Ligue 1 side would like to keep the versatile defender, but there is an acceptance that they will have to green light any offer that reaches a certain price – giving the clubs a huge advantage.
The former Arsenal man is a sought-after star this summer, too. It is not only Everton who want to bring him back to the Premier League. Newcastle are also looking to move for Maitland-Niles and know they will receive the green light from Lyon as long as they bring in a big offer.
Money should not be an issue for the Magpies, who have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69m and have placed a £100m asking price for Sandro Tonali amid interest from Tottenham.
Whether they or Everton turn their interest into a Maitland-Niles offer remains to be seen, however.
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