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Everton haven’t made a move yet, but is that about to change?

| 16.07.2018

Much of the talk surrounding Everton this summer has been Wayne Rooney’s well-publicised departure to America.

It’s served to overlook the fact that the Goodison Park club and boss Marco Silva haven’t spent a penny so far this summer.

That could be about to change however, if reports linking the Toffees with Espanyol’s David Lopez are to be believed.

The 28-year-old can play at either centre-half or defensive midfield. Lopez is primarily a midfielder, but has been largely used at the back in the last 18 months.

With Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin already on the books on Merseyside, it seems Silva would likely utilise Lopez in defence.

And that makes plenty of sense. Club captain Phil Jagielka is 36-years-old next month, while Ashley Williams turns 34-years-old just six days later.

The pair are both out of contract next summer, and this will probably be the duo’s final campaign at Goodison Park.

And they’re both somewhat old school when it comes to defending. In contrast, Lopez is a player who is comfortable on the ball, and that could be key to how Silva wants his Everton side to play.

Ramiro Funes Mori’s departure to Villarreal has also opened up a vacancy at the back.

Lopez’s experience and talent could also help Michael Keane to thrive after a lukewarm first season for the Englishman at the Toffees.

The Spaniard came through the youth ranks at Espanyol, and came to prominence during the 2013-14 campaign.

His performances quickly saw him snapped up by Napoli for £5m in 2014. He spent two years in Italy, helping the Naples side finish second in Serie A in 2016.

Returning to Espanyol two summers ago, Lopez has been a near ever-present.

He missed just one league game last season, successfully switching from a midfield role into a centre-half and helping the Barcelona outfit keep 12 clean sheets.

Everton reportedly failed to sign Lopez back in January, and may have to fight off Valencia and Real Betis if they’re to succeed at the second time of asking.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing

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Author

Richard Marsh

Richard loves his sport, especially if it involves the sound of tyres screaming around a race track. He's not fussy though and his '90s Premier League nostalgia and knowledge of team nicknames is tough to match.