Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands has built a reputation for the transfer’s he completes, and the Dutchman appears to be putting plans in place to pull off another masterstroke.
According to Calciomercato, Everton are one of the sides emerging in the race for Genoa CFC centre-back Davide Biraschi, who has become the most sought-after asset of Andrea Andreazzoli’s squad at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The Rossoblu ace is thought to have attracted the interests of Serie A rivals Atalanta BC, while SS Lazio hold a considerable admiration for the 25-year-old and are accelerating their plans to add the 5 ft 8 defender to Simone Inzaghi’s ranks before the window slams shut.
Lazio Sporting Director Igli Tare is the man behind the Stadio Olimpico outfit’s efforts, and it is understood the 45-year-old Albanian is well aware of the interest emerging from England, where Newcastle United have joined the Toffees in compiling case files on Biraschi.
While the Rome-born defender is highly sought-after following his 34 game Serie A campaign, Calciomercato believe Genoa President Enrico Preziosi will only demand €10million (£8.9m) for his prized asset. A fee like that for a talent such as Biraschi would be hard to believe if it were an English player moving between Premier League sides.
The former Italy U21 international could be the perfect target for Brands if his efforts to retain Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma beyond his year on loan fall short, with the Pensioner’s thought to be demanding offers in excess of £30million if they decide to sell.
Torino have likewise put a €30million-plus price tag on reported Toffees target Armando Izzo, having recently rejected a €30m (£26.9m) bid from AS Roma.
Biraschi, meanwhile, has only been getting better and better since he joined Genoa in 2016, with the former US Avellino 1912 and US Grosseto 1912 defender consistently improving his numbers in the Italian top-flight.
After making just seven appearances at the Stadio Luigi Ferrari’s in his inaugural campaign, the 25-year-old made 23 the following season, and featured in 34 games in the recently concluded term.
His number of tackles have continued to rise in tandem, with an average of 0.9 in year one rising to 1.7 in the second season, and 1.8 in the recent term – winning 58 of his 75 efforts in 2018/19.
Biraschi’s interceptions have likewise shot up – going from 7, to 38, to 64 – and so has his success at winning possession in the air – winning 62 of his 113 duels in 2018/19, after 27 of 49 in 17/18, and one in four in 16/17.