Djibril Sidibe returned to AS Monaco following the end of his loan spell at Everton, so we’ll have to scour the transfer market for a right-back. There will be a lot of rumours while the window is open, but the latest news from Le10 Sport suggests we’re interested in Colin Dagba.
Paris Saint-Germain’s sporting director Leonardo Araújo is reportedly willing to sell the 21-year-old this summer as he’s fallen out of favour, but his €30m (£27m) asking price might be a stumbling block. It would also be a gamble for Carlo Ancelotti to make Dagba his first-choice right-back next season.
The Frenchman joined PSG from Boulogne in 2016 and has gone on to make 38 appearances in all competitions with three assists. Dagba has never managed to nail down a starting place at the Parc des Princes, but is he able to come straight into the Everton side and have an instant impact?
Seamus Coleman is the only senior right-back in the first-team, but he’ll turn 32 in October and is in the twilight of his career. If Jonjoe Kenny isn’t given a reprieve, Everton will need a long-term replacement for the former. Dagba amassed only 666 minutes of Ligue 1 football last season, so scouts don’t have a lot to go on.
Despite Thomas Meunier leaving PSG, Le10 Sport don’t believe Dagba stands a chance of becoming a regular. This is good news if we want him, but €30m may be too steep considering his overall lack of opportunities – Lucas Digne was signed for £18m and was far more established than Dagba at the time (62 appearances for Lille, 44 appearances for PSG, 42 appearances for AS Roma, 46 appearances for Barcelona).
There are plenty of other options too – Emerson, Jesus Corona, Santiago Arias, Ola Aina and Bouna Sarr to name a few – so we may be wise not to put all our eggs into one basket. That being said, it’s still early days. Marcel Brands and Ancelotti want to build a young squad this summer, but Everton appear reticent to match Dagba’s asking price so they’re clearly aware of his true value.
If PSG want him gone, they’ll surely budge on the valuation.