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Everton linked with Rico Henry as Carlo Ancelotti eyes Leighton Baines replacement

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According to the Mirror, Everton are interested in Rico Henry and may have to battle Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City to procure his signature. Leighton Baines hung up his boots over the summer and we signed Niels Nkounkou as a long-term replacement, but it appears we want Henry to strengthen our squad.

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Which club did Everton loan Cenk Tosun out to in January?

What would Henry bring to our defence?

The 23-year-old is a left-back who likes to get forward, beat his man and get balls into the box. Henry creates a lot of chances, but he also does his defensive work diligently. He’s combative, hard to beat and reads the game brilliantly. It’s no surprise we’re keen to sign him.

As per WhoScored, Henry made 49 Championship appearances last season, amassed 4285 minutes of playing time, created 35 chances, completed 75.7% of his 2106 passes, whipped in 107 crosses with 20.5% accuracy, won 91/191 aerial duels, had 39/62 successful dribbles, blocked 87 shots/passes/crosses, made 93 clearances, won 57 freekicks, averaged a tackle (74) or interception (54) every 33 minutes and was dribbled past once every 171 minutes.

How much would he cost?

Brentford paid £1.6m to sign Henry from Walsall in 2016, but his value has risen significantly since then. As per 90min, the 23-year-old’s asking price is believed to be in the range of £7m-£10m, so he won’t break the bank.

The Bees would prefer to keep Henry as he’s made 91 appearances in all competitions, but their Championship playoff final defeat to Fulham could lead to a summer exodus – Ollie Watkins has joined Aston Villa, Said Benrahma has been linked with Aston Villa, Leeds United, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Henry has suitors in the Premier League.

What would Henry’s arrival mean for Nkounkou?

You’d think Henry joining Everton would mean less chances for Nkounkou, but the 19-year-old only joined this summer and has already made his debut in the EFL Cup, so it appears we have plans for him.

There’s no guarantee we’ll sign Henry either. We’re just monitoring his progress at Brentford as things stand, so it remains to be seen if we bring in extra competition.

In other news, Everton are interested in Tosin Adarabioyo as Manchester City may have to agree a transfer

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Sports journalist who is an avid football fan, enjoys debunking transfer rumours, loves to write pieces about players out in the cold and takes a large amount of pride getting a predicted XI 100% correct.