Everton zero in on Serie A star but must wrangle deal that suits everyone

Hellas Verona defender Jackson Tchatchoua has become a top priority target for Everton as they seek to beef up their backline ahead of the new season.

Reports out of Italy suggest the Serie A club want a fee of €8million (£7m) or more for the defender but Everton are yet to submit a formal bid of any kind for the player.

According to the sources, Hellas Verona will see an assortment of incomings and possible outgoings this summer transfer window, with Tchatchoua perhaps falling into the latter category with interest generated in the Premier League.

Over the last few weeks, he has been associated with a move away from Serie A and Everton are said to have shown interest in him, while other sources state that they are involved but will have to beat several other clubs to his signature.

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The fresh reports suggest that Hellas Verona view the Everton interest as a possible safety net should they find themselves in the position where they need to offload some players.

They claim that there are “confirmations” regarding the player and that the Blues “seem to be serious” about him.

Everton have serious interest in Serie A defender

Although an agreement hasn’t been reached yet, efforts are being made to strike a balance between the demand for the talent and his current price tag. To put it simply, that indicates that Everton and Hellas Verona are trying to come to a mutually acceptable price.

The latter have not yet accepted Everton’s offer, but they are presently holding firm to their asking price of £7m, which they will not drop. However, Everton are ahead of West Ham, who are now “more out of the way” and have also been linked with interest.

Everton have reportedly floated a sum in conversations with Hellas Verona with a middleman used to sound out the Serie A team’s willingness to sell, but that figure falls short of what his owners want.

According to Italian media, interest in the player from West Ham has cooled, leaving Everton at the head of the queue when it comes to signing the 22-year-old Cameroon international.

Tchatchoua had been dual-qualified for both Cameroon and the country of his birth, Belgium, until he was called into the Cameroon squad for internationals in June.

It is unclear if potential absences for national team commitments will play a role in determining his value.

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