Everton are reportedly fighting their Merseyside rivals Liverpool to sign Real Betis defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez.
The Lowdown: Summer interest
The Goodison Park outfit were reportedly interested in a move for the 28-year-old in the summer before they eventually signed midfielders Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner.
However, it seems as if they may want to add another such player to their ranks in the January transfer window, with Allan moving on permanently and Andre Gomes out on loan to Lille in Ligue 1.
The Latest: January move?
As per Spanish sources, Everton are ‘still looking’ for a midfielder, and Rodriguez is one of interest to them.
However, they will face competition from local rivals Liverpool for his signature, as well as Arsenal, and he has a market value of more than €25m (£22m).
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The Verdict: Not needed
As good a player as Rodriguez is – after all, former Toffees striker Kevin Campbell, who has delivered punditry for La Liga TV, has hailed him as ‘top-class’ – Frank Lampard’s team do not need another midfielder.
Aside from the three central midfielders that they bought in the summer, they also have Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies in their first-team squad, so they should be focusing on strengthening in other areas of the pitch.
Rodriguez is a top player, having accumulated more than 100 games for Betis and 25 caps for the Argentina national team (6 foot 1 machine is perhaps someone to target in the future rather than in January.