Summary Everton's poor start means they need to sign a defender. They could sign a £30m Premier League centre-back to combat their woes. He's a colossus in the air and incredibly adept with the ball at his feet.
Everton are in a world of bother not one month into the 2023/24 season, but Sean Dyche can remedy the woes by completing a swoop for a high-profile Premier League star.
What's the latest Everton transfer news?
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire would now consider leaving Old Trafford as the summer market approaches kitchen sink time.
The Red Devils need funds to complete some late-summer swoops themselves, and having rejected a recent loan offer from West Ham United for the England international, Everton could now 'come into the picture'.
The Hammers failed to agree on a £30m move for Maguire earlier this month, but now Dyche's side could leapfrog their divisional rivals by lodging an offer of their own.
What are Harry Maguire's strengths?
While Everton's flimsiness in front of goal was the crux of their misfortune last season – finishing the term as the division's second-lowest scorers – the omens from this year's fledging phase do not bode well.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Indeed, the Goodison Park side have fallen to defeat in each of their opening three matches and are yet to find the back of the net, having lost 1-0 at home to Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers (the latter a dyed-in-the-wool relegation candidate) and suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hand of Aston Villa at Villa Park.
With issues at both ends, Dyche is wise to be considering defensive reinforcement despite focusing heavily on the reconstruction of the frontline, and Maguire could be the industrious presence needed at the back.
While Manchester United's £80m centre-half has been lamented for his performances over the past few years, described as a "walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, he is a tough and tenacious player who would undoubtedly cement a starting berth in Dyche's outfit.
Considering that Yerry Mina, Conor Coady and Mason Holgate have all left Goodison Park this summer, a fresh face to bolster the backline is paramount to the club's effort to drag themselves away from the danger zone.
Mina was particularly important in the latter stage of the 2022/23 campaign, shaking off his incessant injury issues – missing 31 matches across the past two campaigns – to make a big impact, recording an impressive average Sofascore rating of 7.20 across just seven appearances, scoring two goals, completing 88% of his passes, and averaging 2.1 tackles and four clearances per outing.
The towering Colombian was hailed as an "absolute colossus" by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland for one notable display in the closing weeks, scoring a late goal to prevent defeat against Wolves, and Dyche would find his perfect heir if Maguire was convinced to join the fold on Merseyside.
Maguire, who coincidentally has also been dubbed a "colossus" by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, has made 175 appearances for the Old Trafford side and has been instrumental in Gareth Southgate's England side over the past several years, earning 57 caps and scoring seven times.
Once praised as an "unbelievable player" by teammate Luke Shaw, Maguire's ball-playing ability and aerial prowess would slot him right into Dyche's system, ranking among the top 18% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 10% for aerial wins and the top 22% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
Mina, on the other hand, fares a lot worse in most of those metrics, ranking in just the top 51% for passes attempted and the very worst 9% for progressive carries. On the flip side, he is a tower in the air, ranking inside the best 6%. It does, however, look like he is more of a one-trick pony than Maguire on that evidence.
While the £190k-per-week defender has somewhat flattered to deceive of late, he remains a solid centre-back and also boasts a far better injury record to Mina.
Given that Maguire spent several years as United's club captain, he would also offer leadership and authority to a Toffees team lacking in both departments, and if Dyche manages to orchestrate a transfer, the Merseyside outfit's prospects this year would increase significantly.
