Everton are interested in a deal to bring Marvelous Nakamba to Goodison Park this summer.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by The Daily Mail, who claim that Rafael Benitez is looking to bolster his options in the middle of the park in the summer transfer window, with the Aston Villa midfielder believed to be high on his list of targets.
The report goes on to state that Dean Smith would be reluctant to lose the services of the 27-year-old ahead of next season, although it is believed that the Toffees, along with Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace, are ready to test Villa's resolve regarding the Zimbabwe international with an offer in the coming weeks.
Nakamba could finally replace Gueye
With defensive midfield having been something of an issue for Everton since the departure of Idrissa Gueye back in 2019, as the club's replacement for the 31-year-old, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, has made just three appearances for the Toffees, it is easy to see why Benitez is keen to strengthen in the position this summer.
And, considering the impressive performance of Nakamba for Villa last season, should Marcel Brands be able to get a deal over the line for the midfielder this summer, he could have finally found Gueye's heir in the position.
Indeed, despite featuring sparingly for Smith's side last time out, the £6.3m-rated man nevertheless shone over his 13 Premier League appearances, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 0.6 clearances and winning 3.2 duels per game.
These metrics saw the man Smith dubbed an "excellent" player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Villa's 13th-best performer in the top flight of English football.
Furthermore, although Gbamin now appears to be injury-free ahead of Everton's upcoming Premier League campaign, whether or not the Ivory Coast international is the same player he was for Mainz - having spent two years on the sidelines due to three very serious injuries - is anyone's guess.
Either way, it would seem as if, with the 25-year-old being Benitez's only option in the position, the Spaniard simply cannot rely on the fitness of Gbamin over 38 Premier League games, meaning that a move for a defensive midfielder, and the £34k-per-week Nakamba in particular, should be Brands' priority this summer.