Everton failed to land Espanyol defender Mario Hermoso in the January transfer window, according to Sport.

What's the story?

The Merseyside club managed to strengthen their attacking options with the arrival of Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott.

It was another area of the pitch, though, that the fans were keen for the Toffees to address.

With Leighton Baines injured, Cuco Martina has been filling in at left-back, but the right-footed player has struggled to make an impression.

In the end, Everton did bring in a left-sided player in the form of Manchester City's Eliaquim Mangala, but he plays as a centre-back.

Now, according to Sport, it has emerged that the Premier League club tried to recruit Espanyol's Hermoso, but their £7.1m offer was not enough for the La Liga club to accept.

Is the Spaniard one for the summer?

At the age of 22, the defender still has many years left to develop, which means that if he did arrive at Goodison Park in the summer he is unlikely to be the finished product.

The fee could also be an issue as Sport claim that Espanyol expect Hermoso's value to rise as the season progresses.

That indicates that the Spanish club could put up a fight in negotiations and could eventually cost Everton more than they are willing to pay.

Despite this, it is worth keeping an eye on the defender, particularly as he has experience playing at left-back, which is an area that the team need help in.

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