Carlo Ancelotti is hoping to beat out Manchester United and Tottenham to the signature of Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson, according to Express Sport.
The 25-year old agreed a deal with the French club’s board when signing a new contract in December 2018 that he would be allowed to leave this summer, according to the report, and Ancelotti is looking to take advantage of said agreement.
West Ham and and Southampton are also said to be keen on the former France Under-21s international, while Ancelotti is said to have held an interest in the player since his time at Napoli.
Express Sport claim that Sanson would have been a prime target for Ancelotti in January, although Marseille blocked all exit routes, claiming that the midfielder would be going nowhere until the summer at least.
Sanson has reportedly now informed the club that they need to honour their agreement and let him leave in the summer, and Everton are hoping to turn the situation to their advantage.
Everton are likely to spend heavily in the summer, having not been active at all in the January market, and the Liverpool Echo suggest that Ancelotti could look to sign a new midfielder to run the engine room at Goodison Park.
With Fabian Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Morgan Schneiderlin all having frequently found themselves in the firing line from the fan base this season for under par performances, it is clear that some supporters may relish another option in midfield.
Andre Gomes returned against Arsenal last weekend, while JP Gbamin is expected to be ready to make an impact for the beginning of next season, meaning Everton will have plenty of options to fill their midfield spots, with Tom Davies also involved in that group.
Should the Toffees wish to sign Sanson, the club will first need to free up space in the squad, as the club have nothing to gain from overloading on midfield options, while most of the club’s current options are on sizeable weekly salaries.
Sanson has only missed one league game for OM this season, through suspension as a result of picking up too many yellow cards. The Frenchman has scored four and assisted four goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances.
Whether he is the right man for Everton is up to debate, but he could most likely add a burst of energy to a midfield group largely void of quality at Goodison Park.
