Manchester City are weighing up a summer move for Mason Holgate, according to Mirror Sport, and Everton must do all they can to keep the defender.
The 23-year old has enjoyed an impressive season so far, breaking into Everton’s starting lineup in October and quickly establishing himself as an integral component in our defence, with the defender’s 1.6 tackles per game and 0.6 blocks per game being the highest of Everton’s central defensive trio (WhoScored).
One person to have taken notice of his form seemingly is Pep Guardiola, who wants to bring defensive reinforcements to the Etihad in the summer, so claims Mirror Sport.
With two years left on his contract, City could prepare a £30 million offer this summer, while the Cityzens may also be willing to throw John Stones into the deal as a makeweight.
However, Everton absolutely must refuse to consider offers for the young defender, as they look to compete next season in both the Premier League and the Europa League, assuming they qualify for the latter.
Holgate has often stood out as Everton’s best player this season, and his calmness and technical ability on the ball have been used to great effect both in central defence and midfield.
Since late October, Holgate firmly replaced Michael Keane as the first-choice defender to partner Yerry Mina, starting all but one game in the Premier League since then. In total, he has played 25 times this season, scoring once and assisting three times.
It was reported earlier in the month that the Toffees had intended on tying Holgate down to a new long-term contract, as a reward for his performances this season, and now the Blues will hope to get that done quickly in case City do decide to firm up interest.
Guardiola’s side will have plenty of options as they look to reinforce their defensive unit in the summer, and Everton must make them explore alternative targets by refusing to do business with them over Holgate’s future.
