Everton are locked in a battle with Premier League rivals West Ham for Juventus defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to reports in Italy.
La Gazetta dello Sport writes that the Blues are neck-and-neck with Slaven Bilic’s men in the race for the 27-year-old centre-back, who is available for a fee in the region of £7 million.
Ogbonna, 27, has failed to establish himself as a regular for the Bianconeri, and is believed to favour a move to the Premier League over Serie A suitors Napoli and AC Milan.
Roberto Martinez is in the market for a new central defender after the departure of veterans Sylvain Distin and Antolin Alcaraz, and has placed Ogbonna at the top of a shortlist that also includes Cagliari’s Davide Astori, Manchester United’s Jonny Evans and Sunderland target Nicolas Lombaerts.
New Irons boss Bilic is also on the lookout for an experienced stopper, with Tuttosport reporting that Ogbonna is set to speak to representatives of the South East London club in the coming days.
Speculation linking Ogbonna with a move to Upton Park has increased in recent weeks after club owner David Gold mistakenly posted a picture of the defender in a welcome message intended for new signing Pedro Obiang, yet a move to the capital is far from cut and dried, and both Everton and West Ham have been mentioned as favourites for his signature in the past week.
The Hammers will hope the lure of Europa League football and a move to London will sway Ogbonna’s decision in their favour, however contradictory reports in the Italian media suggest that the tussle for the former Torino man may well go down to the wire.
