Everton open talks to sign £17m English talent who could be the next Garner

Everton have not been flawless under David Moyes’ management this season, but who can deny the Toffees have made progress in the year the Scotsman has been back at the helm?

Sunday’s hard-fought victory against Aston Villa in the Midlands underlined Everton’s impressive away form, putting them back in contention for a European finish in the Premier League. After 21 games, Everton are four points off their rivals, Liverpool, in the top four.

But this is a squad who need some more depth, and while much of the noise centres around the goalscoring department, Everton also need to look at other areas of the field.

Everton open talks for English talent

Right-back is a problem for Everton. Jame O’Brien is a fine player, but he’s been moonlighting on the flank for some time, and some more dynamism and natural progression would go down a treat as Moyes continues to modernise his Blues team.

James Garner has shown that he too can fill in on the right side of the Everton defence, but the Englishman’s inspired form in the middle of the park means it would be foolish to pull him away, especially with playmaker Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sidelined.

All this is on Moyes’ mind, and GIVEMESPORT have even revealed that an official enquiry has been made to determine whether Genoa right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy is available for transfer this month.

Norton-Cuffy, 22, is a man in demand, and the answer is that, yes, he could be on the move this winter, with Juventus, Napoli, Newcastle United and West Ham United also hot on the England U21 international’s trail.

The fast-paced right-back would cost somewhere in the region of £17m, and if TFG manage to get this one over the line, they could land Everton their new version of Garner.

Why Norton-Cuffy could be Everton’s new Garner

Norton-Cuffy is a product of Arsenal’s Hale End youth academy, but such fierce competition in north London saw him leave before earning a shot at the big time. He is not the first.

In this, he shares something with Garner, who didn’t make the grade at Manchester United before leaving for Nottingham Forest in the Championship, then moving to Everton in 2022.

Now, Garner is regarded as one of the most underrated midfielders in the Premier League, having been immense for Moyes this year. At Villa Park last weekend, the 24-year-old put on a clinic.

Moyes may find a similar level of success with Norton-Cuffy, who has been playing like a star with a point to prove in Italy, going from strength to strength after the 2023/24 campaign, when he featured only sporadically for Il Grifone.

His pace and movement down the right flank would certainly offer a nice contrast to the more structured approach of O’Brien, who is a natural centre-half, after all.

Moreover, the former Gunner ranks among the top 9% of full-backs across Europe over the past year for successful take-ons per 90 (1.26), as per data-led site FBref, further underlining the dimension that he would bring to this Toffees team.

This aligns with the praise of those who know him, with analyst Ben Mattinson labelling Norton-Cuffy an “insane carrier” with a “ridiculously physical” profile.

Norton-Cuffy has made impressive gains over the past several years, and the growing interest in his signature suggests Everton might want to pounce while they can, with the potential that was once envisaged within Arsenal’s youth system now coming to fruition.

In this, he shares something with Garner, who is undeniably riding the biggest wave of his professional career so far as it all comes together at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

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