Friedkin table offer in race to sign "perfect" £25m+ defender for Everton

With The Friedkin Group looking to make their mark at the beginning of a new era at Everton, the new owners have now reportedly submitted an opening offer to sign an in-demand defensive target.

New era approaching at Everton

Preparing to bid farewell to the historic Goodison Park in the coming weeks, it’s all change at Everton and they’ll be desperate to commence a new era in fine fashion this summer. Attempting to add the signings to match an impressive new stadium, the Toffees have already reportedly set their sights on the likes of Liam Delap and Vangelis Pavlidis.

The former will reportedly be available at the bargain price of just £30m if Ipswich Town are relegated back down to the Championship this season, which is beginning to look like an inevitability. If Friedkin are looking for a statement of intent, then winning the race to sign the impressive forward would certainly provide exactly that this summer.

It’s not just attacking reinforcements that David Moyes will need if he is to take Everton away from the misery of relegation battles once and for all, however. The former West Ham United manager will also need some fresh faces within his backline, especially in the face of Michael Keane’s likely exit as a free agent this summer.

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He’d be an instant upgrade.

Just what Friedkin’s budget will be ahead of the summer window remains to be seen, but it looks set to be a busy one for Everton, who have already reportedly submitted an opening bid for one star.

Everton submit opening bid to sign “perfect” Hancko

Looking to commence their summer transfer window with a bang, those in Merseyside have reportedly made their first move. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Friedkin have now submitted an opening offer worth €25m (£21m) to sign David Hancko this summer, only for Feyenoord to reject that opening bid in pursuit of around €30m (£26m) for their defender.

Whether Friedkin will be keen to up their offer will certainly be interesting to see, especially given how close they already are to Hancko’s reported valuation and amid competition from Bayer Leverkusen.

A player who has the “perfect profile” to act as the modern-day hybrid between a centre-back and full-back according to analyst Ben Mattinson, all signs are pointing towards a move away from Feyenoord for Hancko this summer whether it’s to Everton, Leverkusen or elsewhere.