What The Papers Say – 31 July

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

Friday’s Daily Mail claims Everton hold “pole position” in a two-way fight with Tottenham Hotspur for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Southampton midfielder Hojbjerg has been at St Mary’s four years but with his contract expiring in 12 months is poised to leave the south coast team.

Everton are supposedly keen on the Dane, formerly with Bayern Munich, and, according to the Daily Mail, have the whip hand over Spurs after a £25m bid was accepted by Hojbjerg’s club last week.

The same paper features news of Kieran Dowell’s switch to Norwich City.

Midfielder Dowell, 22, ended a 15-year association with Everton when he completed a transfer to Carrow Road on Thursday and the Mail picks up quotes form the player’s first interview with his new club.

“There was a bit of interest [from other clubs] towards the end of the season and when Norwich came up, with the history of the club and what they've got going on with the boss and the players they've got here, I think it was a really good fit for me,” said Dowell.

Mundo Deportivo in Spain reckons Everton are “very interested” in Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite.

Denmark international Braithwaite swapped La Liga rivals Leganes for the Nou Camp in February this year but, says the paper, Barca are “negotiating his transfer”, with Everton and West Ham United mentioned as potential destinations for the 29-year-old.

A report in regional Italian publication CalcioNapoli24 says Everton have bid £27m for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes – an offer which fellow suitors Napoli apparently can’t match.

It is said Serie A Napoli could re-enter the running if they sell Kalidou Koulibaly but there is no imminent prospect of a transfer for the highly-rated 29-year-old Senegalese.

Magalhaes, 22, was a regular in the Lille team which finished fourth in the aborted 2019/20 Ligue 1 campaign and has been subject of continued speculation linking him with Goodison Park.

A report on 90min suggests Everton like Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Solly March.

Former England Under-21 international March is approaching his nine-year anniversary at Brighton and has played nearly 200 games for the club.

He would reportedly cost £15m and is also on the radars of Newcastle United and Leeds United, says the website.

Fabian Delph is a target for former club Leeds, according to the Daily Star.

Midfielder Delph, who began his career with the Elland Road club before leaving for Aston Villa in 2009, joined Everton from Manchester City last summer.

Newly-promoted Leeds are apparently “confident of striking a deal for around £5m”  to take the 30-year-old back to his native Yorkshire.

Also in the Star, it is claimed Carlo Ancelotti has “asked for information” on the plans of Branislav Ivanovic, the former Chelsea defender whose contract with Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg expired this month.

Serb Ivanovic was a member of Ancelotti’s Double-winning Chelsea team 10 years ago.

The Sheffield Star reckons Sheffield United will try to tie up a permanent deal for Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic, who spent 2019/20 on loan at Bramall Lane.

Besic, who came to Everton from Ferencvaros in Hungary six years ago, has one year remaining on his Goodison deal and is also said to be attracting interest from Bournemouth.