According to TEAMtalk, Everton are eyeing several centre-back options ahead of the summer as a potential replacement for Michael Keane. The veteran is set to leave the Merseyside club once his contract expires in the summer, with David Moyes looking at Nottingham Forest’s Andrew Omobamidele as one of the targets.
Andre Omobamidele found a new lease on life after being frozen out of Nottingham Forest at the start of the season. The arrival of Nikola Milenkovic allowed Nuno Espirito Santo to ignore the 22-year-old defender from his plans, and it took another six months for him to exit Nottingham Forest for a loan to Strasbourg.
After starting his time on the French side on a bright note, Omobamidele only played four games before suffering an Achilles problem which did see him miss the next five games or over a month of action. He has started five of the seven games he has featured for Strasbourg, and the overall consensus is that the 22-year-old defender has been good when available.
Yet the report states interested clubs are wary of the injury issues with the young defender, as Omobamidele’s prolonged absence for most parts of the season with Nottingham Forest was fitness-related. However, Everton are in the mix to sign the player, who could still stay at Strasbourg beyond the current season.
The Ligue 1 club have an option to buy Omobamidele for a fee of £6.8 million via a buy option in his loan deal. However, should the French side decide against the idea of keeping him, then Everton might consider him as one of the options to replace veteran Michael Keane, who will leave the Toffees once his contract expires in the summer.
The biggest worry will be with the future of Jarrad Branthwaite, although for the time being Everton’s major hurdle is to find a viable replacement for veteran Keane. The 32-year-old has been dismal for the club and relegated to a bench role for most parts. The Toffees are looking at some viable options to replace him, as PSG star Milan Skriniar is one of the names on the list.
Everton are also interested in Facundo Medina of RC Lens, with the Argentine likely to be sold by the French side. A signing in the defensive part as a replacement for Keane will depend on the viability of the options as well as the price they will be made available for, as Omobamidele will be seen as a much cheaper alternative to some of the other targets mentioned in media reports.
