Everton supporters have been significantly more buoyant in the Transfer Tavern in recent times after seeing their side win four of their five games under new manager Sam Allardyce, setting them up perfectly for the visit of Premier League champions Chelsea on Saturday.
The former England boss replaced the sacked Ronald Koeman on November 30 and has since overseen a five-match unbeaten run in the Goodison Park hotseat, with four wins in that time over West Ham, Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United, and Swansea City propelling the Toffees up to ninth in the Premier League table. And that run of form will give them plenty of confidence ahead of the visit of Antonio Conte’s Chelsea on Saturday, with the Blues making the trip to Merseyside having lost just one of their last ten Premier League matches.
Consequently, there are many upbeat Evertonians in the Tavern at the moment, several of whom are also relishing the upcoming January transfer window, and thus what players could be making the move to their side ahead of the second half of the season.
And one man who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park recently is Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins, who of course worked with Allardyce both at Selhurst Park earlier this year, and indeed West Ham between 2011 and 2015.
And the 63-year-old is reportedly seeking a reunion with the 28-year-old on Merseyside in January, but the Everton chief should forget about a move for Tomkins, and instead focus his energy on sealing a deal for one of these TWO centre-backs instead…
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Lamine Kone
Lamine Kone has already produced heroics under Allardyce in helping Sunderland beat Premier League relegation back in 2015/16, and he could well be set to link up with the 63-year-old once again at Everton.
The Toffees have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old for a while now but haven’t had any luck bringing him to Goodison Park, yet recent reports suggest that he could be available in January for as little as £10 million, which is likely to be cheaper than Tomkins.
And although Kone was particularly poor for the Black Cats last term, there’s no denying the impact Allardyce had on him during his time at the Stadium of Light, and were that partnership to strike again, Everton could certainly reap the rewards.
James Tarkowski
Reports recently have linked Arsenal and Manchester City with a move for Burnley’s James Tarkowski, and Everton should look to join that race as well.
The 25-year-old came into Sean Dyche’s side at the start of the campaign following the departure of Michael Keane, who of course moved to Everton, and he has since been a revelation in helping the Clarets to the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, alongside the Manchester duo.
And given that the Toffees backline will need overhauling soon given that Phil Jagielka is 35, and Leighton Baines and Ashley Williams are both 33, they could do a lot worse than target Tarkowski in the New Year.
