Everton wanted to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat in the final stages of the summer transfer window.
According to Alex Crook, the Toffees explored a move to sign the 57-time capped Morocco international late in the transfer window, but it was too late by that time.
Amrabat had moved to Fenerbahce on loan by that time, and the move didn’t materialise as a result.
Premier League rivals Manchester United were also in the hunt, but Erik ten Hag was blocked from re-signing the 28-year-old defensive midfielder.
The Toffees did bolster their midfield towards the end of the window as they signed Orel Mangala on loan from Olympique Lyon.
Everton should be glad the deal didn’t happen
Sean Dyche needed to bolster the midfield areas this summer following the departure of Amadou Onana, who moved to Aston Villa on a club-record deal.
Despite adding Mangala and Tim Iroegbunam, it seems Dyche still wanted to bring in an experienced midfielder before the end of the window.
Amrabat is a highly experienced midfielder. He has loads of international experience and has played for clubs like Hellas Verona, Feyenoord and Fiorentina, managing over 290 games in his club career.
He spent the last season on loan at Manchester United, where he managed 30 appearances for the Red Devils. He was impressive in the 2022 World Cup and also lifted the FA Cup with Man Utd last season, but he hardly made a big impact at Old Trafford.
There was no guarantee that he would do well at Goodison Park. Instead, signing Mangala on loan looked like a fantastic decision from the club. Mangala has previously played for Nottingham Forest and should be aware of the demands of this league.
Everton have made a poor start to the season. The Toffees have lost all three games in the Premier League, including two at home, and Dyche will need to use the international break wisely to get back to winning ways.