Transfer twist opens up Jerome Boateng signing for Everton after Bayern Munich make decision
A transfer twist has opened up the possibility for Everton to secure the signing of free agent Jerome Boateng.
TEAMTALK reported on Thursday (5 October) that the Toffees had held talks with the German international, but it said he had turned the Blues down as he was hoping to secure a contract at Bayern Munich after he has been training with the club.
Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg tweeted on Friday (6 October) that Thomas Tuchel has decided not to sign the 35-year-old defender for the Bundesliga giants, opening up the opportunity for him to change his mind on making a move to Goodison Park.
Boateng has been without a club since he left Lyon at the end of June following the expiration of his contract with the French side.
The centre-back spent two years with the Ligue 1 outfit after making the move from Bayern in 2021 as his game time in Munich looked set to decrease.
He featured quite heavily during his first season at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, making 27 appearances for the club across the campaign.
But last year proved to be a frustrating one for him after he played just eight times, having suffered an injury in the opening few games and then failing to earn back his place in the starting lineup on a consistent basis.
The German has been training with Bayern to regain his fitness and put him in with the best chance of earning a contract somewhere.
But despite making 363 appearances for the Bavarians over a 10-year period, it appears as though he won’t be handed a deal at the Allianz Arena.
Boateng also brings a wealth of international experience, having turned out for Germany on 76 occasions and been part of the side that won the World Cup in 2014.
His situation opens up a unique opportunity for Everton to sign someone who was one of European football’s top defenders over a number of years.
He also has Premier League experience under his belt after he signed for Manchester City from Hamburg in 2010, but that move didn’t pan out as well as he would’ve liked, with the defender returning to Germany to sign for Bayern just a year later.
The big question the Toffees have to ask themselves is whether or not they believe he could be past it on the back of a disappointing season with Lyon and months without any competitive action.
It’s unlikely his wages would be cheap, either, and that’s something the Blues can’t really afford to be taking gambles on at the moment due to the club’s financial issues.
Sean Dyche would certainly like to add another central defender to his ranks after his side have conceded 12 goals in seven Premier League games, but whether Boateng would help on that front is up for debate.
There’s also the factor that he has already turned down interest from the Merseysiders, although his mind may have changed on that front on the back of Bayern’s decision.
Time will tell whether or not there could still be something in the defender making the move to Goodison and it’ll be interesting to see how this one unfolds over the coming days.
In other Everton news, a football finance expert has shared an admission on 777 Partners after more worrying news has emerged.