Aston Villa make £25m move to beat Everton to new midfielder signing
Everton could be left trailing in the dust this summer.
The Goodison Park outfit are set for a busy transfer window as they try to improve their squad and breach the top half of the Premier League.
David Moyes is set to be backed by the Friedkin Group after impressing with a great run of results since returning to the dugout on Merseyside.
However, targets could be stolen by clubs that are higher up the food chain, which could be a hammer blow for the Scotsman.
Aston Villa make Diarra move amid Everton interest
Villa are on a remarkable rise of their own under Unai Emery and look set to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.
A report from Alan Nixon (18 May), via his Patreon, claims that the Villans are set to make a £25million move for Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra.
It states that Everton and Nottingham Forest have also scouted the 21-year-old in person but the Birmingham-based outfit holds the deepest interest.
Everton need to act fast to secure Moyes targets
If Moyes wants a certain player, the new ownership needs to act fast to secure them, as there is likely to be a lot of competition in the market.
Unfortunately for the Toffees, the likes of Villa and Forest will be able to offer European football next season, something which they cannot.
| Stats (Ligue 1) | Diarra |
| Matches | 30 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Minutes played | 2,356 |
That could leave the Blues struggling to land top targets and having to go for alternatives instead, which would not be ideal.
Moyes and CEO Angus Kinnear, who is responsible for the new sporting leadership, need to draw up a list of other potential recruits, so in the case that the Merseysiders miss out on their top option, they have a fallback that they also like.
Diarra looks like the real deal, he has notched a solid amount of goal contributions from midfield and that is something that the Blues have sorely lacked this season.
If the L4 outfit can beat their rivals to his signature, it would be a huge sign of their intentions going forward and a great start to their business.