‘Everton door opens to sign James Justin’ as transfer decision awaited
Everton may have been handed a fresh opportunity to complete the signing of James Justin.
The right-back has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League in the last few weeks, after he was relegated with Leicester City at the end of last season.
Everton have shown an interest in Justin, as they continue to try and strengthen their squad ahead of the 1 September transfer deadline.
David Moyes’ side were hugely disappointing in their defeat to Leeds in the opening game of the season, and it was a performance that highlighted a need for further incomings.
Everton have chance to sign James Justin as Leeds stutter
Everton’s pursuit of Justin was seemingly handed a major boost with the news that the 27-year-old could be available for as little as £6million.
The former Luton Town man is out of contract at the King Power Stadium at the end of the season, which has created the opportunity for him to leave for a cut-price fee.
Leeds had appeared to have stolen a march on the Toffees in the race to sign the defender, but Justin’s move to Elland Road is now thought to be in doubt as a result of an injury he sustained at the weekend, according to Sky Sports journalist Zinny Boswell via X.
While the Merseysiders will not want to sign a player who is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines, their rivals’ hesitation may have left the door ajar for them to move back in towards a deal.
If Everton can make contact with Justin and begin to explore the possibility of bringing him in, then it could see them creep ahead in the race while the Whites assess their options.
The Toffees need a new full-back
Jake O’Brien turned in another commendable showing for Everton at right-back on Monday night, but the defeat outlined just how desperately a new full-back is needed.
Nathan Patterson, Adam Aznou and Vitaliiy Mykolenko were all out injured, which resulted in James Garner having to operate severely out of position on the left of the backline.
- Justin has made 99 appearances in the Premier League
- The defender was part of the Leicester squad who won the FA Cup in 2021
- He has played at all four levels of the Football League
The Toffees are badly short of quality in the full-back positions, particularly on the right, with O’Brien little more than a short-term solution in reality.
With that in mind, Everton should be doing everything they can to make a last-minute push for Justin.
He is versatile, and would bring valuable Premier League experience on either side of the defence.
His injury will undoubtedly be something of a concern, but Everton now find themselves in a position where they will have to take a gamble if they want to sign him.
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