Teun Koopmeiners stance made clear after Everton transfer links as Juventus silence broke
Teun Koopmeiners is on Everton's transfer list for the January window.
The Toffees had some big priorities in the summer, and midfield was one of them after Idrissa Gana Gueye left.
Hayden Hackney's arrival was seen as a long-term investment, while the addition of Christian Norgaard helped keep experience in the middle of the park.
Harrison Armstrong has excelled so far after hitting the ground running in pre-season, with James Garner his current midfield partner.
However, David Moyes has now seen plenty of evidence from his players so far, and midfield could still be an area that he looks to improve in January.
Juventus' Koopmeiners could be someone Everton look to sign, but what would his head coach Luciano Spalletti think about this?
Lucian Spalletti makes Teun Koopmeiners stance clear amid Everton interest
Everton were keen on Koopmeiners in the summer, but it's said that the Toffees could rekindle their interest in the winter window.
The Netherlands international joined Juventus in 2024 for £44million, but has failed to live up to his price tag so far.
It's understood that the Serie A club are monitoring his performances in the build-up to January, as a lack of "significant" improvement will see them try to find a new club for the midfielder.
Selling him for less than £21m is not an option, though the Azzurri would entertain higher offers and potentially loan enquiries.
But not if Spalletti has anything to say about it.
Speaking earlier this week about Koopmeiners, the Juventus boss said, as quoted by Vi.nl: "He can make a splitting pass out of nowhere. He always sees the space to reach teammates. Koopmeiners plays with 3D glasses.
"He is a deep playmaker who knows very well how to get the team going and take it by the hand. He may have made some mistakes here and there, but I certainly see where his qualities lie. I have certainly not lost faith in him."
Koopmeiners featured for just six minutes off the bench in Juventus' 1-1 draw against Cagliari on Sunday.
The idea is that he needs to improve in the coming months in order to stay at the club, but a lack of minutes may force Juventus' hand.
What could Koopmeiners deal mean for another Everton man?
Koopmeiners is an obviously talented player to have sitting on the bench, which may be why Spalletti is hopeful of keeping him.
The 28-year-old played once for the Netherlands over the international break, scoring and picking up the Player of the Match award in a 2-1 Nations League win over Serbia.
Everton may look to sign the Dutchman on loan in the winter to add another layer of protection to their own midfield, but would this only happen if another player was to depart Hill Dickinson?
Hackney is having trouble displacing Armstrong from the team, and only made the move to L3 for consistent Premier League football, choosing the Toffees over the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United.
Another signing in that area would only hinder him further, so that doesn't really make sense at this moment of time.