Everton open talks to sign midfield “man mountain”

As Everton wade deeper into the Premier League campaign, a European finish feels more plausible for David Moyes and his team.

Whether Everton will achieve that Herculean feat remains to be seen, of course, but there’s little question that the Merseysiders have gone from strength to strength since Moyes was welcomed back to the club after more than a decade.

No longer fretting about relegation, the Toffees still require more than a few licks of paint across the park, with Jack Grealish‘s months-long foot injury the latest issue for Moyes to contend with.

While signing a new forward takes precedence, Everton do appear keen on signing a midfielder, with an incredible name being linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton speaking to agents of Prem legend

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is on the cusp of a return from injury, and Idrissa Gueye will soon be in contention once again after returning from a triumphant AFCON campaign with Senegal.

James Garner has been riding the crest of a wave of late, but with Gueye 35 years old, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to line up an alternative midfielder to partner the high-flying Englishman.

Well, he might not be a spring chicken either, but Everton have identified one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history to help steer Moyes’ project even further forward.

As per Turkish outlet Sabah, Everton and West Ham United have held talks with Al-Ittihad’s N’Golo Kante this month. The 34-year-old becomes a free agent in June, and while Fenerbahce have held the lead in the race, they are unwilling to meet the Saudi Pro League side’s asking price.

Sport Witness report Sean Lunt has corroborated the news, revealing that Everton have “spoken to his agents” as they look to wrap up a shrewd winter deal.

How N’Golo Kante would fit in at Everton

Kante is old, for sure, but he’s still one of the most talented and durable midfielders in the world.

The France international, instrumental in their 2018 World Cup triumph, might have lost a yard of pace, a slice of athleticism, but he averages 5.7 ball recoveries per game in the Saudi Pro League this season, completing 91% of his passes and playing with a maturity that would allow him to return to the Premier League and contribute toward a new project.

Having won the English top-flight title with Leicester City and Chelsea, Kante is one of the most lauded players in the division’s history, described as being “irreplaceable” and “on a different planet” by Chelsea legend Alan Hudson. He might be small in stature but as David Beckham once said, he still finds a way to be a “man mountain” on the pitch.

In 2024, the veteran starred at EURO 2024, proving that age, injury and a step down to the Gulf’s footballing scene had not diminished his skillset. In November 2025, he started and scored as France beat Ukraine 4-0.

And by partnering him with a complete and dynamic partner in Garner, Moyes could strike an incredible bargain to power his team through the second half of the season.

Picture this: Kante mopping up and placing perfectly-weighted passes into the path of Garner, who has a mean gas tank of his own. Garner, 24, using his creativity and movement to help feed the likes of Thierno Barry in the final third; maybe a new striker, should one arrive.

The return of Iliman Ndiaye from AFCON will only serve to strengthen Everton’s attempts to make this a season to remember, and while Kante would not arrive at the Hill Dickinson with the same air of invincibility that he once projected at Leicester and Chelsea, he remains one of the most talented midfielders around, proving for club and country in recent years his durability and potential to still make a mark at the highest level.

With Garner beside him, it will be that little bit easier.

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