da poker： [ad_pod ]
da doce： Everton’s pursuit of Thomas Meunier has been dealt a hammer-blow this week, with the Belgian expressing his happiness at current club PSG. Back t0 the drawing board for the Toffees, then, who are in desperate need of a new right-back to replace the waning Seamus Coleman.
What’s the word?
Well, speaking to French publication Le Parisien (via Le 10Sport), the defender said:
“I’m happy here, I love the city and the club.
“Is there anything about my situation in Paris? It’s football. I still have a contract until 2020.
“I am delighted here, I really love the city and the club. Probabilities, at the beginning of my career, were 0.0001% that I play one day for PSG. I have no reason to complain in reality.”
The 27-year-old has been in and out of the side this season as he vies for a starting berth with Dani Alves, although he knows that this is the reality when you are playing for one of Europe’s top clubs:
“I have play time, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. You have to take life philosophically. What happens to me here is simply unexpected.”
The 36-cap international was linked with a move to Goodison Park in the final days of the January transfer window but a move never materialised and it now doesn’t look likely in the summer either.
Back to square one for the Toffees
Despite an active summer transfer window in which Everton revamped their defence as Marco Silva took the helm – the Goodison Park outfit brought in Kurt Zouma, Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne to name but a few – the Toffees are still struggling at the back.
Having been a faithful servant to the Merseyside outfit over the years, Coleman deserves to be a regular starter but, unfortunately for the Irishman, he has fallen off this season and is no longer capable of getting up and down the right flank in the ways he used to.
At 30, the former Cork City man is far from the high-tempo, flying full-back he established himself as being in recent years and it is no wonder that Everton were seemingly keen to find a long-term replacement.
Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…
Meunier’s physicality and Champions League experience would have undoubtedly been massive assets for Everton but it would seem that they will have to move onto other targets now.
However, the 6-foot-3 behemoth would surely have set Everton far further back than a club in their position should be spending on a right-back when Leicester were able to sign Ricardo Pereira for just £19.8m in the summer. There are surely better value options for Marcel Brands and co to explore so perhaps this failed move is a blessing in disguise.