Could Everton Fix Problem Position With Free Transfer Move for Former Real Madrid and Man United Player?

Left-back has been a bit of a problem position for Everton so far this season.

The Toffees have been short of numbers in the No 3 role since Ashley Young was released in June.

Injury issues for Vitaliy Mykolenko have resulted in central midfielder James Garner starting at left-back in three of Everton’s first five Premier League games this season.

But there could now be a solution for David Moyes, whose squad currently looks incomplete despite a £124 million summer spend on new players in what was a record-breaking Premier League transfer window.

Everton linked with Sergio Reguilon

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United left-back Sergio Reguilon is currently available on a free transfer following his release by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.

Multiple Premier League clubs — including Everton — are reportedly interested in Reguilon, while Sevilla and Real Sociedad are also said to be considering moves.

Can Everton sign free transfers before January?

Yes, Premier League clubs are permitted to sign free agents at any time.

Those signings can also be added to a club’s Premier League squad on two conditions. Firstly, they must have been a free agent before the previous transfer window closed. Secondly, the club must have space on their Premier League squad list.

Reguilon left Spurs when his contract expired over the summer, long before the transfer window closed on September 1. Meanwhile, Everton have so far named only 23 players in their Premier League squad list, leaving two spaces free.

Therefore, Reguilon could be signed and added to Everton’s Premier League squad before the transfer window reopens next year.

Why did Tottenham release Reguilon?

Reguilon’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2020 caused plenty of excitement in north London.

He signed for Spurs following an excellent season on loan at Sevilla, which had enhanced his reputation as one of Spain’s brightest young stars.

Real Madrid insisted on a buy-back clause for the attacking full-back, who made 67 appearances for Spurs in his first two seasons in England.

But he then fell out of favour, with manager Antonio Conte deciding at the start of the 2022 campaign that Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perisic and Ben Davies were better options to play left-back or left wing-back.

Reguilon was therefore loaned out to Atletico Madrid for the 2022-23 season, making 12 appearances under Diego Simeone.

Spurs then signed Destiny Udogie in the summer of 2023, before loaning Reguilon out again. He spent the first half of the 2023-24 campaign at Manchester United and the second at Brentford, playing 25 Premier League games in total.

Reguilon played just six times for Spurs in his final season in north London. None of those six appearances came in the Europa League after he was left out of Tottenham’s European squad. Despite this, Reguilon still collected a Europa League medal following May’s 1-0 win over Man United in Bilbao.

Would Reguilon be a good fit for Everton?

He would certainly improve Everton’s squad. David Moyes is short of experienced options at left-back and Reguilon has played more than 250 senior games in that position, including six for Spain.

Reguilon is known for his strong work-rate and ability to get up and down the pitch. However, he is arguably a little too prone to attack and perhaps not as defensively solid as what Moyes would ideally expect of his full-backs.