Everton are interested in Freiburg defender Keven Schlotterbeck, who has been impressing with the Bundesliga side this season.
That’s according to SportBILD journalist Christian Falk, who says the Blues have ‘become aware’ of the 23-year-old centre back.
Schlotterbeck has been a regular for Freiburg this season, with 16 appearances in all competitions to his name so far.
He’s been in good form too, helping his side to sit eighth in the table after 20 games of the season, and just two points outside of the top six.
This has apparently caught the eye of Everton, who are now eyeing up a move for the defender when he enters the final year of his contract in the summer.
“True, although a bit surprising,” Falk told BILD.
“They have become aware of him in England because of his solid performances in the Bundesliga, while his not so expensive transfer cost makes him attractive too.
“Maybe they looked a little bit at Leeds United, they got Koch from Freiburg, and he proved to be a superb defender, so the Germans are in focus now.
“I am curious to see how that develops, but he is the next player from Freiburg that has attracted attention from the Premier League.”
TRUE ✅ @Everton is interested in Keven Schlotterbeck (23), center back @scfreiburg pic.twitter.com/0Ei5rZF6j2
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) February 12, 2021
Whether Everton turn this apparent interest into anything more concrete, however, remains to be seen.
The Blues are well-stocked for central defenders at this moment in time, with Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey all performing well this season.
They are all at a good age too, which means there is no immediate rush to go out and find a replacement or plan for the future at this point.
However, Marcel Brands is a man who loves a bargain, and with Schlotterbeck entering the final year of his deal and available for a ‘not so expensive’ price, perhaps the Dutchman is eyeing up a bargain deal that he can make a profit on in the future.
That’s just a guess on our part, but a 23-year-old available at a good price with a potentially higher ceiling and profit sounds like a very Brands type deal.
