Everton scouts were back in business this week, watching Porto take on PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The Toffees are regular attendees for Porto games, having scouted them consistently over the last few years.
Indeed, Sport Witness records show Everton were one of the sides that had a scout in attendance for Porto’s clash with Manchester City.
Manchester United, Everton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town were among the Premier League clubs to send scouts to the Estádio do Dragão on that particular evening.
At the time we argued that Everton’s need for full-backs and a striker probably had them looking at the likes of Martim Fernandes, Alberto Costa and maybe even Andre Silva. But none of the trio particularly impressed in that game.
PSV players impress
It was a similar story for the Porto players in this game as they were beaten 1-0 by PSV thanks to a Guus Til goal. Their highest rated player was Alberto Costa, getting a 7.0 from WhoScored. Everyone else was in the sixes, including striker Samu Aghehowa.
Everton, of course, desperately need another striker and the 22-year-old would be one to potentially keep an eye on ahead of January. But he failed to make an impact, managing a 6.26 score and just one shot in the entire game.
The more impressive performers were for PSV. Sven Mijnans was the top performer with a 7.64 rating, closely followed by Dest with a 7.6. That should be particularly interesting given Everton still need reinforcement at right-back.
They signed Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the summer, but it remains to be seen if he’s the long-term solution. Dest could definitely be an option, particularly as he can play at left-back too.
Old target shines
The obvious player on Everton’s radar is Esmir Bajraktarevic, though. Everton were very interested in him during the summer before eventually going elsewhere.
Indeed, Sport Witness reported how Everton were continuing to scout the youngster and sent a scout in April to watch him take on PEC Zwolle. He starred in that game, scoring twice and assisting three times.
That performance had, reportedly, convinced Everton to submit a ‘concrete offer’ for him. That was before the World Cup, where he also impressed. TFG’s decision to pull money in the summer perhaps stopped a deal from advancing.
Either way, he was again in impressive form in front of the Everton scout in this game. WhoScored handed him a 7.48 rating, with four shots, one on target, four key passes, a 97.1% passing accuracy and two dribbles. He also hit the bar with an effort. He was the third best performer by their metrics.
Portuguese newspaper A Bola, meanwhile, gave him an 8/10 in their ratings. Nobody scored higher than the Bosnian.
With Everton’s owners insisting that there will be funds in January, he feels like a name to keep a close eye on in the coming months after once again impressing in front of scouts this week.
It’s worth noting that Roma were also there, so whether they’d get preference in any Friedkin January pursuit would be a concern.
Signings from Portugal & the Netherlands · Past decade
| Year | Player | Signed from | Country / league | Initial fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Davy Klaassen | Ajax | Netherlands · Eredivisie | €27m |
| 2017 | Nathangelo Markelo* | FC Volendam | Netherlands · Eerste Divisie club | Undisclosed |
| 2023 | Youssef Chermiti | Sporting CP | Portugal · Primeira Liga | Reported €15m |
*Markelo joined from Volendam’s youth setup for Everton’s Under-23 squad, rather than as an established first-team signing.
Fees shown in euros, excluding potential add-ons. Chermiti’s fee was officially undisclosed; the €15m initial figure follows Portuguese reporting by Record.
Sources: PremierLeague.com, Sky Sports, FC Volendam and Record.
