Everton are keen to strike a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion's Steven Alzate, but a reliable journalist has confirmed that they aren’t the only club in the race to secure his services before tonight’s deadline.
Who is Steven Alzate?
Alzate is primarily a central midfielder who has plied his trade at The Amex since 2017 having initially joined the club’s youth setup before getting promoted to the first team back in 2019 where he’s since gone on to make a total of 51 senior appearances.
However, Colombia’s international has previously been sent out on two loan spells, the first to League Two’s Swindon Town and the second to Standard Liege in the Belgian Pro League, so it’s obvious that with the time spent on the road, he’s never really been able to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up for the Seagulls.
Therefore, as a result of the 24-year-old’s contract expiring in less than a year, now would be the perfect opportunity for Roberto De Zerbi to cash in on his prized asset should he not want to risk losing him for free, and it sounds like an exit is exactly what the manager is thinking about.
According to the BBC’s Simon Stone, Sean Dyche’s target will be allowed to leave before this evening’s transfer deadline thanks to the new arrival of Carlos Baleba on the south coast, and should he depart, he won’t be short of a potential suitor with several teams waiting to snap him up.
Are Everton signing Steven Alzate?
Taking to X, Pipe Sierra named Everton as one of the clubs looking to sign Alzate before 11pm, with Brighton’s ace currently in the process of assessing the options available to him both in the Premier League and overseas. He wrote:
“The departure of Steven Alzate (24) from #Brighton is imminent. The Colombian midfielder analyzes several options on the table with the recent interest of #Everton and #Wolves. Since last week there are also dialogues with #Sevilla and #Fiorentina. Nothing decided.”
How much does Steven Alzate earn?
At Brighton, Alzate currently pockets £15k-per-week so he would be an extremely affordable option for Everton, and considering the “creative” spark he could bring to the final third, as per journalist Josh Bunting, this is a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to pursue on Merseyside.
The London-born talent posted eight contributions (five assists and three goals) in 29 appearances for Liege last season, showing how prolific he can be in the opposition’s penalty area, but he’s also an ideal target man having averaged 1.2 aerial wins per league game.
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De Zerbi’s youth product is additionally a versatile operator having been deployed in an outstanding eight different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the centre, alongside roles in both defence and attack, which will no doubt be yet another attractive attribute to Dyche.
The Toffees are also reportedly in ongoing talks regarding a loan deal for West Ham United’s Maxwel Cornet, but if the above update is to be believed, Alzate could be soon following in the former’s footsteps by walking through the doors at Goodison Park.