Everton tipped to replace ‘unbelievable’ Coleman in January after £8m bid reported – pundit
Alan Hutton has tipped Everton to sign a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman in January.
The former Scotland defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested the “unbelievable” 33-year-old needs competition at Goodison Park.
As reported by the Daily Mail in August, Everton saw bids of £5million and £8million rejected by Rangers for full-back Nathan Patterson.
As quoted by the Daily Record (22 August), Steven Gerrard branded the Toffees’ opening offer “a joke”.
Hutton suggested Everton would continue their hunt for Coleman’s successor next month.
Asked if he thought Everton need to sign a new right-back, Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Well, I think they do.
“Obviously there’s not much competition there for Coleman, he’s their captain. He has been a tremendous servant for them over the years.
“I think they bought him for £50,000 and he’s actually been unbelievable.
“But look, it happens, sometimes this happens where you go through a dip in form. He’s not getting younger so of course, they will have to look to the future.
“They’ll have to look to get someone in. They tried to get Nathan Patterson for £8million, it wasn’t enough money. So they’re obviously actively looking.
“It’s about getting the right person in. I don’t think they can afford to make mistakes again in the transfer window. They’ve made far too many, so they have to get this right.
“They will be looking for somebody to take over from him in the near future. A player like Patterson, who they can develop, who’s got the talent there that they can make better.
“Someone to come in and hopefully play for three, four, five, six years. That is ultimately what they want, but it’s about picking the right person.”
Coleman has been a mainstay for Rafael Benitez this summer, missing just four league games due to a hamstring injury.
He has a total of 362 appearances under his belt for the Merseyside outfit.
In other news, Dominic Calvert-Lewin played a key role in an Everton man’s exit after a bust-up last month.