Sources: Everton plot move for Man United sensation Garner
Everton are plotting a move for Man United sensation James Garner, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The Merseyside club have set their sights on the central midfielder, who is currently on a season-long loan at Nottingham Forest.
An Everton source has told Football Insider that Rafael Benitez is an admirer of Garner, 20, and is weighing up a move to sign him for the second half of the season.
That would mean Garner terminating his loan deal at Forest, where he has spent the last 12 months after also playing there in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.
Everton have been the most active Premier League club in the January window so far.
They have already completed two landmark signings, luring Nathan Patterson from Rangers for an initial £12million and £17m for Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev.
Now Benitez is looking to stiffen the midfield in his struggling team.
Garner is a central midfielder who normally operates in the anchorman role.
At Forest, he has made 15 Championship starts among 21 appearances in all competitions this season, and has played 41 times for them over the last year.
He spent the first half of last season on loan at Watford, where he was a key player in their promotion campaign.
A graduate of the Man United academy, Garner has played seven times for the club's senior side and played regularly in pre-season.
The youngster, who has been named by Bruno Fernandes as one of the club's two star young players. has also featured for England’s youth sides from Under-17s to Under-21s.