Sources: Ancelotti wants to lure 'world-class' centre-back to Everton
Carlo Ancelotti's transfer priority at Everton this summer is to sign a "world class" centre-back, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The Goodison manager can already call upon four senior central defenders, three of whom were signed for £20million-plus fees.
But an Everton source has told Football Insider that Ancelotti is not entirely satisfied with the centre-backs at his disposal and wants to upgrade.
His plan is to recruit an A-grade defensive leader just like Liverpool and Man City did with their landmark purchases of Virgil van Dijk and Ruben Dias.
The source explained that Ancelotti does not believe the current permutations at centre-back work together.
That is one of the main reasons he has continually swapped between a three-man defence and an orthodox back four this season.
Of Everton's four senior centre-backs, each of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate have started at least 18 Premier League matches.
However, Holgate and Godfrey have regularly been used at full-back to compensate for other weaknesses in the side.
Of the four centre-backs, Ancelotti is believed to be a particularly big admirer of Godfrey, the 23-year-old signed from Norwich City last summer.
Everton paid £25m plus add-ons for the Englishman and similar fees for Keane in 2017 and Mina in 2019.
Owner Farhad Moshiri has already made it clear to Ancelotti he will have rein to spend big in the main summer market.
That is likely to mean a £100million-plus outlay on top talent in a similar mould to last summer.